Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1895-09-06
FRIDAY MORNING. SEPT. 6. 1895


FRIDAY MORNING. SEPT. 6. 1895
VIRGINIA SLAVES IN THE ARMY
OF THE REVOLUTION.
A few days ago a monument erected
on Long Island, n. Y, in recognition OF
the bravery of the four hundred Maryland
troops, who, in the Continental service,
saved the rest Of the American army there.
was unveiled. In the grouping OF historic
facts around modern events that attends
such occasions, Mr.. Philip d. Laird
writes from the Land Office at Annapolis.
Md. to the Baltimore Sun to show that the
troops furnished by Maryland in the Revo-
luton contained Negroes. He says:
There are two sources of evidence, the first
being certificate from Captain (afterward
Goyernor) Levin Winder. in these words:
ssMIDDLE BROOK. April 2, 1913.
81 do hereby certify that Jane, mulatto
wench, was lawfully married to Henry Rus
sell. mulatto man. soldier in the LIST
Mary'd Regt. and that she was sister to Bar
ton Swan, of the LIST Mary'd Regt., likewise
sLEv. w. WINDER, Capt,
Recommending 1st Mary'd Regt.
NV first impression was that the parties
named were the servants OF officers, cana one
or two persons to whom mentioned the sub
iect shared this view) but l was forced to
abandon it after a careful examination OF the
list of delinouents under the draft OF 1850,
in which found the names of three negroes.
/ give the entries in full. In st. Mary's
county
NEGRO Jesse, Oct O-delinquent."
sNegro Proctor. Oct. delinquent.
In Anne Arundel county, opposite the name
of Joseph Miller, is this entry: "Negro
George was draughted and appointed thro'
inadvertency, having stood his draught III
the 16 class by the name of George Pember-
ton; then Joseph Miller was draughted and
has not appeared"
These parties could not have been drafted
except for the active service, and the evidence
is kind that cannot be disputed.
Nj. Laird assumes that these Negroes
were free men. This does not follow; at
least it did not follow in similar enlistment
of Negroes among the troops Virginia fur
nished to the Revolution. Assumably, as
MI. Laird says, they were free men, but as
a matter of fact they were slaves put in as
substitutes for white men, and, as another
matter of fact, some of their owners at
tempted after the War was over to serve
them very rascally trick by still claiming
them as slaves. In Vol. XI of Hening S
Statutes, may be found the proof of this.
We find that s'At a General Assembly be
gun and held at the Public Building in the
Town Of Richmond, on Monday, the sixth
day of May, in the year of our Lord, one
thousand, seven hundred and eighty-two,
and in the sixth year of the Common
wealth." Benjamin Harrison, ESQ.,, being
Governor, there was passed IAN act di-
recting the emancipation Of certain slaves
who have served as soldiers in this State,
and for the emancipation Of the slave
Aberdeen" The reading OF the act is as
follows:
l. WHEREAS it hath heen represented to
the present general assembly; that during the
course Of the war, many persons in this state
had caused slaves to enlist in certain regi-
ments or corps raised within the same, having
rendered such slaves to the officers appointed
to recruit forces within the state, as sub
stitutes for free persons, whose lot or duty it
was to serve in such regiments or corps, at
the same time representing to such recruitin G
officers that the slaves SO enlisted by their
direction and concurrence were freemen;
and it appearing further to this assembly.
that on the expiration of the tenn of enlist
ment Of such slaves that the former owners
have attempted again to force them to re-
turn to state of servitude, contrary to the
principles of justice. and to their own solemn
promise.
II. And whereas it appears, just and reas-
enable that all persons enlisted as afosesaid,
who have faithfully served agreeable to the
terms of their enlistment, and have thereby
OF course contributed towards the establish
ment of American liberty and independence,
should enjoy the blessings Of freedom as a
reward for their tolls and lab0urS BE it
therefore enacted That each and every slave,
who by the appointment and direction of his
owner, hath enlisted in any regiment OF corps
raised within this state, either on continent
tai OF state establishment, and hath been re-
ceived as substitute for any free person
whose duty OF lot it was to serve in such regi-
ment or corps, and hath served faithfully
during the turn OF such enlistment, or hath
been discharged from such service by some
officer duly authorized to grant such discharge,
shall from and after the passing of this act,
be fully and completely emancipated, and
shall be held and deemed free in as full and
ample manner as if each and every of
them were specially named in this act !;
and the attorney general for the common
wealth, is hereby required to commence an
action, in tormG pduperis, in behalf of any
of the persons above described who shall
after the passing of this act be detained in
servitude by any person whatsoever; and if
upon such prosecution it shall appear that
the pauper is entitled to his freedom in con-
quence of this act, a jury shall be empanneli-
ed to assess the damages for his detention
Ill. And whereas it has been represented
to this general assembly, that Aberdeen, a
negro slave, hath laboured a number of years
in the public service at the. lead mines, and
for his meritOriOuS services is entitled to free
dom /; BE 1t therefore enacted, That the said
slave Aberdeen shall be, and he is hereby
emancipated and declared free in as full and
ample manner as if he had been born free.
From this law it appears that there
were, though unlawfully, Negro slaves in
the Virginia quota Of troops for the Con-
Iinental army; that they were enlisted by
their masters as substitutes for themselves:
that in order to do this the recruiting Off
Ger was deceived 10y the statement that the
slaves were free men: that after the war clos
ed some Of these masters got them back into
slavery again and attempted to hold them
in that relation, and, lastly, that the at
tempt Was OF such extent that an act of the
legiSlature WAS required to counteract il