Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-26
NEGRO IN REVOLUTION.
Claim That He Fought for Republic in
1776 and 1912

The Bethel Literary and Historical Asso-
citation of this city listened Tuesday night
to a paper by Prof. w. B. Hayson, director
Of Latin in the NJ Street High School, on
the subject, THE Black Sons and Daugh-
tiers of the American Revolution" After
reviewing the organizations Of the Sons of
the Revolution and the Daughters of the
Revolution, and the requirements for adj
mission thereto, he questioned whether the
absence of any black member of these or
CARNATIONS was due to the fact that the
negro could not trace his ancestry to the
revolutionary war or to the war of 1872, or
whether 1t was because these organizations,
did not appeal to the negro. LAS to the
latter" said he, possibly but as to the
former, emphatically no.
While he admitted that in the many
books on genealogy in the Congressional
Library the negro could not trace genuine
lineage, yet his claims to eligibility in
either organization Is as clear and unchal-
lenged as is that of the scion of the purest
blood of any ancestral patriot, either of the
war of the revolution or of 1912.
Beginning with the landing of the British
in March, ITO. and their brutal maraud-
ings and massacres, Prof Hayson said that
Crispus Attacks and his three companions.
leading a mob of enraged citizens against
the soldiery, in which they gave their lives,
made themselves the fathers Of the Amer
lean revolution. Bancroft, the historian.
presence and valor of the colored soldier
in the revolution and says there were
about seven hundred or more enrolled who
fought for independence. Commodore Perry,
referring to that splendid victory on Lake
Erie, spoke of his negro marines, and said:
'"rhey seemed insensible to danger" Yet
that painting at the foot of the east stairs
Of the Capitol concentrating this victory,
representing Perry leaving the fated Law
renee, has the figure of one black, terror
stricken, with his hands raised in the at
titude of fear and trembling, showing the
American prejudice. 1t represents, he said,
half truth, and this, says one, is some
times equivalent to a lie.
1.-THE negroes claim to valOrous deeds"
said he, did not cease with the revolution
airy war nor the war of 1872. In a personal
Renaissance Gen. Harries told of an eX-
perience in Cuba. The night was dark and
black, he said. and it was raining as it only
can rain in the tropics. Gen. Harries was
aroused by the tramp of soldiers and the
low strains of the Portuguese hymn. Rails
ing himself the general inquired what that
meant at such an hour, and was told by
a native that 1t was the black regiment on
it's way to Sibony, rela ting how, in the
terrible ravages of yellow. fever, the reg
tment had almost been decfmated, and that
the commanding officer had asked for vol
unteer nurses. Every man of that black
regiment stepped forward and volunteered
his service. Gen. Harries said he could
hear the strains of the song the retreating
soldiers sang in the distance, When
through the dark pillows" etc. The pa
per was discussed by Rev. Sterling N.
Brown. Messrs J. T. c. Newsom and Shell
by J. Davidson and Profs. John w. Crom-
well and M. Grant Lucas.
Prof. Hayson, since his graduation from
Oberlin College some years ago. has de-
voted much of his time and means to re-
search along racial lines of endeavor He
mas accumulated a library of over seven
hundred volumes by negro authors, besides
manuscripts and rare prints, many of these
from London and other places on the con-
tinent The production of last evening is
said by those competent to speak to have
cost something like 1000 in collecting ma
terials and research.