The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1916-10-28
THE COLORED MAN IN THE
REVOLUTION.

Cont. from Page ~
sion of any person as a soldier into
the army now raising. but only such as
are freemen. will be inconsistent with
the principles that are to be supported
and reflect dishonor on these colonies
and that no slaves be admitted into
this army upon any consideration
whatever"
Washington took command Of the
army around Boston on July 3. 1775.
The instructions for the recruiting off,
GERS from his headquarters at Cam.
bridge prohibited the enlistment of
any Negro"
Notwithstanding all this. the fact re-
mains, as Bancroft says. that 1.-THE roll
Of the army at Cambridge had from its
first formation bsrne the names of
men Of color" Free Negroes stood in
the ranks by the side of white men. In
the Begin ing Of the war they had en-.
tered the provincial army. and the
c0lOred men. like others. were retained
In the service"
A committee on conference, consist
ing Of DR.. Franklin. Benjamin HART
son and Thomas Lynch, met Mt Cam
bridge, Oct. Is, 1775. with the deputy
governors Of Connecticut and Rhode
Island and the committee OF the cOun
ell Of Massachusetts Bay to confer
with General Washington and advise
method for renovating the army. On
the 23d of October the Negro quesl,On
was presented and disposed of as fol-
lows: fought not Negroes 10 be lex,
Guided from the new enlistment es-
pecially such ms are slavesg Allwere
thought improper by the council Of OH.
GERS. 1t was agreed that they he re-
jected altogether.
In general orders issued Nov ~.
1775. Washington says, Neither Ne
groes, boys unable to bear arms or old
men unfit to endure the fatigues Of the .
campaign are to be enlisted" Wash
ington, however, in the last days of the ,
year, under representation to him that
the free Negroes who had served In 4
his army were very much dissatisfied
at being discarded and. fearing that !
they might seek employment In the
British army. took the responsibility to
depart from the resolution respecting
them and gave license for their being
enlisted.
Washington promised that II there
was any objection on the part OF con-
gress he would discontinue the enlist
Ing Of colored men. but on Jan. Is.
f776. congress determined that the
free Negroes who had served faithfully
In the army at Cambridge may be re-
therein. but no others"
The entire aspect Of the affair chang
ed when In 1873 the south began to be
Invaded. South Carolina. especially
was unable to make any effectual ef-
forts with militia by reason Of the
great proportion Of citizens necessary
10 remain at home to prevent insur,
recti0ns among the Negroes an. their |
lesertion to the enemy. WHO were as
,idueus In their end0avors to excite
both revolt and desertion.
The result was that In all the south |
,rn states the legislatures passed reso-
utions to enlist Negroes. and the col J
,red patriots Of the Revolution are as
much entitled as their white brethren
o credit for the ardor with which they |
ought the enemy, whether they were
,Ondmen or freemeD. II has never
,een possible to give an exact state
nent as to the plumber Of Negroes who
'erved In the Revolution for-the reason
hat they were generally mixed In regi. |
nents and not calculated separately.