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 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. 1875.
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 btrne 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 ell.
tered the provincial army. and the
col0red men, like others. were retained
in the service"
A committee on conference, consist
ing Of DR.. Franklin. Benjamin Harri
son and Thomas Lynch, met Mt Cam
bridge, Oct. Is, ITS. 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
a method for renovating the army. On
the 23d Of October the Negro question:
was presented and disposed Of as fol-
lows: Ought not Negroes to be sex-
Guided from the new enlistment. es-
pecially such as are slavesY All were
thought improper by the council Of Off.
GERS. 1t was agreed that they he re-
jected altogether
In general orders issued Nov. n.
ITS. 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 representa- lions to him that
the free Negroes who had served In
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 If there
was any objection on the part Of con-
gress he would discontinue the enlist
ing of cOlored men. but on Jan. IS.
1776. congress determined that the
free Negroes who had served faithfully
In the army at Cambridge may be re-
enlisted therein. but no others"
The entire aspect Of the affair chang
ed when In l779 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
to remain at home to prevent insur7
rections among the Negroes ana their
desertiOn to the enemy. WHO were as
siduous In their endaa vors to excite
both revolt and desertion.
The result was that In all the south
ern states the legislatures passed reso-
lutiOns to enlist Negroes. and the col
ored patriots Of the Revolution are as
much entitled as their white brethren
to credit for the ardor with which they
fought the enemy, whether they were
bOndmen or freemen. II has never
been possible to give an exact state
ment as to the number OF Negroes who
served In the Revolution for the reason
that they were generally mixed In regi.
ments and not calculated separately.