The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1920-05-22
CoL0RED coLoNIALs.
Many Colored Men in the American
War for Independence.


War for Independence.
The employment of colored men be-
came subject of much importance at
an early stage of the American War
of Independence. The British natur
ally regarded slavery as an element
OF weakness in the condition of the
colonies, in which the slaves were
numerous, and laid their plans to gain
the colored men and induce them to
take up arms against their masters
by promising them liberty on this con,
dition.
The situation was looked upon by
the public men Of the colonies as
alarming, and several of them urged
the Congress to adopt the policy of
emancipation. But while the general
question of emancipation was de.
feated, the exigencies of the contest
again and again brought up the prac-
tical one of employment for colored
men, whether bond or free.
Only Freemen Wanted in Army.
In May, ITS, Hancock and War
ren's committee of safety introduced
the following formal resolution: RE
solved, That it is the opinion of this
committee, as the contest now be-
tween Great Britain and the colonies
respects the liberties and privileges
OF the latter, which the colonies are
determined to maintain, that the ad-
mission 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 SUD.
ported and reflect dishonor on these
colonies, and that no slaves be ad-
m1tted into this army upon any con.
sideration whatever"
Washington took command Of the
army around Boston on July 8, ITS.
The instructions for the recruiting
officers from his headquarters at Cam.
bridge prohibited the enlistment of
any negro" 1t may also be noticed
that they were forbidden to enlist
ANY person who is not an American
born, unless such person has a wife
and family and is a settled person
In this country"
Many CoIored Men Enrolled.
Notwithstanding all this, the fact
remains, according to Bancroft, that
the roll of the army at Cambridge
had, from its first formation, borne
the names of men Of color" Free
colored men stood in the ranks by the
Side OF white men. In the beginning
OF the war they had entered the
provincial army, and the colored men,
like others, were retained in the serv-
Ice after the troops were adopted by
the continent"
A committee on conference. consist
Ing Of DR.. Franklin, Benjamin Harri-
son and Thomas Lynch, met at Cam
bridge, October 10, ITS, with the
deputy governors of Connecticut and
Rhode Island and the committee of
the council Of Massachusetts Bay. to
confer with Gen. Washington, and ad-
wise a method for renovating the
army. On the 23d of October the
negro question was presented and dis
posed OF as follows: Ought not ne
groes to be excluded from the new
enlistment, especially such as are
slaves?" All were thought improper
by the council Of officers. It was
agreed that they be rejected alto
gether.
In general orders, issued November
IL, ITS, Washington says: Neither
negroes, boys unable to bear arms,
nor old men unfit to endure the IA.
tigues of the campaign are to be en-.
listed"
Permitted Their Enlistment.
Washington, however, in the last
days of the year, under representa-
tions to him that the free colored men
who had served in his army we're very
much dissatisfied at being discarded.
and fearing that they might seek en-
ployment 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 January
49,, ITS, Congress determined that
the free negroes who had served faith
fully in the army at Cambridge may
be re-enlisted therein, but no Others"
The entire aspect of the affairs
changed when, in 1779 the South be-
gan to be invaded. South Carolina.
especially, was unable to make any
etfectual efforts with militia, by reason
OF the great proportion of citizens
necessary to remain at home to pre-
vent instructions among the colored
men and their assertions to the enemy.
VINO were assiduous in their endeavors
to excite both revolt and desertion.
The result was that in all the South
ern states the legislatures passed reso-
lut1ons to enlist the colored men, and
the colored patriots of the Revolution
are as much entitled as their white
brethren for the ardor with which
they fought the common enemy,
whether they were bondmen or free
men. 1t has never been possible to
give an exact statement as to the
number of colored men who served in
the Revolution, for the reason that
they were generally mixed in regi-
ments and not calculated separately.