Evening star., 1932-01-24
COLORED SOLDIERS PROVED
METTLE IN WAR OF l776
Took Part in All Major Engagements.
First ssBoston Massacre Victim
Was Member of Race.
BY MARY CHURCH TERRELL.

War. For several reasons, now
l. l. ever, comparatively little is
known about the valuable
service they rendered. AS general
rule they fought side by side with white
soldiers and not in separate companies.
The credit for the deeds of valor they
performed, therefore, has gone to the
military units to which they belonged
rather than to the race with which
they were identified.
on March S, 177s, when George
Washington repaired to the entrench-
ments, he thus appealed to the patriot
ism Of his soldiers: Remember, 1t is
the 5th Of March, and avenge the death
of your brethren"
II you had happened to be in Boston
on March S, ITO, walking down King
street (now known as State street, !,
you would have witnessed the incident
to which George Washington referred
You would have seen a crowd Of colon
lists who were excited and angry, led
| by one who was darker in complexion
than the others. You would have heard
these men challenge with great spirit
some British soldiers standing on guard.
You would have seen these soldiers flre
into the menacing crowd and kill the
ringleader Then later on you would
have seen three of his comrades fall.
The first victim of this clash between
the colonists and Great Britain was
Crispus Attucks, a colored man.
The tragedy created a great sensa-
ton in Boston. The bells Of the town
were rung an impromptu town meeting
was called, and an immense assembly
was gathered. Three days afterward a
public funeral of the men who were
called martyrs took place. The shops
In Boston were closed, and again all
the bells of the place and the neigh
boring towns were rung. 1t was said
| that a greater number Of persons as
sembled on this occasion than had ever
gathered together on this continent for
| similar purpose.
Four Placed In One Grave.
According to an account Of the
funeral given by writer Of that period,
"the body OF Crispus Attucks, the mu-
latto, had been placed in Fanueil Hall
with that of Caldwell" The funerals
of the other two who were killed were
held elsewhere THE four hearses
formed a Junction In King street." con-
tinues the chronicle, "and then the pro-
cession marched in columns six deep,
with long file Of coaches belonging
to the most distinguished citizens, to
the Middle Burying Ground, where the
four victims were deposited in one
grave, over which a stone was placed
with the inscription:
Long as freedoms cause the wise
contend,
Dear to your country shall your fame
extend,
While to the world the lettered stone
Where sl'1.a Caldwell. SiR Attucks, Gray and
Maverick fell"
For long time afterward the ami
versary of what was called the Boston
Massacre" was publicly commemorated
by an grafton and other exercises every
year until national independence was
achieved, when the Fourth of July was
substituted for the Fifth of March as
the most fitting day for general cele-
bration.
1t was conceded by all that Crispus
Attucks led the crowd who attacked
the British soldiers. In his capacity as
counsel for the soldiers, John Adams,
second President of the United States,
declared that Crispus Attucks appeared
to have been the hero of the night and
led the people. The colored man had
formed the patriots in Dock Square,
and from there they marched up King
street, passing through the street up
to the British soldiers, whose presence
In Boston was so hotly resented by the
people.
Referring to the Boston Massacre"
Daniel webster said In his Bunker Hill
grafton: From that moment we may
date the severance of the British en-
pire" Thus did runaway slave start
the struggle for independence which
George Washington brought to such a
glorious end.
Gave Good Account of Selves.
Colored soldiers began to give a good
account of themselves at the very be-
ginning of the conflict-at the battle
of Bunker Hill, the first engagement of
independence. And one OF them, Peter
Salem, won eternal fame. Feeling sure
that victory was in their grasp, one OF
the British officers, Maj. Pitcairn,
mounted the redoubts and shouted TO
his soldiers, THE day Is ours! The
words had hardly escaped from his lips
when Peter Salem fired and killed him
instantly, thus temporarily checking the
British advance.
In relating this story SWEET In his
Sketches Of Bunker HilF' declared
that later on the army took up a con-
tribution for the colored soldier and ne
was personally presented to Gen. WASH
ington as having performed this feat.
There Is no doubt whatever that Peter
Salem was one of the heroes OF that
memorable battle. Orator, poet, his
torian, all gave the colored patriot
credit for having been instrumental In
checking the British advance and saw
ing the day.
Joseph Warren, who fell at Bunker
Hill, was unveiled Edward Everett, the
orator Of the occasion, referred 10
Peter Salem, the colored man who shot |
the gallant Pitcairn as he mounted the |
parapet." This sable patriot served 1T
seven years in the Revolutionary War.
He was at Concord, Bunker Hill and
Saratoga. He, too, was slave when |
he enlisted, but was afterward freed.
Salem Poor was another colored man |
whose bravery at the battle of Bunker
Hill attracted the attention of the OFF,
GERS and the soldiers, who bestowed |
upon him their warmest praise.
Colored Troops Conspicuous
Col. Trumbull's historical picture OF
the battle of Bunker Hill was painted |
only a few years after it was fought, |
while the scene was still fresh in his |
mind. At the time of the battle the |
artist, who was then acting as adjutant,
was stationed with his regiment at Rox-
bury, only q short distance away, and
saw the action from this point. Even
though comparatively few figures ap-
pear on this canvas, 1t is significant,
historical fact that more than one COL
ored soldier can be distinctly seen.
Maj. william Lawrence, who fought
through the Revolutionary War, en-
joyed relating an incident in his mill
tary experience in which he was saved t
from death by his colored soldiers, At
one time he commanded a company
whose rank and file were colored men.
He got so far in advance of his com
pany when he was out reconnoitering
one day that he was surrounded by the
enemy and was about to be taken
prisoner. AS soon as his men discov-
cred his peril, however. they rushed to
his defense and fought desperately until