The following account of the services of Negroes during the American
Revolution appeared in the _Washington Post_, January 16, 1917:
"The employment of colored men became a subject of much
importance at an early stage of the American war of independence.
The British naturally 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 condition.
"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 defeated, the exigencies of the contest again
and again brought up the practical one of employment for colored
men, whether bond or free.
"ONLY FREEMEN WANTED IN ARMY
"In May, 1775, Hancock and Warren's committee of safety
introduced the following formal resolution: 'Resolved, That it is
the opinion of this committee, as the contest now between Great
Britain and the colonies respects the liberties and privileges of
the latter, which the colonies are determined to maintain, that
the admission 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 officers from his
headquarters at Cambridge prohibited the enlistment of any
'negro.' It 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 COLORED 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 service after the troops
were adopted by the continent.
"A committee on conference, consisting of Dr. Franklin, Benjamin
Harrison and Thomas Lynch, met at Cambridge, October 18, 1775,
with the deputy governors of Connecticut and Rhode Island and the
committee of the council of Massachusetts Bay, to confer with
Gen. Washington, and advise a method for renovating the army. On
the 23d of October the negro question was presented and disposed
of as follows: 'Ought not negroes 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 altogether.
"In general orders, issued November 12, 1775, Washington says:
'Neither negroes, boys unable to bear arms, nor old men unfit to
endure the fatigues of the campaign are to be enlisted.'
"PERMITTED THEIR ENLISTMENT
"Washington, however, in the last days of the year, under
representations to him that the free colored men 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 Congress he would discontinue the enlisting of colored men,
but, on January 15, 1776, Congress determined 'that the free
negroes who had served faithfully in the army at Cambridge may be
reenlisted therein, but no others.'
"The entire aspect of the affairs changed when, in 1779, the
South began to be invaded. South Carolina, especially, was unable
to make any effectual efforts with militia, by reason of the
great proportion of citizens necessary to remain at home to
prevent insurrections among the colored men and their desertions
to the enemy, who were assiduous in their endeavors to excite
both revolt and desertion.
"The result was that in all the Southern States the legislatures
passed resolutions 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 freemen. It 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 regiments and not calculated separately."
The following was taken from the columns of the _Boston Journal_,
June, 1897, by Mr. Frederic S. Monroe.