TH E JO URNAL
NEGRO
OF
HISTORY
Vol. XXVII-July, 1942-No. 3
VIRGINIA NEGRO SOLDIERS AND SEAMEN IN THE
AMERICAN REVOLUTION
To wage war againsttheBritishin theAmericanRevolution,the State of Virginiafurnishedfourmilitaryunits
-the continental
line,for servicein the continentalarmy,
the State line, the State militia,and the State navy. Negroes,slave and free,foughtin each of thesebrancheswith
perhapsthe largestnumberservingin the navy. Some of
someweredrafted;othersservedas subthemvolunteered,
stitutesfortheirmasters.
Naturallythe militaryrank of the Virginia Negro in
theRevolutionwas thatof a private,althoughin thenavy
BIBLIOGRAPHY
ManuscriptSources
D. C.
The Archivesof theUnitedStates,Washington,
PensionClaimsPapers, ArchivesBuilding
The Archivesof Virginia,Richmond,Virginia
Auditor'sAcocuntBook, 1786,State Library
Auditor'sPapers. State Boats, State Library
ExecutivePapers, State Library
Journalsof the Navy Board, 1776-1779,State Library
Land BountyWarrants,State Library
LegislativePetitions,State Library
Vols. I, II, III, Land Office
MilitaryCertificates,
Officers,
Seamen,and Vessels. State Navy,1776-1779,State Library
the State Navy,Vols. I, II, State Library
Papers Concerning
RejectedClaimsPapers, State Library
Soldiers,Vol. V, State Library
Revolutionary
247
248
JOURNAL OF NEGRO HISTORY
a numberservedas able seamen,ratherthanordinaryseamen. Therewere also in the navy a fewpilots,drummers,
boatswain'smates,and a gunner'smate. In the armyseveral Negroes distinguishedthemselvesas spies. Manual
laborerswere numerousin the armyand navy,and their
serviceswere valuable; but this article confinesitself to
combatantsonly.
In severalNorthernStates Negrotroopswereorganized
butin Virginia,becauseof relatively
in separateregiments,
smallernumbers,theyfoughtside by side withthe white
soldier. The mixingof whitesand Negroeswas especially
commonin the navy of the State. Virginia Negro troops
foughtin many of the major battles of the RevolutionMonmouth,Charleston,SavanBrandywine,Germantown,
nah, Camden,and finallyat Yorktownin theirhomeState.
The termof servicecorrespondedto that of all otherperThe Archives of Cities and Counties, Clerks' Offices
Register of Free Negroes and Mulattoes
Deed Books
Order Books (Minute Books)
Will Books.
Laws and GovernmentDocuments
United States
Heads of Families. First Census of the United States. Records of
State Enumerations: 1772 to 1785. Washington: GovernmentPrinting Office,1908
Pension Establishment of the United States. Report from the Secretary of War in Obedience to Resolutions of the Senate of the 5th
and 30th of June, 1834, and the 3rd of March, 1835. Washington,
1835.
Virginia
Acts of the Assembly
Guild, June P. (Ed.) The Black Laws of Virginia. Richmond:
Whittett and Shepperson, 1936
Hening, William W. Statutes at Large of Virginia. Richmond,
1819-1820
Journals of the House of Delegates
McIlwaine, H. R. (Ed.) OfficialLetters of the Governor of Virginia.
3 Volumes. Richmond: Davis Bottom, 1926
Palmer, William P. (Ed.) Calendar of Virginia State Papers
Proceedings of Conventionof Delegates for the Counties and Corpora-
VIRGINIANEGROIN THE AMERICANREVOLUTION
249
sons. Some foughtthroughtheentireperiod; othersserved
fora fewmonthsonly.
There were some instancesof slaves givingtheirallegianceto theBritish. Duringa shortintervalin 1775-1776,
forexample,severalhundredNegroslaves foughtwiththe
Britishand Tories in thevicinityof Norfolkunderthecommand of Lord Dunmore,the dethronedgovernorof Virginia,following
his emancipation
proclamation.Since Dunmore'sexpeditionfaileddismallyand inasmuchas his proclamationhad no permanenteffectin liberatinghis black
regiment,this whole eventand otherminorepisodes lose
historicalinterestwhencomparedwiththe victorytheNegro soldiersand seamenhelpedto achievein the American
cause.
of the continentalgovernment
The naval establishment
embracednotonlythewellknowncontinental
navybutalso
tion of the Colonyof Virginia. Held at Riehmond,March 20,
1775. Richmond,1816.
Soldiers
Begistersof Bevolutionary
Burgess,Louis A. (Ed.) VirginiaSoldiersof 1776. CompiledfromDocumentson filein the Virginia Land Office. Richmond,1927.
Soldiersof Virginia.
Eckenrode,HamiltonJ. (Ed.) List of Revolutionary
Richmond:Davis Bottom,1912.
Gwathmey,
JohnH. (Ed.) HistoricalRegisterof Virginiansin theRevolution. Soldiers,Sailors, and Marines. 1775-1783. Richmond:Dietz
Press, 1938.
War. Hot Springs
J. T. VirginiaMilitiain theRevolutionary
MeAllister,
(Va.): McAllisterPublishingCompany,1913.
Nottingham,Stratton,(Ed.) RevolutionarySoldiers and Sailors from
Lancaster County,Virginia,Onancock,Virginia,1930.
Soldiers and Sailors fromAccomaeCounty,
Revolutionary
Virginia. Onancock,1927.
RevolutionarySoldiers and Sailors from Northampton
County,Virginia, Onancock,1929.
Stewart,RobertA. The Historyof Virginia's Navy of the Revolution.
Richmond:Mitchelland Hotchkiss,1933.
Newspapersand Magazines
RichmondEnquirer
SouthernLiteraryMessenger,Vols. XXIV-XXV, 1857
Virginia Gazette
VirginiaHistoricalRegister,Vol. VI, 1852.
250
JOURNAL OF NEGRO HISTORY
eleven state navies. In the Virginia navy therewere apsloops,
fortyvessels-ships, brigs,brigantines,
proximately
galleys,armedpilot boats,and barges-each of whichwas
in
mountedwithten or more guns. The crewsfluctuated
at
number; sometimesthere were less than twenty-five,
other times there were more than a hundred. Negroes
foughton manyof thesevessels,wheretheyrangedin number fromone to ten persons on each vessel. Since one of
the mainpurposesof theVirginianavywas to defendthe
exposedcoast line of the State,nearlyall the sailors were
drawnfromthecountieslyingon ChesapeakeBay and the
intothisbodyof water.
riversflowing
THE
PROBLEM OF ENLISTMENT
AlthoughNegroes,slave and free,foughtin theRevolution,the continentalmilitaryauthoritiesat the beginning
forbiddingtheirenlistof the struggleissued instructions
Secondary Sources
Aptheker, Herbert. The Negro in the American Revolution. New York:
International Publishers, 1940.
Eckenrode, Hamilton J. The Revolution in Virginia. Boston: Houghton,
Miflin, 1916.
Hartgrove, W. B. "The Negro Soldier in the American Revolution,"
Journal of Negro History, Vol. 1, 1916.
Livermore,George. An Historical Research Respecting the Opinions of the
Founders of the Republic on Negroes as Slaves, as Citizens, and as
Soldiers. Boston, 1863.
McCormac, Eugene I. White Servitude in Maryland, 1634-1820. Baltimore, 1904.
Moore, George H. Historical Notes on the Employment of Negroes in the
American Army of the Revolution. New York, 1862.
Muhlenberg, Henry A. The Life of Major General Peter Muhlenberg of
the Revolutionary Army. Philadelphia: Carey and Hart, 1849.
Nell, William C. Colored Americans in the Wars of 1776 and 1812.
Philadelphia, 1902.
Paulin, Charles Oscar. The Navy of the American Revolution. Its
Administration, its Policy, its Achievements. Cleveland, 1906.
Russell, John H. The Free Negro in Virginia, 1619-1865. Johns Hopkins
Press, 1913.
Starkey, Marion L. The First Plantation. A History of Hampton and
Elizabeth City County, Virginia, Hampton, 1936.
Wright, James M. The Free Negro in Maryland, 1634-1860. New York:
Columbia University Press, 1921.
REVOLUTION 251
VIRGINIANEGROIN THE AMERICAN
ment. The several orders given by George Washington
to therecruiting
officers
and othercommanders
during1775
illustratethe general policy. In Novemberof this year
Washingtoncommandedthat "Neither Negroes,boys unable to bear arms,nor old menunfitto endurethefatigues
of the campaignare to be enlisted."' In anotherorderto
recruiting
officers
laterhe said: "You are not to enlistany
but freemen,able of body and under the age of fifty."2
With greater emphasis on a policy of exclusionGeneral
notto enlist"any stroller,
Gates orderedrecruiting
officers
Negro,or vagabond."3
The Virginiagovernment
pursueda similarpolicy,especiallywithreferenceto the slaves. Observingthat several bondmenhad desertedtheirmastersunder the pretense of being free men and had enlistedas soldiers,the
GeneralAssemblyin 1777enactedthat"no recruitingoffi-
cer shall enlist any Negro or mulattountil such Negro shall
produce a certificatefrom a justice of the peace that he is
a free man."4
This provision appears to afford the entrance of free
Negroes into the armed forces withoutlimitations,but this
groupwas still hamperedas the traditionof non-military
dutiesfor freeNegro membersin the colonialmilitiastill
prevailed. Beginningas early as 1705,free Negroes and
mulattoesbecamesubjectto enrollment
in the militia;but,
unlike white persons,they were requiredto musterfor
servicewithoutbringingarms. Each of the several acts
passed by the colonial assemblybetween1723 and 1757
providedthattheywereto enrollforserviceas drummers,
or pioneers,butnotas regularsoldiers.5
fifers,
trumpeters,
'George H. Moore, Employment of Negroes in the American Army of the
Revolution (New York, 1862), p. 7.
2 Virginia Gazette, January 3, 1777.
3Frank Moore, Diary of the American Revolution from Newspapers and
Original Documents (New York, 1856), I, p. 110.
'W. W. Hening, Statutes at Large of Virginia (Richmond, 1819-1820),
Vol. IX, p. 280.
6Ibid., Vol. V, p. 17; VI, p. 533; VII, p. 95.
252
OF NEGROHISTORY
JOURNA-L
The rankof pioneergave thema special place as laborers
and menialservants. A slightreversalin thisgeneralpolicy tookplace,however,in 1775whenactual warfarecame
to Virginia. Whereas previouslyfree Negroes could not
enrollas armed soldiers,the Virginia Conventionin this
year providedthat "all male persons,hired servantsand
apprenticesabove the age of sixteen and under fifty"
shouldbe enlistedin themilitia.5b
of freeNegroesin thearmedforceswas
The enlistment
neverthelessimpairedby the operationof the systemof
apprenticeship.Under this systemfreeNegromales were
legallyboundto serviceto a masteruntiltheyreachedthe
age ofthirty-one.ManyfreeNegromaleswerethusbound.
Because of the guaranteeof continuousservicein the apprenticeshipcontract,masters in some cases objected to
impressingtheirservants. The military
officers'
recruiting
withthis problemin the coloauthoritieswere confronted
nial wars and also in the Revolution.6
AmongthefreeNegroesofVirginiaseizedby recruiting
their apprenticeshipobligations,
notwithstandirng
officers,
were Jesse Kelly of Prince William County,the servant
of Lewis Lee, and BenjaminPayne of BuckinghamCounty.
Lewis Lee valued Kelly's labor so highlythathe sued the
forhavingdrawnhis servantKelly
two recruitingofficers
intoservice. For a periodof nineyears thissuitremained
in court,and at the end the plaintiffLee was awarded
pounds and six shildamages to the extentof thirty-five
lings.7In the case of Payne no suit was enteredby his
Proceedintgsof Convention of Delegates for the Counties and Corporations of the Colony of Virginia, 1775, p. 36.
6 Conflictsbetween masters of servants and recruitingofficers
were frequent
in Maryland during the colonial wars and probably in the Revolution. Cf. E. I.
MeCormae, White Servitude in Maryland (Baltimore, 1904), Chap. VII.
'Virginia State Library, Legislative Petitions (MSS), Prince William
County, Oct. 26, 1791. Shortly after paying this fine the two officers,John
Crittendenand Luke Cannon, petitioned the State legislature to reimbursethem.
lb
VIRGINIA NEGRO IN THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
253
master; insteadhe advised Payne to escape fromservice
and returnto him,but when this free Negro actuallydesertedhe was seized by a party of pursuingsoldiersand
placedagain in theranks.8In stillanotherinstancea master
and a mistressin CumberlandCountycomplainedto the
commandingofficerof the militia that the enlistmentof
theirthreeboundservantswas illegal because,by accident
of birth,theyclaimed these servantswere slaves.9
In spite of prohibitory
statutesand distinctionsbased
on race, the militaryhistoryof the United States shows
thatin the wars of this countryNegroeshave been eventually accepted into the armed forces. Facing possible
defeatin the Revolutionby the British,the Americanpatriot commanderspermittedthe enlistmentof Negroes,
in the Civil War of 1861just as the Federal Government
1865changedits policyto enlistingNegroesin the face of
possible defeat by the Confederacy. Not only did free
Negroes of Virginia and otherstates freelyenlistin the
Revolution,a certain numberof bondmenlikewise participated.
Throughoutthe countryslaves served the cause of
Americanindependence(1) as runaways,(2) as enrollees
expectingliberationat the end of the war, (3) as substitutesfor theirmasters,and (4) as persons owned or
Slaves in Virginiaenrolledas
hiredby the Government.10
soldiersand sailors in each of these positions. However,
sincethisState passed no act duringtheRevolutionpermitting the armingof slaves, theyeitherpassed as freemen
or theyparticipatedas slaves in plain violationof thelaw.
Virginia bondmenfoughtin the Revolution,although
the militaryauthoritiesheld to the policyof exclusionas
long as possible. So opposed at one timewas the military
to enlistingslaves that on one occasion a
establishment
Virginia State Library, Executive Papers, Nov. 22-Dee. 21, 1781.
9 Ibid., May 6, 1782.
10Cf. M. T. Mellon,Early AmericanView on Negro Slavery (Boston,
1934), p. 65.
254
JOURNAL OF NEGRO HISTORY
courtmartialin GoochlandCountydismissedone Colonel
Parrish fromtheserviceforhaving"enlisted a slave as a
substitutefor his divisionof militia... knowinghim to
be so.""1
It is apparent that despite this incidentthe practice
ofmasterssendingtheirslaves intotheranksas substitutes
for themselveswas fairlycommon,for at the close of the
war the General Assemblypassed an act to provide for
thefreedomofsuchslaves.Declaringthatthesepersonshad
contributedto the cause of libertyand independenceby
and that "contraryto principlesof justice
theirfighting
and to theirown solemnpromise" many ownershad returnedtheirslaves to a state of servitude,the law making
body enacted that every slave who had been enlistedby
his ownerin any regimentas a substitute"shall afterthe
passage of this act be fullyand completelyemancipated,
and shall be held and deemedfreein as fullmeasureas if
named by this act.''12
theywere specifically
Amongtheslaveholderswhosenttheirslaves intoservand perhapswiththepromiseoffreedom,
ice as substitutes,
wereLawrenceBaker of Isle ofWightCountyand William
Hintonof LancasterCounty. Baker was called forservice
in the militia; but instead of enteringthis branchof the
service himself,he enrolledhis slave David in another
branchof theservice,thenavy,wherehe foughton thevessel called the Patriot. The slaveholderBaker therebyreof a tourof militia
lieved himself"from the performance
WilliamHintonenlistedin thenavy on board the
duty."118
" Legislative Petitions, Goochland County, March 19, 1781; Executive
Papers, May 11, 1781. In this case the Negro testifiedto the court that he was
a free man and that his name was William Jackson.
12 Hening, op. cit., XI, pp. 308-309. The execution of this act was assigned
to the attorney general who was required to commence an action in forma
pauperis in behalf of such slaves who were still being held in bondage by their
owners. Since an unlawful detention could be made to this officeronly by the
slave himself or by some friendly person, it is doubtful if many slaves, exsoldiers, received the liberty provided for by this law.
'3Journalof theHouse of Delegates,1794,p. 44.
VIRGINIANEGROIN THE AMERICANREVOLUTION
255
shipDragonin 1777to servefora periodoffiveyears.After
servingonlyone year he was permittedto leave because of
bad health,but onlyafterpledgingto furnisha substitute
for his unexpired term. The substitutehe furnishedwas his
slave Lewis Hinton who participated in actual fightingon
the Dragon for three years, or until the close of the war.14
One example of a slave runningaway to fightin the
Revolutionis furnishedby the slave Toby. Afterhaving
run away fromhis masterin 1773,fiveyears later Toby
enteredthe serviceof his countryas a soldierin the fourteenthVirginia regiment. Enrolling himselfunder the
fictitiousname of William Ferguson, Toby served until
legally dischargedat the end of the war.15
For a timeVirginiamightreasonablypursue a policy
of excludingNegroes,forafter1776 this state was spared
from British invasion for a period of three years. This
period of relief came to an end in 1779 when the scene of
warfarewas shiftedby the Britishfromthe Northto the
South. At this criticaljunctureVirginiawas called upon
notonlyto send troopsand suppliesto the Southernarmy,
butalso to defendtheState againstthesuccessiveinvasions
of the British commandersLeslie, Phillips,BenedictArnold, Tarleton, and finallyCornwallis. Tidewater Virginia in particularwas thrownintoa panic by raids which
camechiefly
fromtheBritishheadquartersat Portsmouth.16
Duringthe enthusiasmof the earlypart of thewar the
Virginia regiments were filled without difficulty,
but in
later years theywere filledonlywithgreat effort.Volunteerssatisfiedtheearlydemand;in thelateryears recruits
1 United States Archives, "Pension
Claims Papers."I
isLegislative Petitions, 2034-c, Oct. 22, 1789. Despite the fact that Toby
ran away from his master,James Wimbish, and was not discovered by him until
1785, the master emancipated Toby, alias William Ferguson, at a considerable
financialloss to himself. About this same time Toby married a white woman by
whom he had several children.
" He-nryA. Muhlenburg, The Life of General Peter
Muhlenburg of the
Revolutionary Army (Philadelphia, 1849), chap. vi.
256
JOURNALOF NEGROHISTORY
couldbe securedonlyby drafting. Undertheseconditions
Negroeswouldlogicallybe acceptedin thevariouscalls for
troopsin the criticalperiod from1779 to 1781. In one of
then governorof
these calls made by Thomas Jefferson,
were
"required to send [to
counties
Viriginia,forty-five
various centers] everyman whomtheycould arm imme-
diately.
1'17
Depleted ranks characterizedthe navy as well as the
armyand themilitia. Several calls forseamenweremade
in 1779and 1780,and each successivecall offeredadditional
bountiesand pensionsas an inducement.In the call of
were instructedto impress
October,1780, naval officers
not onlyall available seamenin the easterncounties,but
also half of all themale orphansin this section.'8The lack
of successin theVirginianavy as in the continentalnavy
was caused, then,not by lack of armament,naval stores,
in sailors.19
and provisions,but by a constantdeficiency
Facing these adverse conditions,especiallyduringthe
officers
last twoyears,the formerlysnobbishcommanding
willinglyenlistednot onlyfreeNegroesbut slaves as well.
the traditionalopposiOne additionalcause formodifying
in
warfare
was the fact that
slaves
tion to
participating
the Revolution,Britishcommanderssoughtto
throughout
enticethe blacks to fightagainst theirmastersby issuing
emancipationproclamationsor by thepromiseof freedom.
The remedy,then,forpreventingslaves and freeNegroes
' McIlwaine, H. R. (Ed.), Letters of the Governors of Virginia. (Richmond, 1926), Vol. II, pp. 516-17.
18 Hening, op. cit., Vol. X, p. 385.
19Paullin, Charles 0., The Navy of the American Revolution (Cleveland,
1906), pp. 144-145.
Maryland, like Virginia, had laws excluding or limiting the services of free
Negroes; but in 1780, when a draft was authorized to secure one thousand additional soldiers for three years' service, this State sanctioned the arming not
only of free Negroes but slaves as well. In the following year the legislature
of Maryland resolved to raise immediately750 Negroes to be incorporated with
the other troops (Wright, Free Negro in Maryland. New York, 1921) p. 125;
Moore, op. cit., p. 20.
VIRGINIA
NEGRO IN THE AMERICAN
REVOLUTION
257
fromfighting
withtheBritishwas to allowthemto fightfor
the cause of Americanindependence.
At the timeof the Revolutiontherewere not morethan
one thousandfreeNegromales of militaryage in Virginia.
This was the group who had the least restrictionsplaced
on their enlistment,
althoughsome of this numberwere
handicappedforservicebecause theywere"bound out" as
not consideredstrictlyfree
apprenticesand weretherefore
men. The exact numberof Virginia Negroes who fought
in theRevolutioncannotbe determined,
but thereis reason
to believe that fivehundredfree Negroes participatedin
thiseventalongwitha smallernumberof slaves. The followingtablepresentsthenamesof onehundredand fifty
of
one hundredtwenty-five
whomapproximately
are freeNegroesand twenty-five
are slaves. Theirline of servicewas
about equallydividedbetweensoldiersand seamen.20
Name
Abram
Ailstock,Absalom
Alvis,
Anderson,Nathaniel
Arbado,Francis
Armstrong,
Adam
County
PrincessAnne
York
PrincessAnne
Henrico
Service
Seaman
Seaman
Seaman
Seaman
Seaman
Soldier
20A fairly complete list of the names of Virginians who fought in the
Revolution is found in three registers: H. J. Eckenrode, List of the Revolutionary Soldiers of Virginia (Richmond, 1912), John H. Gwathmey,Historical
Register of Virginians in the Revolution (Richmond, 1938), and Robert A.
Stewart, The History of Virginia's Navy of the Bevolution (Richmond, 1938).
Practically all of the one hundred fiftyNegroes enumerated above are
found in one of these registers, but only about one-fifthof them are labeled
as persons of the Negro race. This deficiencyis remedied somewhat by the
reference to race in the military bounty warrants, legislative petitions, tax
books (land and personal), and acts of the assembly in the State archives.
Other referencesto race are made in the registersof free Negroes and mulattoes
and the order books in the local archives. Still another aid in distinguishing
Negro from white soldiers is by checking the long lists of names in the census
report Heads of Families, First Census of the United States. Reoords of State
Enumerations: 1782 to 1785, and a list of tax payers not enumerated in this
census report in Augusta B. Fothergill, Virginia Tax Payers, 1782-87.
258
JOURNAL OF NEGRO HISTORY
Artis,Burwell
Backus
Baine, P. Humphrey
Baker, David
Baker, Thomas (Indian)
Barnett,David
Battle,Shadrack
Beasley, Larkin
Becket,George
Beverly,Sylvester
Boston
Boush,William
Bowles,Stephen
Bowser,James
Boyd,Augustin
Brandon,Thomas
Brown,Abram
Brown,Freeman
Brown,Isaac
Bundy,Francis
Bundy,William
Carter,Francis
Carter,James
Causey,James
Charles
Chavis,Anthony
Chavis,John
Chris
Collins,Mason
Cowigg,John
Cuffee
Cuffy
Cumbo,Daniel
Cumbo,John
Cumbo,Michael
Cumbo,Stephen
Soldier
Seaman
Soldier
Henrico
Seaman
Isle ofWight
Northampton Seaman
Soldier
Albemarle
Soldier
Albemarle
Soldier
Spotsylvania
Soldier
Accomac
Soldier
Franklin
Seaman
Seaman
Soldier
Albemarle
Soldier
Nansemond
NorthumberlandSeaman
Soldier
Mecklenburg
Soldier
CharlesCity
Soldier
CharlesCity
Soldier
CharlesCity
Soldier
Culpeper
Soldier
Culpeper
Northampton Seaman
Northampton Soldier
NorthumberlandSeaman
Seaman
Soldier
Mecklenburg
Soldier
Mecklenburg
Seaman
King & William Soldier
Soldier
Goochland
Seaman
ElizabethCity
Seaman
Norfolk
Soldier
JamesCity
Soldier
CharlesCity
Soldier
CharlesCity
Soldier
JamesCity
Southampton
VIRGINIA
NEGRO IN THE AMERICAN
Daniel
Davenport,Stephen
Day, George
Debrix,John
Driver,John
Emanuel
Evans, Thomas
Flora,William
Frank
George
George,Samuel
Goff,Moses
Going,Sherwood
Going,William
Gowing,Raverly
Hackett,Peter
Harris,James
Hartless,Peter
Hathcock,John
Haws, Peter
Haws,William
Hearn,Ephraim
Hinton,Lewis
Holmes,William
Hopson,John
Hughes,Luke
Hunt,Goodwyn
Hunt,Hardy
Jack
James
Jones,Briton
Jones,William
Kelly,Jesse
Knight,Jack
LaFayette,James
Lewis,Ambrose
REVOLUTION
Seaman
Soldier
York
NorthumberlandSeaman
Soldier
JamesCity
Seaman
Gloucester
Seaman
Soldier
Lunenburg
Norfolk
Soldier
Seaman
Seaman
JamesCity
Seaman
Cumberland
Soldier
Albemarle
Soldier
Halifax
Soldier
CharlesCity
Soldier
Soldier
Campbell
CharlesCity
Soldier
Amherst
Soldier
Soldier
Southampton
Lancaster
Seaman
Lancaster
Seaman
Gloucester
Soldier
Lancaster
Seaman
Soldier
King William
York
Soldier
Soldier
King George
Greensville
Soldier
Soldier
Southampton
Seaman
Seaman
Greensville
Soldier
Seaman
Spotsylvania
PrinceWilliam Soldier
Seaman
NewKent
Spy
Seaman
Spotsylvania
259
260
JOURNAL OF NEGRO HISTORY
Loney,Daniel
Lucus, James
Lucus,John
McCoy,James
McCoy,George
Marshall,Kingston
Matthews,Saul
Minny
Monoggon,
George
Morrison,Anthony
Moses,Ezekiel
Nickens,Amos
Nickens,Edward
Nickens,Hezekiah
Nickens,James
Nickens,John
Nickens,Nathaniel
Nickens,Richard
Nickens,Robert
Nickens,William
Oats,William
Payne,Benjamin
Perkins,Joshua
Perkins,Nimrod
Peter
Peters,James
Pinn,John
Pluto
Pointer,Richard
Ranger,Joseph
Redeross,John
Rich,William
Roberts,Hezekiah
Ross,I)avid
Rouse,Peter
Scott,Jesse
Hanover
King George
King George
Westmoreland
Rockbridge
Soldier
Seaman
Seaman
Soldier
Soldier
Seaman
Norfolk
Spy
Seamai
Gloucester
Seamani
Lancaster
Seaman
Northampton Seaman
NorthumberlandSeaman
Lancaster
Seaman
Lancaster
Seaman
Lancaster
Soldier
Lancaster
Seaman
Lancaster
Seaman
Lancaster
Seaman
Lancaster
Soldier
Lancaster
Seaman
NorthumberlandSeaman
Soldier
Buckinghani
Accomac
Seaman
Accomac
Seaman
Seaman
Culpeper
Seaman
Lancaster
Seaman
Norfolk
Seaman
Greenbrier
Soldier
ElizabethCity
Seaman
York
Soldier
Lancaster
Soldier
Accomac
Soldier
Culpeper
Soldier
Bedford
Soldier
Petersburg
Soldier
(City)
VIRGINIANEGROIN THE AMERICANREVOLUTION
Scott,William
Singleton
Smith,Johnson
Sorrell,Edward
Sorrell,James
Spriggs,Abel
Starlins,"Captain"
Stephens,Isaac
Stephens,Simon
Stephens,Stephen
Tanner,Nathan
Tarrant,Caesar
Tate,James
Tate,Jesse
Teague,Jacob
Thomas,James
Thomas,William
Toby
Tom
Valentine,Edward
Valentine,Isham
Valentine,Luke
Viers,Benjamin
Wallace,James
Weaver,Aaron
Weaver,Elijah
Weaver,Elisha
Weaver,Richard
West,James
Whistler,Sawney
Will
Wood,Charles
Wood,Jesse
Wood,Phillip
Wood,Thomas
Petersburg
(City)
Soldier
Soldier
Albemarle
Seaman
NorthumberlandSoldier
NorthumberlandSoldier
Seaman
Seaman
Northampton Seaman
Accomac
Soldier
Accomac
Seaman
Bedford
Seaman
ElizabethCity
Soldier
Westmoreland Seaman
Richmond
Soldier
Accomac
Seaman
Norfolk
Soldier
CharlesCity
Seaman
Soldier
Soldier
Dinwiddie
Seaman
Dinwiddie
Soldier
Bedford
Soldier
Botetourt
Soldier
JamesCity
Soldier
NorthumberlandSeaman
Lancaster
Seaman
Lancaster
Seaman
Lancaster
Soldier
Spotsylvania
Seaman
Middlesex
Soldier
Seaman
Lancaster
Seaman
Fluvanna
Soldier
Lancaster
Seaman
Lancaster
Seaman
261
262
JOURNAL OF NEGRO HISTORY
Althoughslaves and free Negroes had not been previouslyconsideredas personssuitableformilitaryservice,
to meet
theirpracticalexperienceas laborerswas sufficient
centurywarfare. Generthe simpledemandsof eighteenth
ally speaking,thenavyofthatday did notconsistofvessels
forwar purposes,nor did it consistof sailors
constructed
trainedfor warfare. Instead,this arm of the servicedependedlargelyon merchantvessels used in the riverand
bay navigationtogetherwiththecrewemployedin operating this rivercraft.
Since Virginiaslaves and free Negroeshad had abundant experiencein navigatingthe ChesapeakeBay and the
inlandwatersof theState theywerewell adaptedforservice on theimprovisednaval vessels of theRevolution.The
of slaves on boats had indeedreachedsuch a
employment
stage by thetimeof theRevolutionthattheVirginialegislature passed an act to limitthe numberin the merchant
serviceon theriversof the State belowthefall line. In an
to a larger numberof free
effortto furnishemployment
whiteseamenthis law providedthat "not morethan onethirdof thepersonsemployedin thenavigationof anybay
or rivercraft. . . shall consistof slaves. 20b The exploits
of a relatively
of Negroslaves as pilotsand the enlistment
large numberof freeNegroesas able seamenin thenavyis
to be explainedon the groundsof theirpreviousemploymenton thewater.
Lancaster and Northumberland
counties,borderingon
the ChesapeakeBay and lyingbetweenthe Potomac and
Rappahannockrivers,operatedas themainbreedingground
fortheproductionof Negroseamen. Lyingon theeast and
westbankoftheRappahannockRiverand precedingnorthwardaboutseventymilesto thefallsof thisstreamare the
countiesof Middlesex,Essex, Richmond,Westmoreland,
King George,and Spotsylvania. These countieslikewise
containedmanyslaves and freeNegroeswhowereemployed
lb
Hening, op. cit., XI, pp. 403-404.
VIRGINIA NEGRO IN THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
263
on the boats of the Rappahannockand the Potomac. A
similarconditionprevailedin the Eastern Shore counties
ofAccomacand Northampton,
a narrowstretchofterritory
almostentirelysurroundedby water. Elizabeth City and
Norfolkcounties,at the mouthof the James River and
facingtheChesapeakeBay and HamptonRoads, fellin this
same generalclassification.
In this region were located two of the Virginia ship
yards and in it cruised the Potomac and Rappahannock
fleetsof theVirginianavy. To theseand otherfleetsthere
camefromLancasterCountythefreeNegro SeamenPeter
Haws, William Haws, AnthonyMorrison,Elijah Weaver,
JohnWeaver, John Pinn, Thomas Wood, Charles Wood,
and seven membersof the familyof Nickens-Hezekiah,
James,Richard,Edward, Nathaniel,John,and William.
From the adjoiningcountyof Northumberland
therecame
James Sorrell, James Causey, Augustus Boyd, Aaron
Weaver and Amos Nickens. From AccomacCountyon the
Eastern Shore therecame NimrodPerkins,Joshua Perkins, Simon Stephens,and StephenStephens. From the
town of Fredericksburgthere came William Jones and
AmbroseLewis, the townwherethe vessels of the Rappahannockfleetwere launched.
Certainslaves also enlistedwiththese freeNegroesin
thenavy. AmongthemwereMaryTarrant's Caesar,Lawrence Baker's David, Robert Brough's Pluto, Elenor
Boury's Cuffy,Mary C. Graves' Cuffee,WilliamHinton's
Lewis, Charles Thomas' Jack, and two slaves owned or
hiredby the State of Virginia-Jack Knightand William
Boush. Anotherof theseslaves was a fullbloodedAfrican
by the name of Starlins. Altogetherat least seventy-two
Negroes,slave and free,weredrawnintothe naval service
fromsixteencountiesin Tidewater,Virginia.
FIGHTING ON LAND AND SEA
Negro seamenin the navy foughtin largestnumberson
264
JOURNAL OF NEGRO HISTORY
thefollowing
vessels: thePatriot,theLiberty,theTempest,
the Gloucester,the Hero, the Dragon, and the Diligence.
Enrolledon thePatriotwere Caesar Tarrant,David Baker,
Pluto, Jack Knight,"Captain" Starlins,and Cuffee;on
theLibertywereCharles,James,George,Emanuel,Richard
Nickens,WilliamJones,Samuel George; on the Gloucester
wereEdward,James,and HezekiahNickens,AnthonyMorrison,Peter and William Haws; on the Hero were Pluto,
Jack,Bachus, Boston, Will, and George; on the Dragon
were Nathaniel Nickens,Abel Spriggs, Ambrose Lewis,
ThomasWood,and Lewis Hinton;and on theDiligencewas
NimrodPerkins. Onlysix ofthesepersonswereslaves,the
fiveon thePatriot and Lewis Hintonon the Dragon.21
Some ofthesemengave serviceon morethanonevessel.
Samuel George,for example,foughton boththe Tempest
MorrisonfoughtontheHornet
and theGloucester;Anthony
and the Gloucester;RichardNickenson the Hero and the
Tempest; and JosephRanger foughton fourvessels-the
and the Patriot. At the
Hero, the Dragon,the Jefferson,
end of service these seamen were regularlydischarged.
James Causey, for example,on February 16, 1780, was
dischargedfromserviceon the Dragon "having well and
" 122
trulyservedthreeyears. . . thetermofhis enlistment.
As notedpreviously,manyof the Negroesin the naval
service were able seamen rather than ordinaryseamen.
A few rose to higherranks. James Thomas served as a
and James Sorrell
boatswain'smate on the Northampton,
as a gunner'smate on the Hero. NimrodPerkinswas a
drummeron board theDiligencegalley. The Negromembers of the State navy also comprisedat least four slave
pilots: Minny,Cuffee," Captain" Starlins, and Caesar
Tarrant. The last two were very skillful;so skillfulthat
' Virginia State Library, " Officers,Seamen, and Vessels, State Navy "
(MS), 1776-1779; "Journals of the Navy Board" (MS), Nov. 4, 1777; "Land
Bounty Warrants" (MSS), James Jennings; Robert A. Stewart, The History
of Virginia's Navy of the Bevolution (Richmond, 1933), pp. 188, 236, 247.
' I"Land Bounty Warrants," James Causey.
VIRGINIA
NEGRO IN THE AMERICAN
REVOLUTION
265
they may be classified among the heroes of the American
Revolution.
The navyofVirginiaservedthegeneralpurposesof all
navies in timeof war. The functionof this navy was to
capture the manyBritishvessels in the ChesapeakeBay
and the waters of Virginia,to preventthe British from
makingraids on the riverplantationsfor the purpose of
with the
carryingoffslaves, to maintaincommunication
outside world in order that the State might continue its
normal import and export trade, to secure supplies for the
soldiers on land, and in general to protect the shores of
the State since the continentaland state regimentsof soldiers were frequentlydrawn to remoteparts of the country.
The Virginianavy functionedin this capacityuntilabout
1780. By the time of the Yorktown campaign it had been
nearly destroyed. The navy which rendered such indispensable service in this last engagement was the continental
fleetand the FrenchfleetunderDeGrasse. The one or two
State vessels remainingat the close of theRevolutioncontinued in operation until 1787.
In the accomplishmentof the tasks of the navy the vessels on which the Negroes fought played an active part.
The schooner,Liberty,for instance,foughtin twentydistinctactions;thePatriotcaptureda Britishvessel,theFanny,laden withstoresand suppliesfor theirforcesat Bos-
ton; the Tempest foughtthe Arnold in the James River;23
and the Dragon afterstayingin the RappahannockRiver
for one year, proceeded down the river into the bay and
around to the Eastern Shore of Maryland cruising about
all the time trying to defend the country against British
ships.24
On one occasion while cruising at sea, the Dragon had a
fightwith the British schooner Lord Howe which "outsailed" the Virginia ship "and got away."25 The Dragon
Southern Literary Messenger, vols. 24-25 (1857), pp. 135, 211.
Bounty Warrants," James Jennings.
? United States Archives, "Pension Claims Papers," Lewis Hinton.
24 ILand
266
JOURNAL OF NEGRO HISTORY
and at one timecontainedmore
was builtat Fredericksburg
Negro sailors thanany othervessel. One of themostdaring of its crewwas Lewis Hinton,theslave whosubstituted
forhis master. He servedthreeyears on theDragon.
Because of the hard life on the sea, especiallyin war
time,it is likelythat the Negro seamenin the Revolution
faredaboutlike theNegro seaundervariouscommanders
menin the War of 1812 underCommodorePerry. Under
whiteand coloredmenmessedtogetherand they
thisofficer
fraternizedin general.26All enjoyed togetherthe bounteoussupplyof rumgivenby the State-a half pinta day
withan extra amountduringperiods of fighting.One or
moretierceswerekepton handforthispurpose. Drinking
was so regularthat the naval authoritiessupplieda back
allowancefor any amounttheyhad failed to give. Thus
it was thatthe slave Kingston,one time,was allowed one
gallon,a quart and a pint.27
The naval board, the governingbody of the navy,attemptedalso to keeptheseamenwellsuppliedwithclothing.
The keeperof the public store,for instance,on one occasion, was orderedby the board to supplyAnthonyMorrisonon the Gloucesterwithone outsidejacket,one inside
jacket,two shirts,one pair of drawers,two pairs of trouone pair of shoes,one hat,and
sers,twopairs of stockings,
a blanket. Under this order fiveotherNegroes on this
vesselweresuppliedalso withthesame articles.28
On this occasionthe board orderedthat certainNegro
seamen on board the Hero-Pluto, Jack,Bachus, Boston,
Will,and George-shouldeach be suppliedwithone jacket,
one and a halfyardsof coarselinen,
twopairs of stockings,
amountof coarse cloth
one pair of shoes,and a sufficient
For a thirty-day
to makeeach of thema pair of trousers.29
S'George Livermore, An Historical Research Respecting the Opinions of
the Founders of the Bepublic on Negroes as Slaves, as Citizens and as Soldiers
(Boston, 1863), p. 159, (Appendix A).
"'Papers Concerning the State Navy," Vol. 1.
' I"Journals of Navy Board," Nov. 4, 1777.
X Ibid.
VIRGINIANEGROIN THE AMERICANREVOLUTION
267
period,twoyearslater,thecrewofonehundredfourofficers
and seamenon theshipDragonweregivenan amplesupply
of pork, flourand spirits. Sharing in these provisions on
the Dragon at this time were five Negroes: Jesse Tate,
Lewis Hinton,WilliamHaws, JosephRanger,and Thoinas
Wood.30
Some of the Negro seamen were killed or wounded in
action. Cuffee,the slave pilot, died from injuries received
in service;31 Aaron Weaver received two dangerous wounds
in an engagement at the mouth of the York River ;32
and Joseph Ranger was with the Jefferson when it
was blown up by the enemy on the James River."3Ranger
was taken prisoner with the rest of his crew shortlybefore
Cornwallis' surrender. Against this record of bravery and
valor exhibited by these seamen, certain other Negro seamen have a record of desertion from the Virginia navy.
Francis Arbado, "a black Frenchman," deserted the Man-
ley; Abel Spriggs and Thomas Wood, mulattoes,deserted
theDragon.34A rewardof sixtydollarswas offeredto any
personwhowouldplace Spriggsand Wood in jail or deliver
themon board any vessel belongingto the State navy.
Some of the Negro seamenmade distinguishedrecords
and wererewardedin waysto be latershownin thisarticle.
"Captain" Starlins,a slave and a full blooded African,
whowas trainedas a pilotfromhis youth,showedunusual
braveryon the Patriot whenhe led the crewin an attack
on a Britishsloop in theJamesRiver. In themidstof this
fightStarlins "hollered for joy" at the momentwhenhe
thoughthe had capturedtheBritishsloop. His vesselwent
downin defeat,however,because of thesuddenappearance
Britishsailorson thescene. This Africanwas held
of fifty
3"Papers Covering the State Navy," Vol. 1.
" Stewart, op. cit., p. 176.
33 Acts of the Assembly, 1812, chap. CXXXVI,
p. 139.
'3Clerk's Office,Elizabeth City County, Court Records, 1825-1832, p. 360.
' Virginia Gazette, May 16, 1777; July 3, 1779.
268
OF NEGROHISTORY
JOURNAL
especially
in highesteemby all the Virginianaval officers,
CommodoreJames Barron.35
Caesar Tarrantwas a pilotforfouryears and engaged
withtheBritish. His chiefengagement
in severalsea fights
tookplace southof theVirginiacapes whileservingon the
Patriot. He steeredthisvessel duringthewholeactionand
"behaved gallantly."36Fightingwith Tarrant on the Patriotwas Pluto,the slave of RobertBrough. He likewise
displayed valor in several actions on board this armed
vessel.37
AmongNegroseamenin theVirginianavythegreatest
numberof years of servicewas givenby JosephRangerof
Elizabeth CityCounty. He enlistedin 1776 and continued
in serviceuntiltheState disposedof its last vessel in 1787.
County,
Ranger enteredthe servicefromNorthumberland
thehomeof six or moreotherNegroVirginianavyseamen.
He servedfirston the Hero about threemonths,and was
to the Dragon fora periodof four
afterwardstransferred
years. After this vessel was convertedinto a fireship,
fora year,or, as
to theJefferson
Rangerwas transferred
previouslynoted,untilit was blownup by the enemyon
JamesRiver. His finalvessel for serviceduringthe war
periodwas the Patriot on whichhe performeddutyabout
six monthsuntilthebattleofYorktown.Rangerwas serving on thePatriotwhenhe was takenprisonerwiththerest
of crew shortlybeforeCornwallis' surrender.38
Since theVirginiafleetwas practicallydestroyedby the
British,thisState laterobtainedpermissionfromCongress
to keeptwoarmedvessels at its ownexpense.These vessels
were the Libertyand the Patriot. Ranger servedon both
ofthisremnant
oftheseshipsuntilthefinaldiscontinuation
of theVirginianavysix years afterthe close of thewar.39
VirginiaHistoricalRegister,Vol. 1, (1848) pp. 129-131.
"6R. A. Stewart, op. cit., p. 255.
9 Journal of House of Delegates, Oct. 1793, p. 43.
' Clerk's Office,Elizabeth City County, Court Becords, 1825-1832, p. 360;
"Land Bounty Warrants," Joseph Ranger.
' Virginia State Library, "Auditors Papers, State Boats," 173, 174.
'3
VIRGINIA NEGROIN THE AMERICANREVOLUTION
269
DuringthecourseoftheRevolutiontheState ofVirginia
armyunderWashingheavilyto thecontinental
contributed
regimentsof soldiers. As
tonby the organizationof fifteen
membersof thecontinentalarmythe soldiersof theseVirginia regimentsof coursefoughtin all themajor battlesof
the war. Enlisted in some and perhaps all of these regimentswereVirginiaNegroes. For example,PeterRouse of
BedfordCountywas enlistedin thefirstVirginiaregiment,
Thomas Evans of Lunenburg and James Carter of Northampton Countywere enlisted in the second, John Chavis of
Mecklenburgwas in the third,Shadrack Battle of Albemarle
Countywas in thetenth,Toby,alias WilliamFerguson,was
in the fourteenth,
and WilliamFlora of the townof Portsmouthwas enlistedin thesixteenth.
Some of the Virginia Negro soldiers participatedin
many battles and incurredall the hardshipsof warfare.
ShadrackBattleservedthreeyearsand foughtin thebattles
of Brandywine,Germantown,
Monmouth,
and Savannah;40
SylvesterBeverly served throughoutthe war and fought
in such engagementsas Monmouth,Stony Point, Paulus
Hook, GuilfordCourt House, and Yorktown.4'Anthony
Chavis not onlyservedunderWashingtonat Brandywine
and Yorktown,but also under LaFayette and General
Greenein the Southerntheater.42William Flora likewise
foughtthroughoutthe war in manybattles,and attained
in thebattleof GreatBridgenear his
particulardistinction
homein NorfolkCounty,Virginia.43Thoughenteringthe
war in its closingstages,JohnHathcockand Hardy Hunt,
SouthamptonCountyNegroes,participatedin several engagementsin Virginiaand in the Southernstates.44
In a class withthesesoldiersforhonorableservicewas
JamesCarter. This man firstgave eighteenmonthsgarri?" Land Bounty Warrants," Shadrack Battle.
'Journals and Documents, Virginia House of Delegates, 1822-23, p. 102.
""Land Bounty Warrants," Anthony Chavis.
" Ibid., William Flora.
"Legislative Petitions,.Southampton County, Oct. 9, 1792; Nov. 19, 1795.
270
OF NEGROHISTORY
JOURNAL
and afterson servicein his nativecounty,Northampton,
wards enlistedwith the second Virginia regimentin the
townof Portsmouth.From thispointthe part of his regimentto whichhe belongedwas orderedSouthto theaid of
South Carolinathenunderinvasionby theBritish. Carter
marchedwith his regimentthroughVirginia and North
Carolinato SouthCarolina. Fightingwiththepatriotarmy
in the battles connectedwith the Britishinvasion of the
South,includingCamdenunderGeneralGates, Carterreturnedto Virginia with the regimentof whichhe was a
member,and foughtin theclosingbattleof Yorktown.45
In all probability
SylvesterBeverlyand ShadrackBattle
wereonlytwoofa muchlargernumberofVirginiaNegroes
and otherNorthernengagements.
in thebattleofMonmouth
thousand
In thebattleofMonmouth
therewereaboutfifteen
troopsin theAmericanarmy,and morethansevenhundred
ofthese,accordingto Bancroft,wereblackmen.46ThatVirginia Negroeswere well representedin this and otherengagementsin Pennsylvaniaand New Jerseyduring1777
and 1778is shownby the factthatthebrigadecommanded
by Woodfordat thistimehad a totalof fortyNegroes,and
the brigade commandedby Muhlenburgcontainedninetyeight Negroes.47These Virginia brigadiergenerals commandedchiefly
VirginiatroopsincludingtheseNegroes.
The soldiers of color were sometimesdiscriminated
againstby theirofficers.Thus one VirginiaNegro soldier,
in the battle
Thomas Evans, was preventedfromfighting
of Monmouth
eventhoughhe was regularlyenlisted.Evans
was allowedto marchwithhis regimentwithintwo miles
of Monmouth
whenColonelBrentof thisregimentordered
himnot to fightbut to remainbehindand take care of his
baggage. Again a year later when the regimentof Evans
Office,Northampton County, Order Book (MS), 1831-36, p. 125.
' George Bancroft, History of the United States, X (Boston, 1874), p. 133.
'Washington Manuscripts, Library of Congress, cited in the Journal of
Negro History, 1, p. 127.
'Clerk's
VIRGINIA NEGRO IN THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
271
reached the neighborhoodof Stony Point preparatoryto
battle this officer
gave him similarorders. Evans served
the secondVirginiaregimentforthreeyears,but as a victimto race prejudice"he was in no battle."48
Certain Virginia Negro soldiers distinguishedthemselves for bravery. In this class fell Richard Pointer,a
slave of Greenbrier
County,Saul Matthews,a slave of NorfolkCounty,JamesLafayette,a slave ofNew Kent County,
and WilliamFlora, thefreeNegroof Portsmouth.
Duringthe RevolutionaryperiodwesternVirginiawas
constantlysubjectto attackby the Indians. One of these
attackscame in GreenbrierCountyin May, 1778,on an occasionwhena companyof peoplehad gatheredat thehouse
of ColonelDonnelly,themasterof Pointer,to defendthemselves against one of these expectedonslaughts. At the
momentwhena large bodyof theinvadingIndians reached
Donnelly'shouse,theywere meton the outsideby Pointer
alone and held at bay by himlong enoughforthecompany
insideto arm themselvesand defeatthisattemptof theIndians to slaughterthe entireparty.49
Saul servedthepatriotcause in thedoublecapacityof a
soldierin theAmericanarmyand a spy forAmericancommandersin the Britisharmy. He servedhis masterand a
numberof officers
at intervalsthroughoutthe war. This
slave of Thomas Matthews"shoulderedhis musket" and
wentover to the Americanside in the earlymonthsof the
war at thetimewhenmanyslaves of Norfolkand Princess
AnnecountieswerefollowingtheBritishin responseto the
proclamationofDunmore.
At times Saul as a spy was able to get very valuable
informationfor Americancommanders.On one occasion
in 1781duringthecampaignof theBritishin thevicinityof
Portsmouththisyear,Saul, at theriskof his life,was sent
into the British garrisonby Colonel Parker on the usual
'8Legislative Petitions, Lunenburg County, Dec. 23, 1819.
'"Ibid., Greenbrier County, Nov. 12, 1795.
272
OF NEGROHISTORY
JOURNAL
mission of securing informationof value to the American
forces. He broughtback militarysecretsof such value to
Colonel Parker that on the same night,serving as a guide,
he led a party of Americansto the Britishgarrison,who
successfullycarried offthe picket.50On anotheroccasion
in 1781,whenSaul's masterand manyotherVirginianshad
fledintotheadjoiningState of NorthCarolina,he was sent
concerning
bythemto Norfolkto securesimilarintelligence
and plans of theBritishtroops.
themovement
For his services as a spy and a soldier such distinas Baron Von Steuben,LaFayette,
guishedarmy officers
and GeneralNathanielGreenepraised
Peter Muhlenburg,
himto thehighest.JosiahParker,colonelof the Virginia
militiain 1781,said that he deservedthe applause of his
country.""
While Saul was servingColonelParker and otherofficers as a spy duringthe invasionof the Britishat Portsa simimouth,Virginia,JamesLaFayette was performing
lar valuableservicefortheMarquisde LaFayetteduringthe
invasionof theBritishovermuchof theentireState. This
larger invasion was under the commandof Cornwallis.
JamesLaFayette firstbore the name of JamesArmistead
because he was the slave of WilliamArmistead,but after
theRevolutionhe becameknownby all as JamesLaFayette
because of his constantserviceto this noted commander.
"Often at the peril of his life" this slave frequentedthe
Britishcampand thereby"kept opena channelof themost
to thearmyof the State." In all of his
usefulinformation
his
to
the
Britishcampthisspy performed
missions
daring
" 52
andfidelity.
taskwith"cheerfulness
In crossingthe bridgesouthof Norfolk,knownas the
Great Bridge, on December9, 1775,a detachmentof the
small armyof Dunmorewas metwitha volleyof gun fire
6 Ibid., Norfolk County, Oct. 9, 1792.
61
Executive Papers (unclassified).
Petitions, New Kent County, Nov. 30, 1786.
2Legislative
REvOLUTION 273
VIRGINIANEGROIN THE AMERICAN
from a group of sentinels in Woodford's second Virginia
regiment. One of these sentinels was William Flora. This
free Negro's distinctionon this occasionarose out of the
factthathe keptfiringat theattackingBritishwhenall his
comradeshad retiredto theirbreastworks.In themidstof
a showerof musketballs fromthe British,Flora fought
them alone. By this act and similar acts Flora earned the
respect of his officersand the members of his several regiments generally.
Thirty years or more after the battle of Great Bridge,
William Flora again rose to the defense of his country.The
war alarmthistimewas soundedby theattackof theLeopard on theChesapeakeoffthecoast of Norfolk,theprelimiweapon,
nary eventto the War of 1812. For his fighting
strangeto say, Flora broughtwithhimthe same muskethe
had used at thebattleof theGreatBridge. The old veteran
seemedas readyto fighttheBritishon this occasionas he
was in theopeningdays of theRevolution.His actual servon one
ice thistime,however,onlyinvolvedhis enlistment
of the gun boats as a marineunder CommodoreDecatur.
In commonwithall the recruitsin this emergencyhe remainedin thisserviceforonlya shortperiodoftime.53
REWARD
FOR SERVICE
For thisserviceto thecause of Americanindependence
the Negro soldiersand seamenof Virginiawere liberally
rewarded.In commonwithall recruitstheState paid them
in money,in land bounties,and grantedthempensions,
to enlist,and later as a rewardfor
firstas an inducement
service. In additionto the pensionsgrantedby the State,
whichcommencedshortlyafterthe war, the Virginiavetalso by theseveralpensionsacts passed by
eransbenefited
a halfcenturylater-in 1818,1820and 1832.
about
Congress
The militaryland reservedby Virginiaas a bountyfor
I
Virginia Historical Begister, Vol. VI, No. 1 (Jan. 1853), pp. 4-6; "Land
Bounty Warrants," William Flora.
274
JOURNALOF NEGROHISTORY
hersoldierswas firstlocatedin westernKentucky,
and later
in Ohio in the well knownVirginiamilitarytractof more
thanfourmillionacres. The parcelingoutof thisvast tract
beganat theclose of theRevolutionand was notcompleted
until1852. During this long period of timeVirginia gave
away moreland to herveteransthanany otherState in the
union,or even the United States.
The amountofland grantedto a veteranvariedfromone
hundredacres fora privateto fifteen
thousandacres fora
major general. Althoughthebulkof the VirginiaNegroes
whofoughtin theRevolutionwereprivatesand commanded
therebyonlyone hundredacres, therewere at least three
personsofthisgroupwhoreceived2,6662/3acres,thegrant
of a subaltern,or a commissioned
officer
belowthe rankof
captain. Applicationsfor warrantsto land were made to
theland office
at Richmond.
In commonwithotherstatesVirginiaalso providedfor
the manumissionof certainindividualslaves who fought
in the war. Feeling that slaverywas contraryto the principles of the Revolutionand that certain Negroes who
servedin the war did so faithfully,
the GeneralAssembly
liberatedthe followingindividuals:JamesLafayette,Caesar Tarrant,WilliamBoush and Jack Knight,Saul Mathews,David Baker, Pluto, and RichardPointer. And there
were probablyothers. These manumissionswere executed
ten or moreyears afterthe struggle.
Each of theseslaves appliedby petitionforhis freedom
and receivedit forthefollowingreasons: JamesLafayette,
forhis daringservicesas a spyto Marquisde LaFayette,53b
Caesar Tarrant, for piloting the armed vessels of the
WilliamBoush and JackKnightfor"their faithful
State,54
servicewhilstemployedon board thearmedvessels in public service."55Saul Matthewsfor his campaigningin two
armies-in the Americanarmy as a soldier and in the
Legislative Petitions, New Kent County, Nov. 30, 1786.
R4Hening,op. cit., XIII, p. 102.
'Journal of the House of Delegates, 1789, p. 7.
lb
VIRGINIA NEGRO IN THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
275
Britishas a spy,6David Baker forservingas a substitute
forhis master,57
Pluto forservingas a seamanon one ofthe
and RichardPointerfordisplayarmedboats oftheState,58
ing unusualvalor by wardingoff,all alone, a companyof
Indians.59
Beforethisparticulargroupof slaves weremanumitted
certainfreeNegroseamenwerealreadyreceivingpayments
in moneyfromthe State. On differentoccasions during
1785and 1786,forexample,Peter,Will,Abram,Daniel and
Tom, ordinaryseamen and able seamen,were paid sums
varyingfromthreepounds,seven shillings,and six pence
to fifteenpounds,nineteenshillings,and six pence.60In
1786 JosephRanger,the seaman,receivedone paymentof
two poundsand ten shillingsfor one month'sservice; the
nextyearhe receivedone paymentoffivepoundsand seven
shillingsfor two monthsand seven days' service.61Perhaps thehighestpaid seamenamongtheNegroeswas James
Sorrell,gunner'smate,whoservedforfiveyears on two or
more vessels. On one occasion he was given ninety-one
pounds,ten shillings,and ten pence,or the balance of his
fullpay.62
Paymentin moneyfor servicesin the Revolutionwas
insignificant,
however,in comparisonwiththepaymentsby
grantsof land. Amongthosewho were givenwarrantsto
land withina few years afterthe war were Richard,Edward,and NathanielNickens,the seamenof Lancasterand
counties.Theyeach receivedone hundred
Northumberland
acres.63About the same time Joseph Ranger, benefiting
M Legislative
Petitions, Norfolk County, Oct. 9, 1792.
of the House of Delegates, 1794, p. 44.
Legislative Petitions, Norfolk County, Nov. 22, 1796.
Ibid., GreenbrierCounty,Nov. 12, 1795.
'Virginia State Library, RevolutionarySoldiers (MS), Vol. V. pp. 31, 62,
157, 196, 215.
*'"Auditors Papers, State Boats," 173, 174.
'Virginia State Library, "Rejected Claims Papers."
'Land Office,Richmond,Military Certiflcates (MS), Vol. 1, pp. 278, 513;
"Land Bounty Warrants," 1786.
s'Journal
276
JOURNAL OF
NEGROHISTORY
again in anotherway, receiveda grant of one hundred
acres;64 SawneyWhistler,seaman,thenreceiveda grantof
two hundred acres.65 Other veterans received similar
amountsat thistimeor later. In lateryearsWilliamFlora
and David Ross, soldiers,each receivedtheusual allotment
forprivatesofonehundredacres;66 JamesCarter,a soldier
of longerservice,receivedtwohundredacres.67
Aftergivingwarrantsto land in the Virginiamilitary
tractfora generationaftertheRevolutionto thosesoldiers
and seamenwhoactuallyfoughtin thiswar,the State then
made grants to the heirs of the Revolutionaryveterans.
Following the general practice,certain Negro sons and
daughterspressedtheirclaimsforland in the1830and 1840
decades.
MaryStephensappliedforland forthethreeyears'services of her father,StephenStephens,as a seaman in the
state navy;68 Nancy Tarrant applied for the threeyears'
servicesof her father,Caesar Tarrant as a pilot in the
navy.69 No less vigilantin seekingland were Elizabeth
Nickensand JudyWatkinswhomadeclaimsfortheservices
and James Nickens,
of their father,Hezekiah Nickens,70
Junior,who made it for the servicesof his father,James
Nickens.7'
Amongotherapplicantswere Sarah Morrisonof Lancaster County and Staunton Jones of Fredericksburg.
Sarah Morrisonstatedthatshe oftenheardher father,AnthonyMorrison,say that he had never receivedhis land,
because all the veteranswho servedwithhim had either
125.
'Military Certificates,Vol. 11, p. 242.
`"Ibid., p. 531; "1Land Bounty Warrants. "
" Ibid., p. 392.
'Clerk's Office,Northampton County, Order Book (MS), Vol. XXIX, p.
" Military Certificates,Vol. 111, p. 263.
"Ibid., p. 169.
"Ibid., p. 418.
" Ibid., p. 280.
VIRGINIA
NEGRO IN THE AMERICAN
REVOLUTION
277
died or had removedfromLancasterCounty.He therefore
was at a loss to obtainthe necessaryevidenceto establish
his claim.72StauntonJonesmadeclaimsalso forhis father,
William Jones,a seaman.73Finally therewas Mary Bell
whopressedherclaimsfortheservicesofherfather,James
Thomas,as a boatswainin the State navy.74
Each of these applicantswas successfulin securinga
himor herto land in Ohio. MaryBell and
warrantentitling
Nancy Tarrant were the heirs who receivedthe largest
grantsbecause of thesuperiortypeof serviceof theirparents. Mary Bell receivedtwowarrantsfor 1,3331/3acres
each and Nancy Tarrantreceivedthe same amountin one
warrantembracing2,6662/3acres. One otherNegro who
receivedthislarge grantwas NimrodPerkinsof Accomac
County.He was stilllivingin 1830,so thathe received2,666 2/3acres himselfforhis servicesas a drummer.
Land was generallyallottedby theState ofVirginia,as
did not actually
just indicated,but sincemostbeneficiaries
settleon theirland in Ohio,it is doubtfulif thisparticular
groupof Negroveteransor heirseverlocatedin thatState.
Like hundredsof otherstheydid not choose to startlife
overagain in a strangeregion.These personsprobablyfollowedthecommonpracticeof assigningwarrantsto speculators for a sum as low as ten centsan acre, or like many
otherveteranswhoweregivenland in Ohio theymayhave
lost it simplythroughthechicaneryoflawyers.Falling unforexample,was thecase of
der one of theseclassifications,
NathanielNickenswho made the followingprovisionconcerninghis bounty:75
I herebyassignall righttittleclaimeordemandsthatI haveagainst
of Virginiaforservicesas a seamanin thestate
thecommonwealth
navy to WilliamBiggersand the auditorof public accountsis
p. 262.
" Ibid., p. 258.
'4Ibid., p. 511.
r "Land Bounty Warrants," Nathaniel Nickens.
'2Ibid.,
278
OF NEGROHISTORY
JOURNAL
herebyrequestedto settlethesaid claimsand to grantcertificates
withmybountyof land to thesaid Biggers.
Some of theRevolutionary
veteranslivedto be seventy,
eighty,and ninetyyears of age. In additionto receiving
land bounties,some of theseold menfoundthemselveseligiblealso to receivepensionsgrantedby theUnitedStates
and the Virginia State Government.Among
Government
the Virginia Negroes at least twenty-onereceived pensions
under the three acts of Congress, thirteen of whom were
benefited
by the act of 1832.
The mostcommonallowancefortheseVirginiasoldiers
dollarsa year,althoughseveral
and seamenwas ninety-six
doldroppedas low as fortydollars. Amongtheninety-six
lars a year seamenwere Lewis Hinton,Richard Nickens,
JamesHarris,Isaac Brown,JosephRanger,SherwoodGoing, ShadrackBattle,and Ephriam Hearn. James Carter
surpassed these veterans in that he drew a pension of one
hundred dollars a year during the last five or ten years of
his longlife.
The pensionact of 1832extendedto all branchesofmilitary and naval service. Some of the group of twenty-one
Negroesunderdiscussionservedin themilitia,somein the
Virginiacontinentalline,and some in the state and continentalnavy.
To establisheligibilityfortheseUnitedStates pensions
the methodfollowedwas by depositionin a countyor city
court. The orderbooksand minutebooks of the Virginia
local courtsforthepensionyears,1818,1820,and 1832,are
of the veteransof the
thusfilledwiththe sworntestimony
Revolutionor theirheirs. Amongthe depositionsknown
to the presentwriterare thoseof William Flora, Nimrod
and JoshuaPerkins,Simon Stephensand StephenStephens, George Becket, Joseph Ranger, James Carter and
Lewis Hinton.
Appearingin personbeforethe NorfolkCountycourt
on April21,1818,at an old age,WilliamFlora declaredthat
VIRGINIA
NEGRO IN THE AMERICAN
REVOLUTION
279
he was a privatein Captain Grimes' companyof the fifregimentforthreeyearsand thathe was
teenthcontinental
honorablydischarged.78Appearingin person beforethe
courtof AccomacCountyon July31, 1832,at the age of
NimrodPerkinstestified
seventy-two,
thathe enlistedas a
drummeron board the Diligence Galley in 1777,and that
he continuedon board thisvessel untilshe was laid up in
1781. He was born in Accomac County,was living there
when discharged,and in fact never lived elsewhere. He
furthersaid that he had previouslyreceiveda Virginia
militaryland warrantforone hundredacres and scripfor
the same for his service. Finally,in orderto conformto
therequirements
of theUnitedStates law,he declaredthat
his namewas not on the pensionroll of any agencyin the
State of Virginia.77This sworntestimony
of NimrodPerkinswas apparentlycorrectin thattwoyears earlierwhen
at Richmondforhis land
he was applyingto theland office
bounty,one Elcanah Andrewsstated that he and Perkins
cruisedin the ChesapeakeBay and AtlanticOcean together
in thevesselsDiligenceand Accontacand werelaid up in the
coldwinterof1779-1780
whentheBay was frozen.Andrews
furthersaid thatPerkinswas a freeman of colorand that
of all thosewhoservedon thesetwovesselshe and Perkins
weretheonlypersonsstilllivingin 1830.78
Aboutsix weekslaterin the adjoiningcountyof Northamptonon the Eastern Shore of Virginia,James Carter
was testifying
concerninghis recordin the Revolutionary
War fifty
yearsbefore.This old soldierrelatedthathe enlistedin thearmyearlyin thewar as a privatein a group
ofeighteenmonthsmen,and thathe garrisoneda fortin his
countyforthisperiodoftime.At theexpirationofeighteen
monthshe crossed the Chesapeake Bay and enlistedat
Portsmouthfor the war as a privatein the twenty-second
76'Clerk's Office,Norfolk County, Minute Book, 15, p. 120.
" Clerk's Office,Accomae County, Order Book (MS), 1829-32, p. 537.
" " I Land Bounty Warrants," Elcanah Andrews.
280
JOURNAL OF NEGRO HISTORY
VirginiaState regimentof artillery.He also toldthecourt
thathe marchedwitha part of his regimentthroughVirginia,NorthCarolina,SouthCarolinaand returnedthrough
theCarolinasto takepartfinallyin thebattleof Yorktown.
Amongthe engagementsin whichhe foughton this long
tourto the Southwas thebattleof CamdenunderGeneral
Gates.79
As previouslynoted,Lewis Hintonwas theNegroslave
seamanwho servedas a substituteforhis masterWilliam
twoyears afterthe veterans
Hinton. Givinghis testimony
namedabove,Hintonstatedthathe tookhis master'splace
on the ship Dragon in the springof 1778,and thatwithin
threeyearstheDragon and theotherVirginiastatevessels
wereall capturedby theenemyin JamesRiver. "Finding
no way of escape," whenhis vessel sailed up the Chickahominy,a tributaryof the James River, Hinton said he
leftthe Dragon and wenthometo Lancaster.
Hintonwas too sick to attendthe Lancaster court in
he
personin 1834to give thistestimony.Notwithstanding
was placed on the pensionroll this same year for ninetysix dollars a year. Althoughthis veteranwas not placed
on thepensionrolluntil1832his paymentsbeganas of the
at one
year 1831. He was thuspaid $288by thegovernment
timeto bringup thisback pay. Hintonremaineda United
States pensionerforat least tenyears. He was stillon the
rollat theage of eighty-three.80
CoincidingwiththeseclaimsforUnitedStates pensions
werethoseclaimsmadeforpensionsfromtheState ofVirginia. The veteransclaimingunder the State law, with
perhaps one exception,were a distinctgroup fromthose
Among
seekingthepensionsfromtheFederal Government.
the veteransseekingrelieffromthe State were Anthony
RichardNickens,GeorgeMcCoy,AaronWeaver,
MIorrison,
James LaFayette,William Jones,SylvesterBeverly,and
q Clerk's Office,NorthamptonCounty, Order Book, 39, p. 125.
' United States Archives, "Pension Claims Papers."
VIRGINIA NEGRO IN THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
281
Peter Rouse. Under the state pensionsystemone certain
sum of moneywas grantedforthepresentreliefof the old
soldieror seaman and anothersum was grantedas an annual allowance. The presentreliefto these particularindividualsvariedfromthirtydollarsto sixty,and theannual
pensionfromfortydollars to sixty.
The State applicantsfor pensionsresortedto the petitionsto thelegislature,a commonmethodin thatday from
citizensfor considerationsof all kinds. The many supportersof AnthonyMorrison'spetitionassertedhis right
to a pensionbecause as an old man,eighty-six
years of age
"his shatteredand tremblinglimbs are now tottering."
Theysaid he had alwaysbeenan industriousman,and more
deservingthantheaverageofthefreeNegrogroup.8'About
this same time Richard Nickens,likewise of Lancaster
County,appealed fora pension. His friendsstatedthathe
conductedhimself"orderly and faithfully"while in the
serviceof his country,and that since he was now (1819)
year,he shouldbe
"'old and infirm,"and in his sixty-ninth
placed on the pensionlist and alloweda small sum forhis
presentrelief.82
Two of theseveteransgave the receivingof woundsin
battle as special reasons for deserving consideration.
GeorgeMcCoyassertedthatin a certainbattlehe received
a severe wound;83 Aaron Weaver asserted,as previously
at themouthoftheYorkRiver
noted,thatin an engagement
he received two dangerouswounds.84In all probability
James LaFayette, the spy for the Marquis de LaFayette,
in securinga pensionbecause
experiencedbutlittledifficulty
his servicesto this commanderwere so valuable. In 1786
he had petitionedthelegislatureto emancipatehim; nowin
1819 he feltthathe shouldalso receivea pension. He accordinglyapplied and was givensixtydollarsforhis presLegislative Petitions, Lancaster County, Dec. 4, 1821.
Ibid., Dec. 4, 1819.
8' Acts of the Assemblv, 1831, Chap. 130, p. 140.
"'
82
8 Ibid., 1812, Chap. CXXXVI, p. 139.
282
OFNEGRO
HISTORY
JOURNAL
ent reliefand fortydollars annuallyas a pension.85
While individualNegroeswere thusnotifyingthe public authoritiesthattheyhad foughtin the Revolutionfifty
years or moreafterthiseventin an effortto secureland or
pensions,groupsof Negroes and liberal mindedwhitesat
theState legislature
thesame timewerelikewisereminding
and the generalpublic of this same fact. They petitioned
thelegislatureand wrotearticlesin newspapersand magazines in orderto protectthe freeNegro,win publicfavor
of all Negroesto
forhim,and recognizethe contributions
America.
in
warfare defenseof
One of the most significant
appeals for justice based
on previousparticipationin warfarecame froma group
of sixteenfreeNegroesof Fredericksburg.This intelligent
and progressivegrouppetitionedthelegislaturein 1838for
permissionto reopentheirschool,whichhad been closed
followingtheact of 1831denyingeducationto freeNegroes.
They presentedthe argumentthat as free Negroes they
wereentitledto a schoolbecausesomeofthemweredescendants of persons who had foughtin the Revolution,while
otherspersonallyhad "engaged in aiding the effortsof
theircountry"in theWar of 1812.86Two of the ancestors
in theRevolutionto whomtheyreferredwereperhapsWilliam Jonesand AmbroseLewis,earlyfreeNegro residents
of Fredericksburg
and seamenin theVirginianavy.
That Negroesfoughtin the Revolutionwas also shown
by a Richmondnewspaper. Shortlyafter the legislature
ofVirginiain 1853made its thirdand last attemptto comof
pel thefreeNegroesto leave the State,a correspondent
theRichmontd
Enquirerdefendedthemby sayingthatthis
measure was very unjust inasmuchas free Negroes had
foughtin the Revolution"as long and as hard as white
men. 87 Speakingin the same vein a few years later,the
`S Ibid., 1819, Chap. CLXIX, p. 188.
" Legislative Petitions, Spotsylvania County, 1838.
"TRichmondEnquirer, Feb. 24, 1854.
VIRGINIA
NEGRO IN THE AMERICAN
REVOLUTION
283
writerof an historicalarticleon the Virginianavy in the
Revolutioncommented
that"amongstthe meritoriousseamen" were "many faithfulblacks who served under the
flagof our navyduringthewholewar."88
Aside fromhavingborneworthymilitarycareersin the
Revolution,
someoftheNegroveteranslikewisemaintained
worthycivilian careers in their respectivecountiesand
cities after this event. They married legally, followed
useful occupations,owned property,provided for their
families,and were highlyrespectedby the people of their
communities.
Outstandingamongthese usefulveteranswas William
Flora of the town of Portsmouth.Withina year or two
after his returnfromdistinguishedservice in the army,
Flora boughttwohalf lots on King Streetin this townat
a cost of twenty-two
poundsand thirty-five
poundsrespeetively.89He therebybecameone of the firstfree Negroes
in Virginiato buytownproperty.Flora operateda livery
stableand formorethanthirty
yearsenjoyedthepatronage
ofthewhitecitizensofthistown.As a part ofthisbusiness
he owned many horses and carriages. Like many other
progressivefree Negroes of this period in Virginia with
slave wives and children,this head of the familymanumittedone or more of them. Declaringthathe wishedto
dischargea natural dutyand renderhis daughter,Grace
and happy,he accordingly
Flora, independent
liberatedher
April1, 1799.Y Whenthismandied about1820his real estate consistedof two dwellinghouses and a lot, whichhe
willedto his son and grandson.9'
Afterachievingfreedomin 1786 for his servicesas a
pilot, Caesar Tarrant of the town of Hampton likewise
'Southern LiteraryMessenger,Vols. XXIV-XXV (1857), p. 17.
89Clerk's Office,Norfolk County, Deed Book, 28, p. 156; Ibid., 29, p. 246.
goIbid., 28, p. 33.
91Clerk's Office,Norfolk County, Will Book, 5, p. 21. Flora willed his
grandson his lot on Washington Street. In 1828 this heir sold this same lot to
the Methodist Church of Portsmouth (Deed Book, 54, p. 86).
284
JOURNALOF NEGROHISTORY
made progressas a propertyownerand a man of influence
in his community.
Duringtheremainingtenor twelveyears
of his life followinghis liberationfromslavery,Tarrant
boughtseveralpieces of propertyin Hamptonand in 1796
disposedof it by will. To his wifehe gave his houses and
lot; to his daughter,Nancy,he gave one-halfthe property
afterhis wife's death; and to his daughter,Lidy, he gave
freedomfrom slavery.92Nancy was the daughter who
thirty-five
years later receivedthe warrantfor 2,666 2/3
acres of land in Ohio.
James LaFayette, the faithfulspy to Marquis de LaFayette,rivaled his namesakein longevityof life. When
thedistinguished
Frenchmanreturnedto theUnitedStates
in 1824 forhis well knowntour of the country,and when
passing throughNew Kent County,Virginia,he foundhis
Negroally stillalive and activein thiscounty. LaFayette
greetedhis namesakeon this occasion. The black LaFayette was the ownerof fortyacres of land whichhe purchased eightyears earlier.93
In the neighboringcountyof Charles City therelived
the Brownfamilyat least threemembersof whomfought
as soldiersin theRevolution.Abraham,one of theseparticipants,became a propertyowner in Charles City six
yearsbeforetheRevolutionby thepurchaseof onehundred
Freeacres of land forthesumof ninety-six
pounds.94
fifty
man and Isaac, the otherparticipants,werelikewisepropin theRevoluertyownersat the timeof theirengagement
tion. In 1782 Freeman ownedfortyacres and Isaac two
hundredand seventyacres.95
In 1830 therewere twenty-four
separateheads of fami2 Virginia State Library, Will Book, Elizabeth City County (photostat)
1701-1904, Part 11, p. 517. The original copy of Tarrant's will is on file in the
land officeat the State Capitol.
9 Virginia State Library, Tax Books (MS), Land, New Kent County,
1816-1824.
9Virginia State Library, Records (Photostat), Charles City County,p. 155.
The Will of Abraham Brown is recorded in Will Book, 1789-1808, p. 16.
9 Virginia State Library, Tax Books, Land, Charles City County, 1782.
VIRGINIA NEGRO IN THE AMERICAN REVOLUTIONu
285
lies oftheBrowns,one ofwhom,stillliving,was theveteran
and pensioner,Isaac Brown. The BrownsoftheRevolutionary period and theirdescendantsfor manyyears to come
exhibitedamongthemselvesstrongfamilyties and a spirit
of devotion. A numberof themaccumulatedsmall tracts
ofland and latermadeprovisionforits distribution
among
wives,sons,and daughters.By the timeof the Revolution
the Brownshad been free people in Charles City County
for two or mor&generations;by 1860 therehad emerged
severalmoregenerations.By thistimetheyhad thusbuilt
a familytraditionof a strongercharacterthanwas possible formostfreeNegro familiesof thatday.
The role of leadershipin schooland churchwhichthis
familyassumed after1865 was exhibitedby themeven in
the days of slavery. Samuel,the grandsonof the Revolutionarysoldier,Abraham,was a preacherand the pastor
of Elam Baptist Churchof Charles City. This churchwas
organizedin 1810withtheBrowns,Cumbos,and Harrises,
descendantsor relatives of the Revolutionaryveterans,
servingas its chiefpromoters.Eight years afterthe organizationof this independentBaptist churchof free Negroes (and some slaves), AbramBrown,churchclerk,and
his wife Susannah,donateda tractof land to this church
with CorneliusBrown, John Brown, James Brown, and
JamesC. Harris servingas trustees.96
'Clerk 's Office,Charles City County, Deed Book, 6, p. 214. This church
has had a continuous existence from the time of organization until the present.
Falling heir to the tradition of church leadership, Samuel A. Brown, son of
Samuel, the formerpastor of Elam, grandson of Abram, the church clerk, and
great grandson of Abraham, the Revolutionary soldier, is the present pastor
of the Gillfield Baptist Church of Petersburg.
Isaac Brown, the Revolutionary veteran, was a brother or cousin to Abraham Brown. Isaac was placed on the United States pension roll in 1829 at the
age of seventyfour. By his will made in 1830 this man left his property to
his wife, one son, and one daughter (Clerk's Office,Charles City County, Will
Book, 3, p. 407).
Other Brown wills found in the will books at the clerk's officein Charles
City are as follows: Dixon (1811), WTil Book, 2, p. 471; Milly (1827), 4, p.
80; Abraham (1836), 4, p. 375; Reuben (1839), 4, p. 333; Peter (1841), 4, p.
447; James (1864), 6, p. 214; Jesse (1864), 6, p. 216.
286
JOURNAL OF NEGRO HISTORY
The CumbofaniilyofJamesCity,CharlesCity,and New
Kent countiesfurnishedto the Revolutionfourmembers:
Michael,Stephen,Daniel and John. The Debrix familyof
thesesamecounties,theHarris familyof CharlesCity,and
the Wallace familyof James City each furnishedat least
onemember.Each ofthesefreeNegrofamiliesownedpropertyin the slavery period, some owned even before the Rev-
olution,and they disposed of it by will as did many of
thefreeNegropropertyholders.Several of theRevolutionary veteransof thesefamilieswhowerelivingin the 18201830periodapplied and were placed on thepensionroll of
or the United States Government.
the State Government
JamesHarris,forexample,was placedon theUnitedStates
pensionroll in 1820 for an allowanceof ninety-six
dollars
annually.
Perhaps the mostcelebratedVirginiaNegrofamilyfor
participatingin the Revolutionwas that of Nickensin the
in theNorthern
countiesof Lancasterand Northumberland
Neck of this State. There were at least nine of themwho
tookup armsin defenseof thefreedomof thethirteencolonies. A Nickenscouldbe foundon a numberofvesselsin the
State navyin thepatrolof theRappahannockand Potomac
riversand theChesapeakeBay. One of thisgroup,Richard
of about all the rewards
Nickens,became the beneficiary
had to offer.
the Virginiaand United States governments
He receivedsuccessivelythemoneybountyand land bounty
of one hundredacres immediatelyafter the Revolution,
he was placed on the statepensionroll in 1820,and he was
placed finallyon the UnitedStates pensionroll in 1831,at
theage of eighty-four.
There were still otherLancaster and Northumberland
freeNegrofamilieswho fullysharedin the Revolutionary
War. Among these were Boyd, Weaver, Woods, Haws,
Oats, Pinn, and Sorrell. During the generationfollowing
the Revolutionthese familiesalso acquired propertyand
exhibitedthe solidaritycharacteristicof the familiesalreadymentioned.
VIRGINIANEGROIN THE AMERICANREVOLUTION
287
The AmericanRevolutionis by no meansan antiquarian
eventto presentday Virginia Negroes. To the contrary
familiesin the State today
thereare at least twenty-five
whoare thedescendantsofsoldiersand seamenin theRevolution. In many instancesthey still live in the counties
wheretheirancestorslived as freemen and answeredthe
call forAmericanindependence.The Brownsand Cumbos
are still in Charles Cityand James City,the Beeketsare
still in Accomae,the Battles and Bowles are still in Albemarle,and the Nickensare stillin Lancaster. In so far as
the familiesin Tidewater Virginia are concerned,their
sense of pridemay restin theparticipationof theirancestorsin thenavyof theRevolutionratherthanthearmy.
Participationof Negroesin thenavyis indeeda branch
of militaryservicewhichis of generalinterest.Not only
in the navy of Virginia,but
werethesepersonsprominent
in theotherstatenavies and thecontinental
navyas well.97
vessel in his early
One memberof a crewon a continental
years was James Forten,the well-to-doPhiladelphiaNegro. He statedthatnearlyall thewar vesselsoftheRevolutionweremannedwithcoloredseamen. On theRoyal Louis
oftwenty-six
guns,forexample,thereweretwentysuchpersons. A similarlarge proportionwereto be foundlikewise
and other
on the Alliance,the Trumbull,the Confederacy,
vessels.98Having establisheda naval traditionin theRevolution,Negro seamenwere enlistedextensivelyin theWar
of1812. In Perry'sfleetat thebattleofLake Erie onesailor
out of every ten or twelve was a Negro, and two years later
on the Java, anothervessel under CommodorePerry,one
sailoroutof everysix or eightwas a Negro.99
L. P. JACKSON
VirginiaState College
' Herbert Aptheker, The Negro in the American Revolution (New York,
1940), pp. 27-29.
's William C. Nell, Colored Americans in the Wars of 1776 and 1812 (Philadelphia, 1902), pp. 30-31.
'George Livermore, op. cit., p. 159 (Appendix A).