Negro Seaman Act

Laws to restrict the movement of free black seamen in response to the discovery of the Denmark Vesey slave conspiracy, who sought assistance from foreign blacks. County sheriffs were empowered to arrest and jail all black sailors until the ship is ready to sail

• Document name : First Negro Seaman Act.
• Date of document : 1822
• Author : South Carolina Legislature
• Mentioned in : Our Man in Charleston

John Lawson Medal of Honor Profile

NAME:  Lawson, John
BIRTH: PLACE Philadelphia , Pennsylvania
AGE: 26
COMPLEXION: Mulatto
OCCUPATION: Laborer
HEIGHT: 5' 8"
BRANCH: Navy
ENLISTMENT PLACE: New York
ENLISTMENT DATE:  Dec 3, 1863
TERM OF ENLISTMENT: 1
RATING: Landsman
DETAILED MUSTER RECORDS:
        Date ,      Vessel

• Mar 31, 1864 Hartford 
• Sep 30, 1864 Hartford 
• Jan 1, 1864 Hartford 

 Date of action : Aug 5, 1864

 Citation:
 On board the flagship U.S.S. Hartford during successful attacks against Fort Morgan, rebel gunboats and the ram Tennessee in Mobile Bay on 5 August 1864. Wounded in the leg and thrown violently against the side of the ship when an enemy shell killed or wounded the 6-man crew as the shell whipped on the berth deck, Lawson, upon regaining his composure, promptly returned to his station and, although urged to go below for treatment, steadfastly continued his duties throughout the remainder of the action.

Attributions:

• Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Database
• Home of Heroes
• Wikipedia
• Civil War Trust

The Ex-Slaves Who Fought with the British

	History The Ex-Slaves Who Fought with the British History Dunmore placed these "Black Loyalists" in the newly formed Ethiopian ... 20,000 black slaves joined the British during the American Revolution. Flag as irrelevant

God Save the King! Black Loyalists of the American Revolution

Two hundred forty years ago, Lord Dunmore, the governor of Virginia issued a proclamation manumitting slaves and bondsmen whose master was in rebellion against the Crown*. Clinton and other British officials would declare this policy with the purpose of denying the rebellion a labor force, fomenting servile insurrection, and inflicting economic loss. Thousands of freedom seeking blacks would make their way to British commands to enlist, dwarfing the approximately 5000 that   fought for the colonial forces.

When in November 25, 1783, the last occupying British forces evacuated New York, it took with it 3000 black loyalist, fleeing the almost certain fate of being placed back into slavery, or like the rebel slaves who ran away and fought as free men, spend the rest of their lives evading capture.

Exerpt of : "Men of War" at the Crater by the author.

This is from my book:

At the siege of  Petersburg on July 30, 1964, General Ambrose E. Burnside developed an elaborate plan to tunnel under the Confederate defenses. The tunnel was to be filled with explosives that would damage the Confederate defenses. Black troops would then rush in to seize the town. Black troops had gained a reputation for fighting with significant determination and tenacity when charging Confederate works and trained for the attack. General Grant, however, was not comfortable with Burnside's reason for using black troops and substituted them with a more experienced but untrained white division. The switch resulted in a disaster. The black troops had been trained to go around the crater created by the explosion. The white troops, however, went into the crater instead of going around it and suffered heavy casualties. General Grant then sent the black troops into the crater to save the white troops, but the element of surprise had been lost. Black troops pushed the rebel line back but suffered heavy losses when the rebels were reinforced.

 Congress called General Grant to come to Washington and explain.

Earlier in his testimony, Grant had said: 'General Burnside wanted to put his colored division in front, and I believe, if he had done so, it would have been a success."

General Grant took the blame for the failure of the attack on his decision to switch black troops for white troops. The Joint Committee agreed with General Grant and suggested that black troops should be used at any hazard if dictated by the situation.

"Your Committee desire to say that, in the statement of facts and conclusions which they present in their report, they wish to be distinctly understood as in no degree censuring the conduct of the troops engaged in this assault. While they confidently believe that the selection of the division of colored troops by General Burnside to lead the assault was, under the circumstances, the best that could have been made, they do not intend thereby to have it inferred that the white troops of the Ninth Corps are behind any troops in the service in those qualities which have placed our volunteer troops before the world as equal, if not superior to any known to modern warfare."[1]

General Grant also testified that he switched the use of black troops for white troops in the battle to avoid excessive losses of black troops. A more plausible reason is that General Grant's white troops suffered over 40,000 casualties (The Battle of the Wilderness) on the way to Petersburg just two month earlier. Letting black troops carry the ball into the end zone because they may be better, could have been too humiliating to accept.

This battle is important because it led to Grant's approval of Butler's New Market Heights plan. Congress ordered Grant to use blacks to there ability. Grant relieved Butler for not using black troops in a deadly frontal attack of fort fisher. Black troops were often at the advance of the Union Army and enter Charleston and Richmond first.

John White

The War of 1812

We were there, on land and on sea, on both sides. An excellent PBS program on the naval side reveals the extent to which Africans participated in the British Navy.

Victory at Monmouth - We Were There

1st Rhode Island Regiment Re-enactors

(1st RI) This year is the 235th Battle of Monmouth. Anniversary commemoration, A detachment of the 1st Rhode Island  Regiment played and important role in the Continental Army's victory.  An estimated 900 black soldiers in various units fought. The 1st RI distinguished itself at what would be one of the largest and deadliest engagements of the American Revolution. The story of black soldiers in this war is complex and often difficult to document. Here is a reprint of  a correspondence that gives a sense of  the discussion around this topic. Read more..

AHTV: National Archives & Records Admin. - William Dobak, "Freedom by the Sword" - C-SPAN Video Library

AHTV: National Archives & Records Admin. - William Dobak, "Freedom by the Sword" - C-SPAN Video Library

THE HISTORICAL MARKER DATABASE

African American Medal of Honor Recipients Memorial

The Battle of New Market Heights

United States Colored Troops won the bulk of their Medals of Honor during the Petersburg campaign. The 6th Regiment Infantry USCT earned 3 at New Market Heights.

Soldiers’ Memorial at Lincoln University, Missouri

Soldiers’ Memorial at Lincoln University, Missouri 

'via Blog this'

Rescue at Pine Ridge, submitted by Leon Brooks

After the Civil War,  USCT's whose service was not up were deployed in the west, and would come to be called Buffalo Soldiers
by Native-Americans. Eric Hicks has wtitten a novel about Buffalo Soldiers and submitted the following posting on his new book, and information about other productions.

Keep telling the story!:

Read the novel, Rescue at Pine Ridge, "RaPR", a great story of black military history...the first generation of Buffalo Soldiers.

How do you keep a people down?  'Never' let them 'know' their history.

The 7th Cavalry got their butts in a sling again after the Little Big Horn Massacre, fourteen years later, the day after the Wounded Knee Massacre. If it wasn't for the 9th Cavalry Buffalo Soldiers, there would of been a second massacre of the 7th Cavalry.

Read the novel, "Rescue at Pine Ridge", 5 stars Amazon, Barnes & Noble and the you tube trailer commercial...and visit the website http://www.rescueatpineridge.com

I hope you'll enjoy the novel.  I wrote it from my mini-series movie of the same title, "RaPR" to keep my story alive.  Hollywood has had a lot of strikes and doesn't like telling our stories...its been "his-story" of history all along…until now.  The movie so far has attached, Bill Duke directing, Hill Harper, Glynn Turman and a host of other major actors in which we are in talks with…see imdb.com at; http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0925633/

When you get a chance, also please visit our Alpha Wolf Production website at; http://www.alphawolfprods.com and see our other productions, like Stagecoach Mary, the first Black Woman to deliver mail for Wells Fargo in Montana, in the 1890's, "spread the word".

Peace.

Erich & Portia Hicks

Alpha Wolf Productions, Inc.

http://www.alphawolfprods.com

Visit: http://www.rescueatpineridge.com

          http://www.stagecoachmary.net

          http://www.soulonawave.net

Public Domain Books that Refer to New Market Heights and Colored Troops

Submitted by Cpl Brooks

Public Domain Books Mentioning Colored Troops
and The Battle of Market Heights

Free books which may be helpful for background on the upcoming commemoration. If you find any particularly notable, please share any comments you have.

Ohio in the war: her statesmen, her generals, and soldiers‎ - Page 917 by Whitelaw Reid - History - 1868 ... 1804. occurred the battle of Chapin's Farm, the storming of New Market Heights, and the capture of Fort Harrison. At daylight the colored troops moved ... Full view - About this book - Add to my library - More editions

A history of the Negro troops in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865 ...‎ - Page 338 by George Washington Williams - History - 1887 - 353 pages Suffolk ' on their colors for their conduct in the battle of March 9th near ... "Second-lieutenant Alpheus K. Long, Seventh United States Colored Troops; ... Full view - About this book - Add to my library - More editions

The Drapers in America: being a history and genealogy of those of that name ...‎ - Page 210 by Thomas Waln-Morgan Draper - Reference - 1892 - 312 pages John A. Andrew, as to Major Draper's fitness to command colored troops, Col. ... where he participated in the battle of New Market Heights, Sep. 29, 1864. ... Full view - About this book - Add to my library - More editions

Journal of the executive proceedings of the Senate of the United States‎ - Page 847 by United States. Congress. Senate - Biography & Autobiography - 1887 Captain WH Barrett, of the Fortieth United States Colored Troops, for faithful and ... services at the battle of New Market Heights, and also at the ... Full view - About this book - Add to my library - More editions

The American annual cyclopedia and register of important events of the year ...‎ - Page 212 Juvenile Nonfiction - 1875 I went myself with the colored troops, to attack the enemy at New Market Heights , which was the key to the enemy's flank on the north side of James River. ... Full view - About this book - Add to my library - More editions

The American annual cyclopedia and register of important events of the year ...‎ - Page 212 Juvenile Nonfiction - 1875 I wont myself with tho colored troops, to attack the enemy at New Market Heights , ... they are up again and wave their starry light over the storm of battle ... Full view - About this book - Add to my library - More editions

Civil and Mexican wars, 1861, 1846‎ - Page 311 by Military Historical Society of Massachusetts - History - 1913 - 660 pages THE CRATER At the battle of the Crater, at Petersburg, July 30, 1864, the colored troops were ordered in after the assault was a bloody failure. ... Full view - About this book - Add to my library - More editions

Appletons' annual cyclopaedia and register of important events: Embracing ...‎ - Page 212 Juvenile Nonfiction - 1875 I went myself with the colored troops, to attack the enemy at Now Market Heights , ... they are up again and wave their starry light over the storm of battle ... Full view - About this book - Add to my library - More editions

Official roster of the soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War of the ...‎ by Ohio. Roster commission - History - 1893 1st Lieutenant 5th US Colored Troops, and А. С. М. 3d Division, late 10th AC, ... 29, 1864, in battle of New Market Heights, Va. 26 Simpson, William Smith, ... Full view - About this book - Add to my library - More editions

The Seventh Regiment New Hampshire Volunteers in the War of the Rebellion‎ - Page 306 by Henry F. W. Little - History - 1896 - 677 pages Line of battle was at once formed, and the troops advanced upon the enemy's ... This assault, made by General Paine's colored troops at New Market Heights, ... Full view - About this book - Add to my library

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Accessible Archives

Reviewing my email I came some interesting material that I had overlooked from
Sgt. Algernon Ward. He's found a resource, 'Accessible Archives' , for primary source documents from 18th and 19th century periodicals. Sample:

June 25, 1864
THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

For the Christian Recorder.

FLORIDA CORRESPONDENCE.

Head Quarters 3rd U.S.C.T.
Jacksonville, Florida,
May 29th, 1864.

MR. EDITOR: - I, now, this beautiful Sunday afternoon, sit myself down, according to promise, to write a few lines to you, hoping they may find you and all your friends enjoying good health.

I will commence my correspondence with you by giving you my Florida Expeditions. Our regiment left Hilton Head on the 6th of February, for Jacksonville, Fla., and we arrived there on the 8th. Just as soon as we landed we were ordered to camp. Here we remained until the 8th of February, when we received orders, in the night, to surprise the rebel camp, called "Camp Finagan," about ten miles from Jacksonville. We got to the rebel camp about 1 o'clock at night, but were too late to do any good; but we had the pleasure of liberating some of our flesh and blood. There were about two hundred slaves at that place that had the pleasure of saying: "We are free from the chains and fetters of slavery." On the morning of the 9th we were ordered to fall in and march to the next station, called by the natives of the State, "Ten Mile Station." There our mounted infantry had a little skirmish with Gen. Finagan's men, and we captured four pieces of artillery from the rebels; and our regiment, of Col. Halley's brigade, was ordered to stay till the gallant 8th regiment came up to us....

Corp. Leon Brooks, 6thusct and 1st Rhode Island Regiment

Philadelphia History Program

Event: Presenter: JULIE WINCH, Lecture and

Booksigning: THE LIFE OF JAMES FORTEN

Julie Winch is professor of history at the University of Massachusetts-Boston, but hardly a stronger to Philadelphia. She has published three books on the history of Philadelphia’s African American community including: Philadelphia’s Black Elite: Activism, Accommodation, and the Struggle for Autonomy 1787-1848, The Elite of Our People, and A Gentleman of Color: The life of James Forten. James Forten was a free man in Revolutionary Era Philadelphia. He earned great wealth as a sailmaker and philanthropist and worked closely with Absolom Jones and Rev. Richard Allen in the anti-slavery movement. Winch notes that when James Forten died in 1842, five thousand mourners, black and white, turned out to honor a man who had earned the respect of society across the racial divide. This is the first serious biography of Forten, who stands beside Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington and Martin Luther King, Jr. in the pantheon of African Americans who fundamentally shaped American history.

Date: March 26, 2008

Time: 5:00 – 6:30PM

Admission: $7.00

Disribution:circulated by Joe Becton, 3rd Regt USCT/1st Rhode Island Regt.