[Irontank]

The British, knowing the importance of this battle, sent warships up-river to pulverize the First Rhode Island’s positions with hours of cannon-fire. Then, they deployed a weapon more fearsome: the Anspach Regiment of their allied Hessian (German mercenary) troops, no less than 3,000 professional foot-soldiers. Thus began a full day of assaults against the First Rhode Island’s hilltop under Colonel Green. The Hessian ranks charged the crest and were driven back: they charged it again that hot August afternoon, but the volunteers held somehow; and at last as darkness fell, a third determined wave broke its strength across the hill. The ferocity of this hand-to-hand fight gave the place its later name of Bloody Run Brook. Green himself remarked his volunteers’ “desperate valor” against overwhelming odds. Their line held, and the main American forces escaped to fight another day.

[GeorgefromGeorgia]

American Heroes.

[SueRae]

I knew that there was a huge contingent of Black volunteers from Rhode Island but I was not aware that they had been betrayed and denied their freedom after the war. An utterly tragic chapter in our History. God Bless each and every one of those early Patriots.

[advance_copy]

American soldiers were tricked by the eeeevil slave-masters into helping create a country that uses 99% of the world's resources, creates 99% of the world's pollution, harbors 99% of the world's corporate greed, starts 99% of the wars, ... /sarc

[Molly Pitcher]

For the RevWar/Colonial ping list

[sneakers]

It's a shame that better records were not kept about these men. Their bravery and service has earned them a special place in the founding of this country. It's too bad that they were not able to reap the benefits of that freedom for decades.

I hope their decendents are many and aware of the service their ancestors rendered their country.

[Tallguy]

Bump.

[HockeyPop]

Thanks for the post. One hopes that this and other moments of patriotism and sacrifice in the black American experience is taught to all children.

I recall that Washington's personal aide was a great horseman and was with and close to Washington during the war.

[HockeyPop]

His aide was African

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

It's also important to note that blacks also fought for the British, most notably in Lord Dunmore's so-called "Ethiopian Regiment." See here for more details:

http://collections.ic.gc.ca/blackloyalists/people/influential/dunmore.htm

and

http://collections.ic.gc.ca/blackloyalists/story/revolution/ethiopia.htm

[NonValueAdded]

History bump

[SunkenCiv]

Works on The Civil War (80 years after these events) have paid tardy tribute to the 54th Massachusetts, another Afro-American regiment, via St. Gaudens’ sculpture on Boston Common, Robert Lowell’s poem “For the Union Dead,” and the recent film Glory. In those works we experience the empowerment (rather than the “threat”) of multicultural, fact-based historical memory---but the Revolution’s First Rhode Island Regiment still waits its place in the sun.

Cool topic. The commemorative sculpture (if memory serves) is right in front of the New State House, which is next to or right near the Commons. Only the names of the white officers were carved on it until the 1970s, when the names of the soldiers were added to it.

[silverleaf]

interesting story! thanks!