[Footnote 1:  Historical Notes on the Employment of Negroes in the American Army of the Revolution, by G.H.  Moore, New York, 1862, p. 15.]

Three or four facts are outstanding.  The formal policy of Congress and of Washington and his officers was against the enlistment of Negroes and especially of slaves; nevertheless, while things were still uncertain, some Negroes entered the regular units.  The inducements offered by the English, moreover, forced a modification of the American policy in actual operation; and before the war was over the colonists were so hard pressed that in more ways than one they were willing to receive the assistance of Negroes.  Throughout the North Negroes served in the regular units; but while in the South especially there was much thought given to the training of slaves, in only one of all the colonies was there a distinctively Negro military organization, and that one was Rhode Island.  In general it was understood that if a slave served in the war he was to be given his freedom, and it is worthy of note that many slaves served in the field instead of their masters.

In Massachusetts on May 29, 1775, the Committee of Safety passed an act against the enlistment of slaves as “inconsistent with the principles that are to be supported.”  Another resolution of June 6 dealing with the same matter was laid on the table.  Washington took command of the forces in and about Boston July 3, 1775, and on July 10 issued instructions to the recruiting officers in Massachusetts against the enlisting of Negroes.  Toward the end of September there was a spirited debate in Congress over a letter to go to Washington, the Southern delegates, led by Rutledge of South Carolina, endeavoring to force instructions to the commander-in-chief to discharge all slaves and free Negroes in the army.  A motion to this effect failed to win a majority; nevertheless, a council of Washington and his generals on October 8 “agreed unanimously to reject all slaves, and, by a great majority, to reject Negroes altogether,” and in his general orders of November 12 Washington acted on this understanding.  Meanwhile, however, Lord Dunmore issued his proclamation declaring free those indentured servants and Negroes who would join the English army, and in great numbers the slaves in Virginia flocked to the British standard.  Then on December 14—­somewhat to the amusement of both the Negroes and the English—­the Virginia Convention issued a proclamation offering pardon to those slaves who returned to their duty within ten days.  On December 30 Washington gave instructions for the enlistment of free Negroes, promising later to lay the matter before Congress; and a congressional committee on January 16, 1776, reported that those free Negroes who had already served faithfully in the army at Cambridge might reenlist but no others, the debate in this connection having drawn very sharply the line between the North and the South.  Henceforth for all practical purposes the matter was left in the