Saturday, May 30, 2009

Black America in the Revolution

I have found a new contact extensively researching Warren, Vance, Franklin, Halifax etc.  She has a ton of resources which tie the stories together.

Most importantly she is researching African Americans including those of colonials times. She sent me several links which I will leave here for others to find and I want to bring out the this one in particular.  Taxes were a problem.  See a petition from 1771 by community members black and white.

http://www.ncgenweb.us/halifax/halifaxrevolution.html

The last link details the Halifax resolves, the first declaration of independence presented to the Congress.

I have one African-American story to relate.  Draper records in his book about Kings Mountain that a free black patriot, E. Bowman,  of Cleveland's men was declared by his captain, Lewis,  to have shot Ferguson. Since the record sent to Congress says that Ferguson was "stopped by Cleveland's brave men", the possibility exists that of the eight bullets that hit him, he was felled by Bowman instead of the fellow with the Sweetlips gun. I understand Sweetlips owner was in his sixties. I can imagine a younger man stepping back and not contesting the honor, but at least his captain expressed it enough to be known. 

I need to check my facts. The names and ages of these men are in Draper's book and I just don't have it at hand this morning.

I had the pleasure to presenting a brochure I made for our 225th anniversary campaign to Kings Mountain celebration in Elkin to the Tuskegee Airmen who attended.  Tuskegee Airmen were African American pilots in World War II. Today there are chapters of veterans including still some original pilots.

We honored men from the Revolution to our National Guard in Iraq in 2005. There was a parade, VFW, reenactors from the Civil War, The Tuskegee Airment, General Metz, and local soldiers' families. It was great.

But the greatest was sharing that information that a black soldier saved America. Who knows who exactly, but they were all there. 

The Revolution is amazing because of the diversity of men and cultures who reacted to throw off central oppression, at least the first step.

__________

I am off to Virginia for my next surgery patient. If I can get on-line, I will write. I will be in Charlottesville, home of Thomas Jefferson for a couple of days. I don't know if I will get to see it, but maybe Carolina Rev. War connections will pop-up.

You guys please continue to write the Park Service with your comments. I don't think you actually have to be a resident of NC to record what you know about NC, so everyone write and tell your friends to write too.

No comments: