S. 567 — what changed
First Rhode Island Regiment Congressional Gold Medal Act
From Introduced in Senate to Engrossed in Senate. 1 section amended between Introduced in Senate and Engrossed in Senate.
Sec. 2 Findings
Congress finds the following:
During the winter at Valley Forge, from 1777–1778, the Continental Army had difficulty recruiting the necessary quotas of men set by the Congress.
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At the same time, the State of Rhode Island was ordered to supply two battalions while faced with the occupation of a British force occupied the City of Newport by the British.Newport.
In January 1778, at the urging of Brigadier General James Varnum, General George Washington wrote to Governor Nicholas Cooke of the State of Rhode Island requesting assistance recruiting men for the Continental Line.
On February 14, 1778, the Rhode Island General Assembly voted to allow the enlistment of “every able-bodied negro, mulatto, or Indian man slave”.
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In addition, the Rhode Island General Assembly provided that any enlisted slave “upon his passing muster before Colonel Christopher Greene, be immediately discharged from the service of his master or mistress, and be absolutely free as though he had never been incumbered and be incumbered encumbered with any kind of servitude or slavery”.
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As a result, between February 1778 and June 1778, Colonel Christopher Greene, Lt. Lieutenant Colonel Jeremiah Olney Olney, and Major Samuel Ward recruited almost 200 men of African heritage and Indigenous descent who formed the core of the First Rhode Island Regiment.
The First Rhode Island Regiment became among the first units in American History in which men of every race and ethnicity were recruited to serve.
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On August 28, 29, 1778, at the Battle of Rhode Island, following an attempted siege of British-occupied Newport along with the newly allied French fleet, the First Rhode Island Regiment acted heroically in holding back Hessian forces and causing them to retreat.
During the Battle of Rhode Island, the First Rhode Island Regiment’s losses included three killed, nine wounded and eleven missing soldiers.
Soldiers of color from the First Rhode Island Regiment continued to fight bravely to win American independence for 5 more years in an integrated Rhode Island Regiment that included men of African, European, and Indigenous descent.
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On December 25, 1783, By early 1784, the last Rhode Island soldiers were discharged at Saratoga, New York.
Their commander, Colonel Jeremiah Olney, praised the Regiment for “faithfully preserving in the best of causes, in every stage of service, with unexampled fortitude and patience through all the danger and toils of a long and severe war”.
Afterwards, some veterans of the First Rhode Island Regiment had to consistently resist efforts at re-enslavement and fought for back wages from the Rhode Island General Assembly.
According to the Rhode Island State Archives, the First Rhode Island Regiment included at least the following soldiers: Babcock, Priamus (Primus); Bent, Prince; Bours, Cato; Brown, Priamus (Primus); Burk, Africa; Burroughs, John; Carpenter, Cudgo; Champlin, Dick; Champlin, Jack; Champlin, July; Champlin, Newport; Champlin, Sharper; Champlin, York; Clark, James; Coddington, Jack; Fones, Jack; Gardner, Cuff; Gardner, Hercules; Gardner, Minkl; Gardner, Preamus (Primus); Gardner, Rutter; Gray, Ebenezer; Green, Cuff; Greene, Cato; Greene, Jack; Greene, Pero; Greene, William; Hammond, Prince; Harriss, Cesar; Hazard, Backus; Hazard, Jabin; Hazard, Jacob; Hazard, Peter; Hazard, Peter; Lefavour, Thom; Mason, Warsen; Mawney, Cyrus; Minturn, Jack; Mowrey, Pero; Nichols, Thomas; Perry, Ganset; Phillips, Philow; Pierce, Titus; Potter, David; Randall, Prince; Rhodes, Bristol; Rhodes, Priamus; Rhodes, Richard; Rhodes, Samuel; Richmond, Ebenezer; Robinson, Mingo; Rodman, Isaac; Rodman, Mingo; Rodman, Prince; Rose, Cesar; Saltonstall, Brittain; Saunders, Sampson; Sheldon, Cesar; Slave; Slave; Smith, Juba; Sweeling, Query; Talbot, Sigby; Tanner, Quam; Tillinghast, Cuff; Updike, Cesar; Updike, Moses; Vaughan, Prince; Vernon, Cato; Watson, Fortune; Wells, Cesar; Wickes, Nat; and Willbour, Boston.