BLACKS IN THE REVOLUTION.
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In looking over the Revolutionary history of Ocean and Monmouth (as well as of some other parts of the State) our notice is frequently attracted to the number of blacks who aided the British and Refugees throughout the war. In some of the reminiscences herewith published, the fact of the Blacks being with the enemy has been noticed, as for instance at Forked River; the Refugee leader, Davenport, had forty with him; at Toms River, the Blacks aided the British; and the history of Monmouth furnishes numerous instances proving that the Blacks were active and valuable aids to the enemy as in the case of the noted Col. Tye and his company, who were with the British in the attack on Capt. Huddy's house at Colt's Neck. It is no difficult matter to tell why the Blacks aided the enemy - they received their liberty by so doing. The question naturally arises in the mind, "Would not our ancestors have gained by freeing the Blacks and thus securing their aid against the British?" They undoubtedly thought they could not afford the expense. It will be remembered that although Rhode Island and Massachusetts freed many slaves to join the American army, yet their value was paid to the owners - Rhode Island giving $750, and Massachusetts $1,000 each, for them, making it quite a costly undertaking. New Jersey, and particularly Old Monmouth was noted for liberality in furnishing men and money and it was thought, doubtlessly, that to buy the blacks of their owners to fight on our side would prove more costly than they could afford. Suppose there were two thousand able bodied male slaves in the State; these at the price paid by Rhode Island - the lowest price then paid - would amount to a million and a half dollars - a very serious tax to a people already taxed seemingly to the utmost. The question then was not about freeing the slaves of the enemy; that was a point about which there seemed but little dispute; the British used runaway slaves and no protest against their right to do so (although protest was made against Lord Dunmore afterward selling them). But when we read how valuable these blacks proved to the enemy, informing them who had money, plate, horses, cattle and valuables of any description; where they lived; acting as pilots or guides through by-roads and paths - helping destroy all they could not carry away and fighting with desperate, undisputed bravery. These considerations alone, to say nothing of the many valuable lives lost, would seem to show that our ancestors, in the mere selfish view of dollars and cents, were clearly the losers by their policy - certainly so in Old Monmouth.