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.