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James Robinson (soldier, born 1753)

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Rev. James Robinson (March 21, 1753 – March 27, 1868) was an American preacher and soldier. Born on the Eastern Shore of Maryland into bondage on March 21, 1753,[1] his enslaver was Francis De Shields. Robinson served under the General Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette and would become a significant African American soldier in the American Revolutionary War.[2]

Rev. James Robinson
Birth nameJames Robinson
Nickname(s)Old Father Robinson
Born(1753-03-21)March 21, 1753
Eastern Shore of Maryland
DiedMarch 27, 1868(1868-03-27) (aged 115)
Detroit, Michigan
Buried
Elmwood Cemetery, Detroit
42°20′50″N 83°01′02″W / 42.3472486°N 83.0171011°W / 42.3472486; -83.0171011
Allegiance United States
Service / branch Continental Army (Revolution)
 United States Army (War of 1812)
RankPrivate
Battles / warsAmerican Revolutionary War
 • Battle of Brandywine
 • Siege of Yorktown
War of 1812
 • Battle of New Orleans
AwardsGold Medal of Valor
( Kingdom of France)
Spouse(s)Curtilda
ChildrenAlexander, Wesley Sr.

Revolutionary War service

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Robinson's enslaver, Francis De Shields, had him enlist at age 24 and fight in a Virginia Light Infantry Regiment with the promise that he could earn his freedom.[3][4][5] His regiment was one of several African American regiments under the command of the General Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette.[6][7] He fought in the Battle of Brandywine which was a British victory. Also White Haven, Roanoke River, Ragged Point, on Dorset County River, Vienna Ferry, and Cambridge.[8] On October 14, 1781, he led the charge of 400 American troops up British redoubt #10 at the Siege of Yorktown and he attacked and defeated three British soldiers at once and the redoubt was captured.[9][10] General Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, was so impressed with his actions that he awarded Robinson a Gold Medal of Valor.[11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] This would make him the highest decorated African American veteran of the Revolutionary War. He was one of between 5,000 and 10,000 African Americans who served on the American side in the Revolutionary War.

War of 1812 service

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After the Revolutionary War, De Shields reneged on his promise to free Robinson and sold him in New Orleans back into slavery in Louisiana.[21][22] His new master Calvin Smith was cruel and unforgiving, according to Robinson.[23][24] His cousin was whipped, salted, and put in the stocks, dying from the trauma within a week of being brought to Smith's Second Creek plantation in the Natchez District. Soon thereafter, Andrew Jackson traveled to Smith's to enlist 500 enslaved men to prepare for the Battle of New Orleans. Roberts was one of these 500 men.[25]

During an engagement, one of Robinson's fingers was shot off in battle. Also, at some point, he was struck by a saber in the head, leaving a scar he would carry his whole life. After the American victory, soldiers gathered around General Andrew Jackson, and he announced that the enslaved men who had fought would not be freed after all. According to Robinson in a slave narrative he dictated shortly before the American Civil War, Jackson lectured his fellow white officers on the perpetuation of slavery in America:[25]

"Never," said he, "suffer negroes to have arms; if you do, they will take the country. Suffer them to have no kind of weapons over ten inches long. Never allow them to have a piece of paper with any writing on it whatever. You must examine your slaves very closely, for the time is coming when the slave will get light; and if ever his mind is enlightened on the subject of freedom, you cannot keep him. One slave bought from the East will ruin a multitude of those raised here. Before a slave of mine should go free, I would put him in a barn and burn him alive. Gentlemen, take me at my word; for if you do not, you will be sorry for it before many years. Never arm another set of colored people. We have fooled them now, but never trust them again; they will not be fooled again with this example before them. If you do, you will repent of it but once."

Robinson thought about taking his gun and shooting General Andrew Jackson right then and there but decided against it.[25]

Later life

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In concluding this brief history of my life, I think I cannot do it better than by giving some advice to my race of people, since it is right that the young should profit by the experience of their aged fathers.

Never be led into such hurtful errors as your fathers have been before you. Now then take counsel from me, one who has fought in the revolutionary war, and thereby caused the chains of slavery to be bound tighter around the necks of my people than they were before; and not being satisfied at that, by fighting in Jackson's war at New Orleans, riveted the chains closer, ten times, than they would have been had we colored men never fought in that battle; for it was by the indomitable bravery of the colored men that the battle was fought and victory gained. Had there been less bravery with us, the British would have gained the victory, and in that event they would have set the slaves free; so that I now can see how we, in that war, contributed to fasten our chains tighter. Therefore, my earnest and departing request is, that should this country ever again engage in war with any nation, have nothing whatever to do with the war, although the fairest promises should be made to you. Do not forget the promise Jackson made us in the New Orleans war—"If the battle is fought and victory gained on Israel's side, you shall all be free," when at the same time he had made a bargain with our masters to return home again all that were not killed. Never will a better promise be made to our race on a similar occasion. But for our faithfulness and manly courage, we should all be free men and women this day. Avoid being duped by the white man—he wants nothing to do with our race further than to subserve his own interest, in any thing under the sun.

It is not for me to foretell the end of oppression in this country, but one thing is certain, virtue, sobriety, industry, temperance, economy, education and religion, will fit you for any emergency whatever, and are the best qualifications for free men. That their attainment may be your constant pursuit and most earnest endeavor, is the prayer of one now ready to depart.

—— The Narrative of James Roberts, 1858

In 1825, Robinson once again met Lafayette during his return tour of the United States.[citation needed] Robinson obtained his freedom in the 1830s,[26] and became an ordained minister.[27] According to the 1840 and 1850 U.S. Censuses, he was living in Butler County, Ohio with his wife Curtilda. They had two sons, Alexander and Wesley Sr. Wesley would go on to serve in the American Civil War in the 102nd United States Colored Infantry Regiment. According to the 1860 U.S. Census, Robinson and his family had moved to and were living in Detroit.[28] Robinson wrote The Narrative of James Roberts, a slave narrative about his life using the assumed name of James Roberts.[25] At the time of Robinson's death, he lived at 137 East Fort Street in Detroit. Robinson's family lived at 136 W. Lafayette Blvd in Detroit, which is now a private park called Lafayette Greens.[29] In the 1860s, Roberts lived in Detroit.[30][31]

Robinson died in Detroit on March 27, 1868, at the age of 115.[31] During his funeral, large crowds gathered to watch.[32] He was the last living African American veteran of the Revolutionary War at the time and the oldest person buried in Elmwood Cemetery.[33][34] His last known living descendant was Gertrude Robinson, his granddaughter, who died in Ohio in 1983.[35]

Military honors at last

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Rev. James Robinson's grave after the marking and dedication ceremony.

On June 22, 2019, a joint grave marking ceremony was held at Elmwood Cemetery by the Michigan societies of the Sons of the American Revolution and General Society of the War of 1812.[36][37] Military honors with assistance from the American Legion were conducted 151 years after his death.[38][39][40] Many dignitaries spoke including U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib and Maj. Gen. Leonard Isabelle of the Michigan Air National Guard and Sen. Gary Peters provided a letter that was read.[41] Tlaib had read Robinson's achievements into the U.S. Congressional Record and presented a certificate which was sent to the National Mall Liberty Fund D.C.[42][43] The National Mall Liberty Fund D.C. is working to build the National Liberty Memorial, which will memorialize the African American contribution to Independence.[44]

References

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  1. ^ Green, Robert Ewell (1974). Black defenders of America, 1775-1973. Johnson Publishing Company. p. 18. ISBN 9780874850536.
  2. ^ Historical Afro-American biographies. Publishers Agency, Incorporated : under the auspices of The Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History. 1976. p. 29.
  3. ^ Grundset, Eric G. (2008). Forgotten patriots : African American and American Indian patriots in the Revolutionary War : a guide to service, sources and studies. National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. pp. 463, 525. ISBN 978-1892237101.
  4. ^ Garrison, Webb B. (1974). Sidelights on the American Revolution. Abingdon Press. p. 162. ISBN 9780687384396.
  5. ^ Quarles, Benjamin (1996). The Negro in the American Revolution. Published for the Institute of Early American History and Culture, Williamsburg, Va., by University of North Carolina Press. p. 68. ISBN 0807846031.
  6. ^ Pitts, Jonathan M. (21 June 2019). "Twice denied the freedom he'd fought for, black Revolutionary War hero from Maryland to be honored at last". baltimoresun.com.
  7. ^ Boyd, Herb (2017). Black Detroit : a people's history of self-determination (First ed.). HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 9780062346643.
  8. ^ "Reverend James Robinson | Biographies". elmwoodhistoriccemetery.org. Historic Elmwood Cemetery & Foundation. Archived from the original on 2020-09-19. Retrieved 2020-05-12.
  9. ^ Curry, Gerald D. (2013). Striving For Perfection : Developing Professional Black Officers. Iuniverse. p. 5. ISBN 9781475984804.
  10. ^ Boys' Life Magazine (July 1975 ed.). Boy Scouts of America, Inc. p. 24.
  11. ^ Wesley, Charles (1976). International Library of Afro-American Life and History. Pennsylvania State University. p. 30.
  12. ^ Crisis, Volume 99. Crisis Publishing Company. 1992. p. 30.
  13. ^ Jenkins, Everett (1996). Pan-African Chronology. McFarland & Company. p. 130.
  14. ^ Information Please Almanac. Simon and Schuster. 1993. p. 633.
  15. ^ Black Americans in Defense of Our Nation. Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Civilian Personnel Policy/Equal Opportunity, Department of Defense. 1991. p. 28.
  16. ^ Afro-Americans '76 : Black Americans in the founding of our nation. Afro-Am Pub. Co. 1975. p. 56. ISBN 9780910030205.
  17. ^ Wesley, Charles (1968). In Freedom's Footsteps, from the African Background to the Civil War. Publishers Company. p. 98.
  18. ^ The Negro almanac : a reference work on the African American (5th ed.). Gale Research Inc. 1989. p. 827. ISBN 9780810377066.
  19. ^ Zaniewski, Ann. "151 years after death, enslaved Revolutionary War vet honored in Detroit". Detroit Free Press.
  20. ^ McPherson, Mark (2001). Looking for Lisette. Mage Press in conjunction with Thomson-Shore, Incorporated. p. 162.
  21. ^ Clayton, Sheryl H. (1987). Black Members of Congress & Their Speeches & Tributes. Essai Seay Publications. p. 262.
  22. ^ African Concord (Issues 106-121 ed.). Concord Press of Nigeria. 1986. p. 26.
  23. ^ "The Venerable Man". H. Bucher Swoope. Raftsman's Journal. January 22, 1868. p. 1.
  24. ^ Cox, Clinton (1999). Come all you brave soldiers : Blacks in the Revolutionary War (First ed.). Scholastic Press. p. 170. ISBN 0590475762.
  25. ^ a b c d "James Roberts, 1753-. The Narrative of James Roberts, a Soldier Under Gen. Washington in the Revolutionary War, and Under Gen. Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans, in the War of 1812: "a Battle Which Cost Me a Limb, Some Blood, and Almost My Life"". docsouth.unc.edu.
  26. ^ "Oldest Man in America". Lewisburg Chronicle. 14 Feb 1868. p. 1.
  27. ^ Moore, Tom (July 4, 2019). "African American Soldiers Fought For Freedom In The Revolution". www.wypr.org.
  28. ^ DeRamus, Betty (2009). Freedom by any means : true stories of cunning and courage on the Underground Railroad (First Atria Paperbackition ed.). Simon and Schuster. p. 263. ISBN 9781439156483.
  29. ^ U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 2011.
  30. ^ "Oldest Man in America". Lewisburg Chronicle. 1868-02-14. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-08-12.
  31. ^ a b Gasperetti, Elio (1954). "An Italo-American Newspaper's Obituary of a Negro Revolutionary War Veteran". Negro History Bulletin. 18 (3): 58–58. ISSN 0028-2529.
  32. ^ "An Italo-American Newspaper's Obituary of a Negro Revolutionary War Veteran". The Negro History Bulletin. 18 (3): 58. Dec 1954.
  33. ^ Franck, Michael (1996). Elmwood endures : history of a Detroit cemetery. Wayne State University Press. p. 50. ISBN 9780814325919.
  34. ^ Wright, Roberta (1996). Lay down body : living history in African American cemeteries. Visible Ink Press. p. 173. ISBN 9780787606510.
  35. ^ Pitts, Jonathan M. "Twice denied the freedom he'd fought for, a black Revolutionary War hero from Maryland is honored at last". Washington Post.
  36. ^ Apple.com Podcasts (June 25, 2019). "A black Revolutionary War hero is belatedly honored". Apple Podcasts (Podcast). The Washington Post. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  37. ^ "James Robinson (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov.
  38. ^ "Complete Coverage of the 129th Annual Congress" (PDF). The SAR Magazine. 114 (1): 31. 2019.
  39. ^ Lewin, Katherine (June 26, 2019). "Black War Hero James Robinson Finally Honored with Military Funeral". DiversityInc.
  40. ^ "Michigan Society News". www.missar.org.
  41. ^ "Dedication Service Honoring Reverend Private James Robinson" (PDF). The War Cry. The General Society of the War of 1812: 7. May 2020.
  42. ^ "Congressional Record". www.congress.gov.
  43. ^ "African-American Revolutionary War hero's legacy of diversity honored at Detroit gravestone dedication". DVIDS.
  44. ^ "About Us – National Liberty Memorial". The National Liberty Fund D.C.

Further reading

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