African Americans in the American Revolution
Substantial Participation
Black participation was a significant, structural element of the war effort rather than a marginal footnote. Individuals of African descent served as soldiers, sailors, laborers, spies, guides, and battlefield support personnel. While some joined the Continental Army and local colonial militias, a vast number chose the British side. This shift accelerated rapidly following Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation in 1775, which explicitly promised emancipation to enslaved people who fled rebel masters to serve the Crown.
Strategic Motivations
For enslaved populations, the Revolutionary War was less a political contest over colonial taxation and more a direct avenue toward personal emancipation.
- The British Appeal: Imperial forces offered a direct path to liberty for those escaping rebel masters, making British military lines highly attractive.
- The Patriot Appeal: Some Black individuals supported the Patriots hoping that military service would lead to legal emancipation, or out of a genuine belief that the revolutionary rhetoric of liberty would eventually expand to include them.
British Service and Evacuation
Many enslaved individuals sought refuge with imperial forces because the British military presented a clearer, more immediate commitment to freedom than the newborn American republic. Fugitives joined dedicated Loyalist units like the Ethiopian Regiment, while others provided essential labor behind the lines.
Following the British defeat, thousands of Black Loyalists were evacuated by the Royal Navy to Nova Scotia and eventually to Sierra Leone. However, these new settlements frequently brought severe hardship, systemic discrimination, and unfulfilled imperial promises.
Post-War Realities
The American Revolution did not bring widespread emancipation to people of African descent, and chattel slavery expanded rapidly within the new United States. Nevertheless, the conflict remained a vital turning point. Black participation directly challenged the moral legitimacy of slavery, provided foundational arguments for early abolitionists, and granted African Americans a legitimate, hard-earned claim to the nation’s founding principles. The war was both a geopolitical battle for independence and the opening chapter in a long struggle over the definition of American freedom.
The Revolutionary War in South Carolina
Blacks in South Carolina were deeply embedded in the state’s wartime infrastructure. They served as soldiers, sailors, pilots, drummers, spies, messengers, laborers, cooks, teamsters, and shipyard workers. Much of this service occurred under heavy coercion, as both armies routinely impressed enslaved populations into military labor.
Patriot Service in South Carolina
On the Patriot side, African Americans contributed to both combat and noncombat operations. While many were limited to manual labor, cooking, and driving teams, others served as military drummers, skilled coastal pilots, and naval boatmen.
Intelligence gathering was another vital contribution; a notable example is Antigua, an enslaved man whose intelligence work was deemed so valuable that the South Carolina legislature officially rewarded him with freedom. At strategic flashpoints like the Siege of Ninety Six, Black individuals were vital to both the attacking Continental forces and the defending Loyalist garrisons.
Loyalist and British Service in South Carolina
Fleeing lowcountry and upcountry plantations, thousands of enslaved in South Carolina fled to the British army to secure their freedom. Within British and Loyalist lines, they were organized into units like the Black Pioneers and the Carolina Corps. These units performed vital military engineering duties, including building fortifications, clearing active combat camps, and removing tactical obstacles. When the British evacuated Charleston at the end of the war, many of these troops were permanently transferred out of the state.
Historical Impact in South Carolina
The contributions of Black South Carolinians spanned the entire conflict, driving naval logistics, military intelligence, and engineering systems. The war acted as a major demographic catalyst; thousands of enslaved people permanently departed the state alongside evacuating British forces or successfully escaped amid the chaos of the Southern Campaign. Ultimately, Black individuals were active, vital participants in South Carolina’s war effort, even though their labor was often forced and rarely resulted in long-term equality.
Jonathon “John” Biddy
Jonathon “John” Biddy (also recorded as “Biddie”) was born on July 17, 1762, in Lunenburg County, Virginia, to Edward and Mary Biddy (née Posey). While historical documentation confirms his African descent, no surviving records clarify whether he was born free or enslaved.
In 1779, as a teenager, Biddy volunteered for Patriot military service, joining the 1st South Carolina Spartan Regiment and serving until the Fall of Savannah later that year. In October 1780, shortly after the Patriot victory at the Battle of Kings Mountain, he enlisted in Colonel Thomas Brandon’s 2nd South Carolina Spartan Regiment. With this unit, he fought at the pivotal Battle of Cowpens in modern-day Cherokee County, South Carolina. Biddy continued his military service through a series of surveying assignments, scouting missions, and partisan skirmishes until the war drew to a close in the fall of 1782.
In 1810, Biddy married Sarah Seeley Jones in Union County, South Carolina. The couple had three children: Martha, Mary, and James. Biddy successfully applied for and received a federal military pension for his Revolutionary War service. He was later documented as a “free colored person” in the 1830 United States Census for Union County.
On December 6, 1837, Biddy applied to transfer his pension to Alabama. Explaining his relocation from South Carolina, he noted in his application that he: “…was dissatisfied with that country and first removed to the State of Mississippi, Pontotoc County from thence to the State of Alabama Marion County, and from thence to Marshall County in this same State being unable to settle himself in the other named places to his satisfaction.”
Biddy filed his last will and testament in Marshall County, Alabama, on August 13, 1839, and passed away there on October 14, 1841, at the age of 79. His wife, Sarah, died approximately ten years later in the same county. Their exact burial sites remain unknown.
Spencer Bolton
Spencer Bolton was born c. 1735, reportedly near present day Yauhanna Landing, Georgetown County, South Carolina along the Pee Dee River. Little is known about Spencer’s early life before the Revolutionary War.
In 1776, while living in current day Union County, SC, Spencer enlisted in patriot Captain George King’s Cheraw Regiment. On June 28, 1776, Spencer fought in the Battle of Sullivan’s Island, near Charleston, SC, during the first British attempt to capture the city, which proved to be unsuccessful. “We never had such a drubbing in our lives,” a Royal Navy sailor wrote. British battle casualties exceeded 200; damage to British morale was also devastating. “This will not be believed when it is first reported in England,” a British naval surgeon predicted.
In 1780, Spencer served in the SC Cheraw Regiment under Captain Luke Whitefield and participated in the defense of Charleston. In May of that year, Charleston fell to British forces and several thousand Patriot soldiers were captured, including Spencer Bolton. Bolton managed to escape shortly after capture and joined General Marion’s forces near Bowling Green, in present day Marion County, SC. Spencer served under Marion’s command for the remainder of the War.
In 1790, SC Census records suggest Spencer Bolton was living in present day Georgetown, Georgetown County, SC in a household of 8 “free” persons.
On October 17, 1832, Spencer, living in current day Laurens County, SC appeared in court to apply for a pension for his service in the Revolution. In 1845, while living in current day Henderson County, North Carolina he renewed his pension application.
On November 22, 1845, “The Greensboro Patriot” newspaper (Greensboro, Guilford County, NC) published an article celebrating Spencer Bolton’s habits promoting his “health, body and mind” at nearly 110 years of age.
It is believed Spencer died December 27, 1847 in present day Buncombe County, NC near the city of Asheville. His burial location is unknown.
John Busby
John Busby was an African American man born c. 1749 in present day Barnwell County, South Carolina on the northern side of the Savannah River which borders the current States of SC and Georgia.
Military pension records depict John joining the Colleton County (SC) Military Regiment in the early part of 1779 initially under the command of Captain Daniel Green. In September – October 1779, he participated in the Siege of Savannah, GA and been as ready as anyone to take “a part in any important engagement,” but was required always to protect the baggage and provisions of the Regiment.
On October 9, 1779 a major assault against the British siege works in Savannah failed. During the attack, Polish nobleman Count Casimir Pulaski, leading the cavalry forces on the American side, was mortally wounded. With the failure of the attack, the siege was abandoned, and the British remained in control of Savannah until near the end of the war.
After the Siege of Savannah, John Busby continued to serve for the remainder of the War, primarily in campaigns against the Tories in SC and GA, including engagements at Stono Ferry, Salkehatchie, Monck’s Corner, Morris Ford Earthwork, Horse Shoe and at the Siege of Augusta which resulted in a patriot victory against the British in June 1781. Revolutionary War service records confirm John was discharged shortly after the Augusta siege on July 1, 1781.
South Carolina United States census records of 1800 and 1820 record John and one other female person, presumably his wife (name unknown), listed as “free colored persons” living at a residence in present day Barnwell County, SC, southwest of Columbia, SC.
On October 23, 1829, at the approximate age of 80 years, John Busby appeared before the pension board in present day Barnwell County, SC to apply for a military service pension. He listed an estate worth $147, including “4 cows, 2 calves, 40 acres of pine land, 7 hogs and household furniture.” Busby reported he “never shrunk from the performance of any duty, yet he never received a wound. That for his services which he flatters himself were important to his country.” Busby also reported, he is “poor, old and infirm and no longer able to work for his support.” On June 5, 1830, the SC House of Representatives and Senate approved his pension application and John was awarded $60.
John’s death date and burial place are unknown.
Jim Capers
Jim Capers was born September 23, 1742 on a plantation owned by Richard Capers, located opposite Bull’s Island in present day Charleston County, South Carolina. Richard Capers owned eight enslaved people, including Jim.
Jim Capers was 33 years old when the American Revolution began, and he enlisted in the 4th South Carolina Regiment as a Drum Major in June 1775; there is question on whether he was free at the time of his enlistment.
As a Drum Major, Capers’ drum was used for communication at a time when officers gave orders verbally. Music could be heard over the din of battle and was essential for passing on orders and regulated the daily life of soldiers in camp, from daybreak to sunset.
Capers saw action in several Revolutionary War battles in the SC low country area such as Savannah, Port Royal, Camden, Eutaw Springs and Biggin Church. Capers witnessed the fall of Charleston and the dark days that followed as the British overran much of SC.
Following the summer of 1780, Jim Capers served with guerilla raiders under General Francis Marion (“The Swamp Fox”) in the swamps of the SC Low Country. Capers received four wounds at the 1781 battle of Eutaw Springs (near present day Eutawville, Orangeburg County, SC), including two saber cuts to his head, one to his face and a shot that passed through his side, killing the drummer behind him. Nonetheless, Capers continued his service until the Revolutionary War’s end. He was discharged from the army in 1782.
After the war, Jim returned to Sumter County, SC. In 1826, Capers married a woman named Milley, who was still enslaved at the time of their marriage. By 1840, the couple moved to Pike County, Alabama, and had six children: Harriet, Eliza, Jim, Jenny, Harriet, and Charles.
In 1849, Capers filed for a pension for his service in the American Revolution. Capers’ pension records indicate he lived on a plantation owned by Norman McLeod in Pike County, Alabama. Although Jim had no discharge papers or other proof of service, Norman McCleod testified to his good character, and three fellow veterans affirmed his service. Eventually, Capers was approved to receive $8.00 a month but was not able to receive his pension before his death on April 1, 1853, at the age of 110 years.
In 2015, his grave in Pike County, AL was marked by the Alabama Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, the first African American so recognized in the State.
Andrew Ferguson
Andrew Ferguson was born c. July 1765 to free African American parents Andrew Peeleg and Catherine “Catie” Ferguson (nee Kinder) in present day Dinwiddie County, Virginia.
Ferguson about was 15 years when he enlisted in the Continental Army, a decision believed influenced by a traumatic altercation with British troops, who harassed him and his father for information on Patriot forces. When Ferguson and his father refused to help, they were whipped with a “cat-o-nine tail”, a multi-tailed whip commonly used for punishment in the British military and held prisoner. They escaped two weeks later and eventually joined the Patriot militia somewhere in VA.
Andrew fought in many of the significant battles in the Carolinas including: Camden, King’s Mountain, Guilford Court House, Cowpens and Eutaw Springs. Ferguson was wounded in the leg during the Battle of Camden and received a head injury during the Battle of Guilford Court House. A surgeon treated the head wound by inserting a plate reportedly made from hammered silver coins. Andrew was discharged from service near Yorktown, York County, VA in late 1781; however, his head wound would torment him for the remainder of his life.
In October 1800, in Shelby County, Kentucky, Andrew Ferguson married his first wife, Rebecca Robbins. They spent time in North Carolina and Virginia before ultimately moving to southern Indiana. The family lived in Vincennes, Knox County, Indiana in the early 1820s, where Andrew’s war pension was initially denied by local officials because he was African American.
By 1830, the Ferguson family settled in Bloomington in Monroe County, IN, only later securing the pension there in 1838, while continuing to work odd jobs to supplement what his pension provided. He married his second wife Jane “Jenny” Murphy in 1844 and eventually learned that he was eligible for a pension land grant of 160 acres. Unfortunately, the final approval for the pension came seven months after his death in October 1855, and as his wife had also died – they had no heirs. As such, the acres pledged to Ferguson went back to the government.
For over 100 years, Ferguson’s remains laid in an unmarked grave somewhere in the Rose Hill Cemetery in Bloomington, Monroe County, IN. In 1984, the Indiana Historical Society recognized Ferguson as one of Monroe County’s most prominent African American settlers and he received a headstone and plaque at Rose Hill, dedicated by the Daughters of the American Revolution.
In 2016, a bronze marker was placed at Kings Mountain National Military Park to memorialize African American soldiers who served during the Battle of Kings Mountain; Andrew Ferguson’s name is engraved on it.
Gideon Griffin
Gideon Griffin was born c. 1763 to free African American parents John and Miles Griffin (nee Bunch) near present day Fishing Creek, Granville County, North Carolina. Shortly after Gideon’s birth, the Griffin family moved to present day Richland County, South Carolina, near the Santee River.
On May 1, 1778, about the age of 15, Gideon and his older brother Morgan Griffin joined the 3rd South Carolina Regiment under Colonel William Thompson’s Continental Army command.
Gideon fought in several of the most important battles in and around the state of SC during the war, including: Siege of Savannah (September – October 1779], Stono Ferry (June 1779), Moncks Corner (April 1780), Cowpens (June 1781) and Eutaw Springs (September 1781). Gideon survived the War and was discharged near Charleston, SC.
On November 28, 1785, Gideon’s purchase of a plat for on Spears Creek was recorded in current day Richland County, SC.
In c. 1790, Gideon married Patience Rawlinson and together had nine children, although several died at a very young age.
On November 29, 1826, in present day Richland County, SC, Gideon Griffin applied for veteran’s pension; the pension was approved in December of that year.
Gideon Griffin continued to receive his pension until his death on July 10, 1837 in Richland County, SC at the age of 74. Patience Griffin never remarried and died October 26, 1842 in Richland County, SC at the age of 72.
Their burial locations are unknown.
Stephen Griffin (b. 1812), son of Gideon and Patience, applied for veteran survivor benefits on November 2, 1849 in Richland County, SC which was approved on March 29, 1850.
Morgan Griffin
Morgan Griffin, older brother of Gideon Griffin, was born c. 1760 to free African American parents John and Miles Griffin (nee Bunch) near present day Fishing Creek, Granville County, North Carolina (NC).
About 1764, the Griffin family moved to present day Richland County, South Carolina, near the Santee River.
On May 1, 1778, about the age of 18, Morgan and his younger brother Gideon Griffin joined the 3rd South Carolina Regiment under Colonel William Thompson’s Continental Army command.
Like Gideon, Morgan fought in several of the most important battles in and around the state of SC during the war, including: Stono Ferry (June 1779), Siege of Savannah (September – October 1779], Moncks Corner (April 1780), but was captured by the British on Sullivan’s Island during the siege of Charleston in May 1780. Morgan was later paroled by the British as a civilian. Morgan reportedly was wounded “seven times in battle” and had “lead in his body” at the time of his death. Morgan and his brother both survived the War.
On September 20, 1785, Morgan recorded a purchased plat of 200 acres at Horse Range Swamp in present day Orangeburg County, SC.
In c.1785-1790, Morgan was married and had as many as four children. 1790 Census records list Morgan as head of a “free colored” household in the north part of current day Orangeburg County, SC. Morgan’s wife’s historical name is elusive and in 1849, Morgan’s daughter Martha Coon (nee Griffin) testified that her mother died “upwards of forty years ago” (i.e., while Martha and her siblings were very children.) Morgan Griffin never remarried after his wife’s death.
In 1819, Morgan Griffin veteran’s pension was approved by the SC legislature and it continued until his death on March 28, 1837 in present day Richland County, SC. His burial location is unknown.
On November 2, 1849, in Richland County, SC , Martha Coon, daughter of Morgan, applied for veteran survivor benefits on the exact same day and location as her cousin Stephen Griffin (for his father Gideon.) Their testimonies reportedly were almost identical.
Allen Jeffers
Alan Jeffers was born December 29, 1754 to a free African American man John and a white woman Lurana “Uraniah” (nee Young) Jeffers (“Jeffries”) near present day Fishing Creek, Granville County, North Carolina (NC).
The Jeffers, like the family of Gideon and Morgan Griffin, moved from Granville County, NC when Alan was a young boy to the fork of the Congaree and Wateree Rivers in current day Richland County, South Carolina.
Assuredly, Allen Jeffers was well acquainted with the Gideon brothers as in May 1778, all three enlisted with the 3rd South Carolina Regiment under Colonel William Thompson’s Continental Army command and served together throughout the War. Gideon and Morgan Griffin also testified to Allen Jeffers service record during a pension hearing in 1832. Allen’s three brothers Berry, Osbourn and George also enlisted in the 3rd South Carolina Regiment.
Immediately upon enlistment, Allen Jeffers and his brothers marched to Charleston, SC and were stationed in the barracks upon a green next to the Cooper River. After over a year of encampment and action during Battle of Stono Ferry on June 20, 1779, the 3rd Regiment marched out of Charleston to Savannah and on October 9, 1779 participated in the first siege of Savannah.
After the failed siege of Savannah, the 3rd Regiment marched along the Savannah River and camped near present day Purrysburg, just west of Hardeeville in Jasper County, SC. From Purrysburg, the 3rd Regiment marched back to Charleston. Allen, Berry, Osbourn and George all fought in the Fall of Charleston battle on May 12, 1780. Allen’s brother Osbourn died as a result of wounds received during the battle, Allen, Berry and George were captured and later paroled by the British.
After the War, Allen Jeffers returned to his Richland County, SC home and in c. 1785-1790 was married to “Anna” (nee last name unknown). Allen and Anna Jeffers had at least two children, Mary and Robert, born in present day Richland County, SC. The SC Census of 1820 depicted Allen and his family of 4 “free colored persons” in Columbia, Richland County, SC.
On June 8, 1835 Allen Jeffers applied to have his pension payable in the State of Tennessee, having moved to Rhea County in eastern TN for the following reason: “that he lived with his son in law, his wife being dead that when his son in law moved from South Carolina to Rhea County in the State of Tennessee he came with him, having no person in South Carolina to whom he was related, that would take charge of him.”
A Treasury-Department document states that a child of Allen Jeffers received his final pension payment up to the date of Allen’s death on May 11, 1839 in Rhea County. The burial locations for Allen Jeffers and his wife Anna are unknown.
Oscar “Buddy” Marion
“Loyal faithful servant”
Oscar Marion was the enslaved servant of General Francis Marion (1732–1795), the legendary “Swamp Fox.” It is believed that, following custom, Oscar took the last name of his owner who lived in present-day Berkeley County, South Carolina.
Oscar Marion served under General Marion for seven years during the War, which far exceeded the average enlisted soldier’s time on duty and his combat experience was intense; he was described as a “loyal faithful servant” enduring a lifetime spent as an enslaved individual. Oscar was one of the most notable and best known among “Marion’s Men,” having served as general’s assistant and bodyguard, sous chef, oarsman, and of course, fighter. The enslaved-turned-soldier waged successful guerilla warfare against British troops, and unlike other enslaved individuals of Francis Marion’s family, who left and served with the loyalists, Oscar deliberately chose the path of patriotism.
Oscar fought in the battle of Fort Moultrie in June, 1776, the siege of Savannah in 1779, the siege of Charleston in 1780, and the Battle of Eutaw Springs in September, 1781. His efforts alongside Gen. Francis Marion and his militia helped set up the Continental Army’s eventual victory over forces led by British Gen. Charles Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia in October 1781.
Following his many years of service with Gen. Marion in the Revolutionary War, Oscar Marion likely returned with the General to Francis Marion’s large “Pond Bluff” plantation in present day Berkeley County, SC. In 1939, Pond Bluff was intentionally burned to the ground in preparation for flooding as part of the Santee-Cooper Reservoir project.
There is no evidence Oscar ever married or had children; his burial site is unknown.
Oscar Marion’s place fighting alongside Francis Marion has frequently been portrayed in art, literature and in a Disney television series over the past two hundred years. On Dec. 15, 2006, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Oscar Marion was given formal Revolutionary War recognition for service to his country, including a special proclamation from President George W. Bush, “on behalf of a grateful nation.”
Rev. James Theopolis Sweat
James Theopolis Sweat was born November 14, 1764 to a “mulato” descendant of African American slaves William “Of Old Cheraw” and Jemimah Lucretia “Lucy” Sweat (nee Tuberville) in present day Cheraw County, South Carolina. James referred to himself as a “white” person in subsequent Census recordings.
In March 1779, James enlisted in the 3rd South Carolina Regiment under the command of Captain Uriah Goodwyn and participated in the battles of Stono Ferry (June 1779) and the Siege of Savannah (Fall of 1779). He was discharged in March 1780 just prior to the fall of Charleston. James’ brothers Nathan and Thomas also served the patriot cause in the South Carolina Cheraw Regiment under Captain Robert Lide.
On November 13, 1784, James Sweat married Joanna O’Neal near present day Allendale County, SC. James and Joanna had at least 3 children together. The 1790 SC Census in present day Beaufort County, SC sited James Sweat as “white” and “head of household” for eleven persons, including 10 “free” and one “slave.” Joanna Sweat died c. 1798 at the age of thirty-two.
On March 7, 1799, James Sweat married Susannah Anderson in Effingham County, Georgia (GA) near present day Savannah. James and Susannah had seven children. Susannah died in 1820 in Savannah, GA.
At some point before James’ death on July 24, 1823, he was ordained as a Baptist minister and possibly was pastor at the Beach Branch Baptist Church. Located in Allendale, Allendale County, SC, Beech Branch Baptist Church was constituted September 12, 1759 as Coosawhatchie Church and became Beech Branch Baptist Church in 1822. The present lot was granted in 1796 and occupied until 1815. The building was remodeled in 1908 and 1960. Electricity was installed and the porch added in 1959, when weekly morning services began. The annex was built in 1962 and historical marker was erected in 1963.
Reverend James Theopolis Sweat’s gravesite in the Beach Branch Baptist Church Cemetery is quite substantial and ornate, indicating a significant person of the Church community is buried there.
Reverend and Susannah Sweat’s son, James “Theophilus” Sweat, Jr. also became an ordained Baptist minister. At different periods of his SC Ministry he served as pastor in Robertville, Lawtonville, Beech Branch, Steep Bottom, Cypress Creek, Oak Grove, Nixville, Sandy Run, Hopewell and Sand Hill Baptist Churches. Reverend Sweat, Jr. died in 1891 and is buried in Hampton County, SC.
The stories told here are just a small sampling of how Blacks contributed to the war effort. Most of those who served in the fighting and in support roles will never have their stories told. Our war for independence did not provide freedom for all.
Special Thanks
Special thanks to Jane Stuart, Veda Keeling, Ken Benkeser, Kathy Smith and Joe Player for their contributions to this section.