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The American Revelation, II

Album: 39: Friends, Family, and Countrymen

Episode: 509

Lesson/Theme: American history: The Revolutionary War

Bible Verse: John 15:13

Characters: Marvin, Whit

Writer: John Fornof

Sound Designer:

Original Air Date: February 22, 2003

Last Air Date: April 12, 2005

Description:

Marvin and Caesar are still digging the fort when a new man named Peter Salem joins them. Together, the three of them dig while Marvin asks the two men questions about fighting in this war. Peter tells Marvin that he’ll fight for this country because nobody is free until everybody is free. Before the discussion can continue, there’s an explosion nearby. The British troops have spotted them and the battle has begun. The troops realize that they have very little ammunition and they are very tired from a night spent digging. Colonel Prescott urges the troops to defend the fort and prays for God’s help in the battle. Since William is still missing, Marvin drums out the orders as the troops prepare to meet the oncoming British. It’s a dramatic and frightening battle as the British charge the fort. In the heat of battle, Marvin sees a "mysterious" colored man by the fence get a British officer and Peter Salem takes down Major Pitcairn. However, the American troops don’t have enough ammunition to withstand the attack and Marvin must drum out the orders to retreat. Just as he’s leaving, Caesar is hit in the leg with gunfire. He can’t walk on his own, so Marvin helps him limp away from the battle. They don’t make it very far until Caesar has to rest. They meet Captain Smith, who also tries to carry Caesar with no success. Caesar insists that they leave him behind because he can’t be saved. Smith reluctantly agrees and takes Marvin farther away from the battle. Smith and Marvin soon meet William, who is limping away from another part of the battle. William takes Marvin to safety while Smith stays to divert the troops. William and Marvin try to hide in a barn, but a British officer spots them. Just as he’s pounding on the door, Marvin is whisked away and the Imagination Station program ends. Marvin steps out of the Station and Whit tells him the facts about the battle of Bunker Hill. Even though the Americans lost the battle, it eventually became a great moral victory. He also shows Marvin a commendation (signed by fourteen white officers) that was given to Salem Poor, the mysterious man who took down a British officer. Marvin realizes that he knows a lot more about the Revolutionary War than he did before.

So what really happened at the Battle of Lexington and the Battle of Bunker Hill?

For "The American Revelation," we combined a couple characters and made a few minor assumptions. For instance, we don't know for sure that Caesar Bason was at Lexington, but since he lived nearby, it's likely he could have been called to the battle.

Except for minor points like this, we remained historically accurate, including some well-documented facts. Here are a few:

Battle of Lexington

Crispus Attucks--a mulatto (half African-American, half Native-American)--was the first person to die in the Revolutionary War. He was shot in the Boston Massacre in 1770.

William Diamond was the 16-year-old drummer at the Battle of Lexington. You can see a picture of his drum on this website.

Eight men died and ten were wounded at the Battle of Lexington. Isaac Muzzy, a teenager, was one of the fatalities. Among the injured: Prince Estabrooks (or Easterbrooks)--an African-American slave who fought in the battle. It's not known if he at the Battle of Lexington, but records show he fought in every other major battle of the Revolutionary War. After the war, he received his freedom.

African-Americans and whites fought side by side in the Revolutionary War--the most integrated army until modern times.

Battle of Bunker Hill

All night long, American troops dug a dirt fort under cover of darkness. They were supposed to be relieved in the morning by fresh troops. But the British started firing on the fort before the new troops arrived. And so, the tired men who had dug all night now became the defenders.

Early in the morning, the British fired cannonballs into the fort. One man was killed, and the troops were thrown into panic. Colonel William Prescott climbed up high on a ridge and encouraged his men to fight on.

Historical documents show more than 60 African-Americans fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Among them, Caesar Bason, Peter Salem, and Salem Poor (referred to as "Mystery Man" in the show). All told, around 5000 African-Americans fought for the American side in the Revolutionary War. About the same number fought for the British, who promised them conditional freedom.

In the battle, Peter Salem shot British Major John Pitcairn. And Salem Poor shot British Lieutenant Colonel James Abercromby.

The troops ran out of ammunition and started throwing rocks, nails, and anything they could find--including the tools they used to dig the fort--to fight off the British advance.

As the British stormed the fort, Caesar Bason was shot in the leg. After his injury, Captain Aaron Smith and Caesar--a white captain and an African-American soldier--joined together in fighting off the British and defending the retreat of the Americans.

After stray gunfire disabled Captain Smith’s musket, the captain tried to carry his injured soldier to safety. But Caesar was too big for him. Caesar asked the captain to leave him behind. "Give ‘em one for Caesar," he said.

It’s not clear what happened to Caesar next. Some accounts say he died in the trenches. Others say he was taken prisoner by the British. Either way, it’s most probable that he died, since gun shot wounds to the leg were almost always fatal during this time.

African-American Salem Poor (referred to as "Mystery Man" in the show) was later commended by 14 white officers for his bravery in the Battle of Bunker Hill. This is the document Whit refers to at the end.

Want to know more about the role of African-Americans in the Revolutionary War? The following list should be a good start for you. (Provided by our historical consultant Phil Williams)

• The Black Presence in the Era of the American Revolution by Sidney Kaplan, Emma Nogrady Kaplan Amherst Press, 1989.
• The Colored Patriots of the American Revolution by William C. Nell, published by Robert F. Wallcut, 1855
• Liberty: The American Revolution by Thomas Fleming published by Viking, 1997
• William Diamond’s Drum by Arthur Bernon Tourtellot published by Doubleday, 1959
• The Black Phalanx by Joseph T. Wilson, pub. by Da Capo Press, N.Y. 1994. Originally published 1887.
• The Negro in the American Revolution by Benjamin Quarles, pub. by W.W. Norton and Co. The Norton Library, N.Y. 1973
• Racially Integrated Forces Fought at Bunker Hill, UPI, Chicago Defender, June 14, 1975.
• The Negro Soldier: Missing Pages in Our History, ed. by William Loren Katz (pub. by R.F. Wallcut, Boston, 1861. Repint. Westport: Negro Universities Press, 1970)
• The African American Journey 1998, World Book, Inc. (World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
• The Spirit of Seventy-Six The story of the American Revolution as told by participants Edited by Henry Steele Commager and Richard B. Morris, pub. by Harper & Row, N.Y. 1967
• The Revolutionary War by Bart McDowell, 1967

Read more about the American Revolutionary War at these websites:

• See the historic paintings that Whit shows Marvin ("Washington Crossing the Delaware" and "The Battle of Bunker Hill")
• See that historic document that lists the Americans killed or wounded in the Battle of Lexington. Two of the casualties are mentioned in the show: Isaac Muzzy, the teenager who was killed in the battle, and Prince Easterbrooks on the wounded list as "a Negro Man:"
• See the document signed by 14 white officers that Whit shows Marvin. (PDF)
• Read an overview of the role of African-Americans in the Revolutionary War. Scroll down and you'll see a kid about Marvin's age playing the drum just like Marvin did in the show!

Questions:
Why wasn’t Marvin interested in hearing about the Revolutionary War? How did his perspective change at the end of the show? Read John 15:13. Aside from soldiers, can you think of anyone else who has to lay down their life today? Colenol Prescott prayed that the soldiers would never "depend on the arm of flesh," but only upon God. What does this mean?