African Americans in American Revolution (Ishmael Titus), Charlotte

Inscription: AFRICAN-AMERICAN CONTRIBUTIONS DURING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION AT LEAST 5,000 AFRICAN-AMERICANS, / BOTH FREE AND ENSLAVED, SERVED IN / THE CONTINENTAL ARMY, STATE TROOPS, / NAVIES, AND MILITIAS. A SUBSTANTIAL / NUMBER OF THESE AFRICAN-AMERICAN /PATRIOTS CAME FROM NORTH CAROLINA, / SOUTH CAROLINA AND VIRGINIA. SOME / SERVED AS BODY SERVANTS AND / LABORERS, BUT THE MAJORITY SERVED / AS FRONT LINE TROOPS, INCLUDING / NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS. AFRICAN- /AMERICANS ALSO SERVED IN THE BRITISH / ARMY AND NAVY. THERE WAS NO / SEGREGATION IN THE MILITARY DURING / THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR, AND TROOPS / OF EUROPEAN, AFRICAN AND NATIVE / AMERICAN ANCESTRY SERVED SIDE-BY-SIDE AND SUFFERED THE / SAME HARDSHIPS. AN EXAMPLE OF AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN SOLDIER FROM MECKLENBURG COUNTY IS / DEMPSEY REED, A “FREE NEGRO” WHO SERVED AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR A MECKLENBURG / RESIDENT NAMED NATHANIEL HARRIS. REED WAS WOUNDED IN BATTLE AND RECEIVED / PAYMENT FOR HIS MILITARY SERVICE FROM THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA IN 1783. ANOTHER LOCAL AFRICAN-AMERICAN SOLDIER WAS ISHMAEL TITUS, A SLAVE FROM / ROWAN COUNTY WHO SERVED AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR HIS MASTER, LAWRENCE ROSS. / TITUS FOUGHT IN THE BATTLES OF KINGS MOUNTAIN, GUILFORD COURTHOUSE AND / DEEP RIVER. HE WAS GRANTED HIS FREEDOM AFTER THE WAR AND DIED AT THE AGE OF / 110 IN MASSACHUSETTS.