Strong, courageous, brave. These are three words to describe the Bucks of America, a military company, all African-American, who joined the Patriots in the Revolutionary War.
Few people know when the Bucks formed. Though the group was large, there is only one named member, George Middleton. Some of the members may have been part of the Prince Hall Freemasonry Lodge. The members came from several different backgrounds. A few were free men. Many were former slaves. Plenty were slaves enrolled by their masters for money.
The Bucks of America joined the Continental army. They fought in the Boston vicinity, but there are no named battles. Most of their work was probably done as a police force.When the Revolutionary war ended, the Bucks were presented with a flag by Governor John Hancock and his son, John George Washington Hancock. It depicted a pine tree with a brown buck. Thirteen stars are in the upper left corner. Above the tree, there is a banner with the initials J.G.W.H. At first the initials were thought to be John Hancock embracing George Washington. Further research revealed that they are the initials of the governor's son, who died at the age of eight from an ice-skating accident.
After the war, the Bucks went back to their lives as they were before the Revolution. The slaves were recalled to their masters, and George Middleton went back to his house in Boston. Although little is known about the Bucks of America, we honor their strength, their courage, their bravery, and the role they played in the Revolutionary War.
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