In the year 1775, Lord Dunmore, Governor of
Virginia, issued his proclamation, calling on the
Negroes to join His Majesty's forces, and at the
same time declaring them absolved fi*om all flir^
ther obligation to serve their Mastet«. Hift IavI*



HXGBO SLATBinr. ^

ship was high in authority — had the British and
Tories to back him — and though every effort was
made to acquaint the Negroes with the purport of
the proclamation, still but few Slaves coirid' her
induced to abandon their homes : the great body
Temained true to their Masters.
During both wars, the South was found ih»
very bulwark of the Republic. The ready sub-
mission of the Negro to his Master, under the
most trying circumstances, enabled the Southern
States to send into the field the larger portion of
the white population able to bear arms. The
Negroes remained at home and' cultivated the
farms, and thus raised provisions necessary for
the support of the army. In some of the coun-
ties of Virginia — those containing the largest
black population — it often happened during the
late .war, that almost the entire male adult white
population was in the field. Notwithstanding
this, however, no serious disturbances ever occur-
red, though the counties lay within a. few miles of
the British fleet, and though the Negroes wefe
aware that an ofler of liberty had been made
them, if they would abandon their Masters, ,and
join the British forces.
