People, Locations, Episodes

Mary Elizabeth Bowser, Undercover Agent born

*This date in 1840 celebrates the birth of Mary Elizabeth Bowser. She was a Black undercover agent during the American Civil War.

Bowser was born a slave on a plantation near Richmond, Virginia to owner John Van Lew, a hardware businessman. Van Lew’s daughter, Elizabeth and her mother freed the slaves after his death in 1851. Mary Elizabeth stayed with the Van Lew family as a servant; the family had her educated in Philadelphia. She married William or Wilson Bowser, a free Black man, while she worked at the Van Lew home.

William Carney, Military Officer born

*William Carney was born on this date in 1842. He was a Black military officer.

From Norfolk, Virginia, his mother was held in captivity with her free husband at the time of his birth. During Carney’s early childhood, he received some schooling by a minister in secret. After the death of his mother’s master in 1856, the entire family moved to New Bedford, Massachusetts. There on the wharf as a teenager William H. Carney assisted his father who joined many other freed Blacks who worked at sea.

Robert B. Elliott, Soldier, and Politician born

On this date, we remember Robert Brown Elliott, a Black lawyer, politician, and military officer born in 1842.

Elliot was born and educated in Liverpool, England. After serving in the British navy, Elliott arrived in Boston in 1867. Robert Elliott was a brilliant lawyer who was admitted to the South Carolina bar and elected to the South Carolina legislature in 1868 during Reconstruction. In March 1869, Elliott was appointed assistant adjutant-general, becoming the first black commanding general of the South Carolina National Guard.

Josiah T. Walls, Soldier and Politician born

Josiah Walls was born on this date in 1842. He was a Black soldier, teacher, and politician. He has the awkward distinction of twice being unseated in Congress by opponents who challenged the election.

Adam Paine, Black Seminole Soldier born

*This date in 1843 is celebrated as the birth date of Adam Paine, a Black Seminole who served in the United States Army.   Sometimes referred to as Adam Payne, he was born in Florida. Paine enlisted in the Army at Fort Duncan, Texas, in November 1873 and joined other Black Seminoles known as the “Seminole-Negro Indian Scouts.”   Col. R. S. Mackenzie’s main […]

Sylvester Ray, American Civil War Soldier born.

*Sylvester Ray was born on this date in 1844. He was a Black soldier and military equality advocate. He was from Washington County, New York, a slave state.  He joined the Union Army on December 18, 1863, and was a private in the Second US Colored Cavalry. In 1864, he refused to accept less pay […]

Menelik II, King and Military Leader born.

*Menelik II was born on this date in 1844. He was a Black African king of Shewa and Emperor of Ethiopia. Menelik was the son of the Shewan Amhara king, Negus Haile Melekot. He was born in Ethiopia, where, as a boy, he enjoyed a respected position and received a traditional church education. In 1855, […]

William Hemings, Soldier, and Farmer born

*William Hemings was born on this date in 1845. He was a Black soldier, farmer and relative of Sally Hemings.

The Saint Patrick’s Battalion, a story

*On this date in 1846, African American Registry celebrates St. Patrick’s Day by honoring the Saint Patrick’s Battalion.

The Mexican American War, a story

*On this date in 1846 the Mexican American War, also known as the Mexican War began. African American Registry briefly writes about this conflict.

Pompey Factor, Military Scout born

*The birth of Pompey Factor in 1849 is celebrated on this date. He was a Black Seminole scout for the U.S. Army during the Indian Wars.

Gordon ‘Whipped Peter’, Slave, and Soldier born

*The birth of Gordon “Whipped Peter” is celebrated on this date in c 1850. He was a Black slave in America who escaped and became the subject of photographs documenting the extensive scarring of his back from his overseers’ whippings. Gordon was born in Louisiana on a plantation owned by John and Bridget Lyons. He […]

Henry O. Flipper, Military Officer born

*This date marks the birth of Henry Ossian Flipper who was the first Black man to graduate from West Point. He came from a family of slaves, born in Thomasville, GA.

The Africa Squadron Is Created

*On this date in 1859, the Africa Squadron was created. The Squadron Unit was an outgrowth of the 1819 treaty between the United States and the United Kingdom, which was an early step in suppressing the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. It was further paralleled by the Webster–Ashburton Treaty of 1842. Although technically coordinated with a British […]

The American Civil War Begins

On this date in 1861, the Civil War began. This war is also referred to as “The War Between the States”, “The War of Rebellion”, or “The War for Southern Independence.”