SELECTED WORK: Excerpt from "Observations on the Slaves and Indented Servants, inlisted in the Army, and in the Navy of the United States" by Antibiastes (pseudonym of an anonymous officer, Philadelphia, August 14, 1777

Many Slaves, however, too many perhaps, are incautiously allowed to fight under our banners. They share in the dangers and glory of the efforts made by us, the freedom members of the United States, to enjoy, undisturbed, the common rights of human nature; and THEY remain Slaves!...

Neither the Slaves who bear arms for us, nor their owners, have, as yet, obtained such advantages from any of the United States. Our non-emancipated soldiers are almost irresistibly tempted to desert to our foes, who never fail to employ them against us. There, at least, besides the uncontrolled disposal of their whole pay, they have a chance for being gifted by the enemy, whom sound policy may inspire to be generous in this case, with that freedom, which our laws do not authorize them to claim as their reward from us, for whose liberty they daily expose their lives.