[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2752 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2752
To award a Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the First Rhode
Island Regiment, in recognition of their dedicated service during the
Revolutionary War.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 20, 2023
Mr. Cicilline (for himself, Mr. Magaziner, Mr. Lawler, and Mr. Wilson
of South Carolina) introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Financial Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To award a Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the First Rhode
Island Regiment, in recognition of their dedicated service during the
Revolutionary War.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``First Rhode Island Regiment
Congressional Gold Medal Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) During the winter at Valley Forge, from 1777-1778, the
Continental Army had difficulty recruiting the necessary quotas
of men set by the Congress.
(2) At the same time, the State of Rhode Island was ordered
to supply two battalions while faced with the occupation of the
City of Newport by the British.
(3) In January 1778, at the urging of Brigadier General
James Varnum, General George Washington wrote to Governor
Nicholas Cooke of the State of Rhode Island requesting
assistance recruiting men for the Continental Line.
(4) On February 14, 1778, the Rhode Island General Assembly
voted to allow the enlistment of ``every able-bodied negro,
mulatto, or Indian man slave''.
(5) In addition, the Rhode Island General Assembly provided
that any enlisted slave ``upon his passing muster before
Colonel Christopher Greene, be immediately discharged from the
service of his master or mistress, and be absolutely free as
though he had never been incumbered and be incumbered with any
kind of servitude or slavery''.
(6) As a result, between February 1778 and June 1778,
Colonel Christopher Greene, Lt. Colonel Jeremiah Olney and
Major Samuel Ward recruited almost 200 men of African heritage
and Indigenous descent who formed the core of the First Rhode
Island Regiment.
(7) The First Rhode Island Regiment became among the first
units in American History in which men of every race and
ethnicity were recruited to serve.
(8) On August 28, 1778, at the Battle of Rhode Island,
following an attempted siege of British-occupied Newport along
with the newly allied French fleet, the First Rhode Island
Regiment acted heroically in holding back Hessian forces and
causing them to retreat.
(9) During the Battle of Rhode Island, the First Rhode
Island Regiment's losses included three killed, nine wounded
and eleven missing soldiers.
(10) Soldiers of color from the First Rhode Island Regiment
continued to fight bravely to win American independence for
five more years in an integrated Rhode Island Regiment that
included men of African, European, and Indigenous descent.
(11) On December 25, 1783, the last Rhode Island soldiers
were discharged at Saratoga, New York.
(12) Their commander, Colonel Jeremiah Olney, praised the
Regiment for ``faithfully preserving in the best of causes, in
every stage of service, with unexampled fortitude and patience
through all the danger and toils of a long and severe war''.
(13) Afterwards, some veterans of the First Rhode Island
Regiment had to consistently resist efforts at re-enslavement
and fought for back wages from the Rhode Island General
Assembly.
(14) According to the Rhode Island State Archives, the
First Rhode Island Regiment included at least the following
soldiers: Babcock, Priamus (Primus); Bent, Prince; Bours, Cato;
Brown, Priamus (Primus); Burk, Africa; Burroughs, John;
Carpenter, Cudgo; Champlin, Dick; Champlin, Jack; Champlin,
July; Champlin, Newport; Champlin, Sharper; Champlin, York;
Clark, James; Coddington, Jack; Fones, Jack; Gardner, Cuff;
Gardner, Hercules; Gardner, Minkl; Gardner, Preamus (Primus);
Gardner, Rutter; Gray, Ebenezer; Green, Cuff; Greene, Cato;
Greene, Jack; Greene, Pero; Greene, William; Hammond, Prince;
Harriss, Cesar; Hazard, Backus; Hazard, Jabin; Hazard, Jacob;
Hazard, Peter; Hazard, Peter; Lefavour, Thom; Mason, Warsen;
Mawney, Cyrus; Minturn, Jack; Mowrey, Pero; Nichols, Thomas;
Perry, Ganset; Phillips, Philow; Pierce, Titus; Potter, David;
Randall, Prince; Rhodes, Bristol; Rhodes, Priamus; Rhodes,
Richard; Rhodes, Samuel; Richmond, Ebenezer; Robinson, Mingo;
Rodman, Isaac; Rodman, Mingo; Rodman, Prince; Rose, Cesar;
Saltonstall, Brittain; Saunders, Sampson; Sheldon, Cesar;
Slave; Slave; Smith, Juba; Sweeling, Query; Talbot, Sigby;
Tanner, Quam; Tillinghast, Cuff; Updike, Cesar; Updike, Moses;
Vaughan, Prince; Vernon, Cato; Watson, Fortune; Wells, Cesar;
Wickes, Nat; and Willbour, Boston.
SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.
(a) Award Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of Representatives
and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make appropriate
arrangements for the award, on behalf of the Congress, of a single gold
medal of appropriate design to the First Rhode Island Regiment,
collectively in recognition of their dedicated service during the
Revolutionary War.
(b) Design and Striking.--For the purposes of the award referred to
in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter in this Act
referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall strike the gold medal with
suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the
Secretary.
(c) Rhode Island State Library.--
(1) In general.--Following the award of the gold medal in
honor of the First Rhode Island Regiment of the Revolutionary
War under subsection (a), the gold medal shall be given to the
Rhode Island State Library, where it will be displayed as
appropriate and made available for research.
(2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that
the Rhode Island State Library should make the gold medal
received under paragraph (1) available for display elsewhere,
particularly at other appropriate locations associated with the
First Rhode Island Regiment of the Revolutionary War.
SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.
The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold
medal struck under section 3, at a price sufficient to cover the costs
of the medals, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and
overhead expenses.
SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.
(a) National Medals.--Medals struck pursuant to this Act are
national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States
Code.
(b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of sections 5134 and 5136 of
title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under this Act shall be
considered to be numismatic items.
SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.
(a) Authority To Use Fund Amounts.--There is authorized to be
charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund such
amounts as may be necessary to pay for the costs of the medals struck
under this Act.
(b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of duplicate
bronze medals authorized under section 4 shall be deposited into the
United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
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