[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4045 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4045
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
February 11, 2014
Mr. Cicilline (for himself, Mr. Barber, Ms. Bass, Mr. Becerra, Ms.
Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Mr. Bishop of New York, Mr. Blumenauer,
Mr. Brooks of Alabama, Mrs. Bustos, Mr. Butterfield, Mrs. Capps, Mr.
Carney, Mr. Cartwright, Ms. Castor of Florida, Mr. Castro of Texas,
Mrs. Christensen, Ms. Chu, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Cleaver, Mr.
Clyburn, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Costa, Mr. Courtney, Mrs. Davis of California,
Ms. DeLauro, Mr. Deutch, Mr. Dingell, Mr. Doggett, Ms. Duckworth, Ms.
Edwards, Mr. Ellison, Mr. Fattah, Ms. Frankel of Florida, Ms. Fudge,
Ms. Gabbard, Mr. Garamendi, Mr. Garcia, Mr. Gibson, Mr. Al Green of
Texas, Ms. Hahn, Ms. Hanabusa, Mr. Hanna, Mr. Hastings of Florida, Mr.
Heck of Washington, Mr. Higgins, Mr. Himes, Mr. Holt, Mr. Honda, Mr.
Horsford, Mr. Hoyer, Mr. Huffman, Ms. Jackson Lee, Mr. Jones, Ms.
Kaptur, Mr. Keating, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Mr. Kildee, Mrs.
Kirkpatrick, Mr. Lance, Mr. Langevin, Mr. Lankford, Mr. Larson of
Connecticut, Mrs. Lowey, Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of New York, Ms.
Matsui, Mr. McAllister, Mr. McGovern, Mr. McNerney, Mr. Meadows, Mr.
Meeks, Mr. Moran, Mr. Murphy of Florida, Mr. Nadler, Mrs. Negrete
McLeod, Mr. Nolan, Mr. O'Rourke, Mr. Pallone, Mr. Pascrell, Mr. Payne,
Ms. Pelosi, Mr. Pocan, Mr. Quigley, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Renacci, Mr.
Richmond, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Schock, Ms.
Schwartz, Mr. David Scott of Georgia, Mr. Scott of Virginia, Ms. Sewell
of Alabama, Ms. Shea-Porter, Mr. Shimkus, Mr. Sires, Mr. Thompson of
California, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Mr. Tierney, Mr. Tonko, Mr.
Vargas, Mr. Vela, Ms. Velazquez, Mr. Walz, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, Ms.
Waters, Mr. Waxman, Mr. Wilson of South Carolina, Mr. Yarmuth, and Mr.
Young of Alaska) introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee
on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
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 of 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 and
Native American 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) For an additional 5 years, the First Rhode Island
Regiment fought bravely to win American independence including
at Fort Oswego, Saratoga, and Yorktown.
(11) On June 13, 1783, at Saratoga, the First Rhode Island
Regiment was demobilized.
(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) Smithsonian Institution.--
(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
Smithsonian Institution, where it will be displayed as
appropriate and made available for research.
(2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that
the Smithsonian Institution 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.
Under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, 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 section 5134 of title 31,
United States Code, all medals struck under this Act shall be
considered to be numismatic items.
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