[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 99 (Thursday, June 11, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S2769]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 5820. Mr. THUNE (for Mr. Whitehouse) proposed an amendment to the
bill S. 567, to award a Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the
First Rhode Island Regiment, in recognition of their dedicated service
during the Revolutionary War; as follows:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``First Rhode Island Regiment
Congressional Gold Medal Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(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 a British force occupied the
City of Newport.
(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 encumbered with any kind of
servitude or slavery''.
(6) As a result, between February 1778 and June 1778,
Colonel Christopher Greene, Lieutenant Colonel Jeremiah
Olney, and Major Samuel Ward recruited 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 29, 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 5
more years in an integrated Rhode Island Regiment that
included men of African, European, and Indigenous descent.
(11) By early 1784, 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 thereof, 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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