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Secondary Sources

• The Battle of Pines Bridge Monument

  There’s a striking monument dedicated to the soldiers of the First Rhode Island Regiment in Yorktown Heights, New York. Not far from the site, the regiment was surprised just after dawn on May 14, 1781 by a large party of Loyalists resulting in the death of the white commander, Christopher Greene along with several of his men. The engagement was a complete success for the enemy, so why was this monument dedicated to the regiment?

  The First Rhode Island was unique because it was the first time a state recruited enslaved Black and Indigenous men to fight in the Continental Army. Along with other free men, “the monument is designed to reflect that diversity, and will be the first revolutionary War memorial to depict all three races together in combat.”^[1]

  The white officer, an Indigenous man, and a Black man are depicted as being prepared to engage the enemy. They look determined to fight, all facing out with their backs protected by their comrades, implying trust, brotherhood, and equality.

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