Black Company of Pioneers
| Black Company of Pioneers | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1777-1783 |
| Country |
 Great Britain
|
| Allegiance |
Great Britain
|
| Branch | British provincial unit |
| Type | labor detail, (auxiliary troops) |
| Role | construction, street cleaning, garbage collection |
| Size | company (50-70) |
| Nickname(s) | Black Pioneers, Clinton's Black Pioneers |
| Motto(s) | Liberty to Slaves |
| Engagements | No combat experience, accept for former soldiers, coming from the disbanded Ethiopian Regiment |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
General Sir Henry Clinton |
General Sir Henry Clinton
Major James Moncrief
Captain Allen Stewart
Captain Donald McPherson
Colonel Stephen Blucke
Sergeant Thomas Peters
The Black Company of Pioneers also, known as the Black Pioneers and Clinton's Black Pioneers, were a British Provincial military unit, raised for Loyalist service, during the American Revolutionary War. The Black Loyalist company was raised, by General Sir Henry, as a non-combatant, replacement force, for the disbanded Ethiopian Regiment, in Philadelphia, in late 1777 or early 1778. Pioneers were soldiers employed to perform engineering and construction tasks. Clinton refused to allow black and white soldiers, to serve together as integrated, Loyalist, military units, In 1778, The Pioneers merged, into the Guides and Pioneers led by Colonel Beverley Robinson, in New York. Its company commanders were Captain Allen Stewart and Captain Donald McPherson. In 1783, the company was disbanded in Port Roseway, Canada, now Shelburne, Nova Scotia.
The Black Pioneers were an African American military unit, established, in May 1776, out of Lord Dunmore's disbanded Loyalist unit, the Ethiopian Regiment. The Pioneers retained the Ethiopian regimental motto, which was embroidered on their uniforms: "Liberty to Slaves."
During the American Revolution, the Black Pioneers would "Assist in Cleaning the Streets & Removing all Nuisances being thrown into the Streets."The company followed the British troops, under the command, of General Clinton, as they moved, from New York to Philadelphia, to Charleston, and, after the fall of Charleston, back to New York, once again.
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