Asa Spellman was part of the HARLOWE Patriots Revolutionary War Soldiers who were from eastern North Carolina area and enlisted in the Revolutionary War. Families of Free Persons of Color before the American Revolution populated the Harlowe communities of Craven and Carteret Counties.

“These families furnished at least fourteen of their men to fight for the cause of Liberty throughout the Revolution,” adds Wood.
“They fought from the battles around New York and New Jersey in the early part of the War, through Valley Forge, where the American Army was truly born, the battles in Pennsylvania, both sieges of Charleston, and the battles of the Southern Campaigns that ended the War.”

On his Revolutionary War pension application it is stated: Asa Spelman enlisted in 7-20-1778 in the Company Commanded by Captain [Michael] Quinn in the Tenth North Carolina Regiment, Continental, Establishment, commanded by Colonel [William Lee] Davidson. That he enlisted for nine months and served out his term, he was a Private when discharged in 1779 at Halifax, North Carolina.
He was not in any engagement except a skirmish near West Point, and at Kings Ferry in New Jersey.

The 1820 federal census for Craven County NC lists Asa Spellman as a head of household, but it fails to enumerate any males in the household. It does enumerate four females as “Free Colored Persons:”
one under 14, two 14 - 26, and one over 45. The 1830 census for the same county lists “Asa Spellman” as a “free colored person” between 55 and 100 with a “free colored” female in the same age range.

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Asa Spellman “epitomizes the complexity of artisan-citizen identity for free Blacks.” He moved to Craven County when restrictions on free Black families began to tighten in Virginia. Spellman himself was a cooper who owned land and a shop along the Trent River.

His industriousness and service in the Revolutionary War established his identity in New Bern, though it’s said that no one believed he served alongside then-General George Washington in the 10th North Carolina Regiment. It wasn’t until 1791, when President Washington visited New Bern during his Southern Tour, that he recognized Spellman in a crowd.

The president made a point of shaking his hand and revisiting their time together in the war. This officially established Spellman as a Revolutionary War hero. However, through the remainder of his life, Spellman had to navigate what Bishir calls “the deference to ‘color and place,’” meaning that among whites, no matter his veteran status or talent and industriousness as an artisan, he had to demonstrate that he knew his “place,” not as an equal.

Source: From: Crafting Lives: Stories of African American Artisans in New Bern, North Carolina, 1770-1900, writer and researcher Catherine Bishir explores the impact of artisans of color and the unique social environment in Craven County that made such success more obtainable than in other towns and cities throughout the South."

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These fourteen men and their experiences remained alive for generations in family stories and local folklore but became faded or lost with the passage of time. However, as more research continues the contributions of these and other forgotten patriots of the American Revolution are finally receiving the long-overdue recognition they deserve.

Patriot Isaac Carter Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution: A First
On March 16, 2014, the NC Society of Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) dedicated a memorial marker commemorating the Revolutionary War service of 14 free men of color from the Harlowe area of Craven and Carteret counties.

The historic ceremony was held at the Godette School in Harlowe and attended by more than two hundred people. National SAR President General Joe Dooley praised the Harlowe community for earning the distinction of contributing the greatest number of soldiers per capita in support of the American patriot cause. Following the marker dedication, serious research efforts were made to identify and recruit eligible descendants and organize a Harlowe SAR chapter.

When chartered on September 3, 2016, the Patriot Isaac Carter Chapter became the first (and only) chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution comprised primarily of African American men.
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HARLOWE PATRIOTS - REVOLUTIONARY WAR

American Revolutionary War Forgotten Patriots to be Remembered

NORTH HARLOWE, North Carolina
(January 28, 2014)

America’s Revolutionary War included all types of Patriots with different ethnic backgrounds, races and people of color. Many of these early American heroes have been honored and remembered through gravesite markings, ceremonies and Patriotic remembrances.

But there is a small group of Patriots in eastern North Carolina that, until now, have been largely forgotten for their bravery and contributions to American Independence. Families of Free Persons of Color before the American Revolution populated the Harlowe communities of Craven and Carteret Counties.

“These families furnished at least fourteen of their men to fight for the cause of Liberty throughout the Revolution,” adds Jim Wood, NCSSAR State President.

“They fought from the battles around New York and New Jersey in the early part of the War, through Valley Forge, where the American Army was truly born, the battles in Pennsylvania, both sieges of Charleston, and the battles of the Southern Campaigns that ended the War.”

Source: Press Release by The North Carolina Society Sons of the American Revolution (NCSSAR)
January 28, 2014