#aaith ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #efg ,,an ,,act ,to award a ,congressional ,gold ,medal1 collectively1 to the ,first ,rhode ,island ,regiment1 in recognition of their dedicated service during the ,revolutionary ,war4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,first ,rhode ,island ,regiment ,congressional ,gold ,medal ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,during the winter at ,valley ,forge1 from #aggg-aggh1 the ,continental ,army had difficulty recruiting the necessary quotas of men set by the ,congress4 7#b7 ,at the same time1 the ,state of ,rhode ,island was ordered to supply two battalions while a ,british force occupied the ,city of ,newport4 7#c7 ,in ,january #aggh1 at the urging of ,brigadier ,general ,james ,varnum1 ,general ,george ,washington wrote to ,governor ,nicholas ,cooke of the ,state of ,rhode ,island requesting assistance recruiting men for the ,continental ,line4 7#d7 ,on ,february #ad1 #aggh1 the ,rhode ,island ,general ,assembly voted to allow the enlistment of every able-bodied negro1 mulatto1 or ,indian man slave4 7#e7 ,in addition1 the ,rhode ,island ,general ,assembly provided that any enlisted slave upon his passing muster before ,colonel ,christopher ,greene1 be immediately discharged from the service of his master or mistress1 and be absolutely free as though he had never been encumbered with any kind of servitude or slavery4 7#f7 ,as a result1 between ,february #aggh and ,june #aggh1 ,colonel ,christopher ,greene1 ,lieutenant ,colonel ,jeremiah ,olney1 and ,major ,samuel ,ward recruited men of ,african heritage and ,indigenous descent who formed the core of the ,first ,rhode ,island ,regiment4 7#g7 ,the ,first ,rhode ,island ,regiment became among the first units in ,american ,history in which men of every race and ethnicity were recruited to serve4 7#h7 ,on ,august #bi1 #aggh1 at the ,battle of ,rhode ,island1 following an attempted siege of ,british-occupied ,newport along with the newly allied ,french fleet1 the ,first ,rhode ,island ,regiment acted heroically in holding back ,hessian forces and causing them to retreat4 7#i7 ,during the ,battle of ,rhode ,island1 the ,first ,rhode ,island ,regiment's losses included three killed1 nine wounded and eleven missing soldiers4 7#aj7 ,soldiers of color from the ,first ,rhode ,island ,regiment continued to fight bravely to win ,american independence for #e more years in an integrated ,rhode ,island ,regiment that included men of ,african1 ,european1 and ,indigenous descent4 7#aa7 ,by early #aghd1 the last ,rhode ,island soldiers were discharged at ,saratoga1 ,new ,york4 7#ab7 ,their commander1 ,colonel ,jeremiah ,olney1 praised the ,regiment for faithfully preserving in the best of causes1 in every stage of service1 with unexampled fortitude and patience through all the danger and toils of a long and severe war4 7#ac7 ,afterwards1 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 ,assembly4 7#ad7 ,according to the ,rhode ,island ,state ,archives1 the ,first ,rhode ,island ,regiment included at least the following soldiers3 ,babcock1 ,priamus 7,primus72 ,bent1 ,prince2 ,bours1 ,cato2 ,brown1 ,priamus 7,primus72 ,burk1 ,africa2 ,burroughs1 ,john2 ,carpenter1 ,cudgo2 ,champlin1 ,dick2 ,champlin1 ,jack2 ,champlin1 ,july2 ,champlin1 ,newport2 ,champlin1 ,sharper2 ,champlin1 ,york2 ,clark1 ,james2 ,coddington1 ,jack2 ,fones1 ,jack2 ,gardner1 ,cuff2 ,gardner1 ,hercules2 ,gardner1 ,minkl2 ,gardner1 ,preamus 7,primus72 ,gardner1 ,rutter2 ,gray1 ,ebenezer2 ,green1 ,cuff2 ,greene1 ,cato2 ,greene1 ,jack2 ,greene1 ,pero2 ,greene1 ,william2 ,hammond1 ,prince2 ,harriss1 ,cesar2 ,hazard1 ,backus2 ,hazard1 ,jabin2 ,hazard1 ,jacob2 ,hazard1 ,peter2 ,hazard1 ,peter2 ,lefavour1 ,thom2 ,mason1 ,warsen2 ,mawney1 ,cyrus2 ,minturn1 ,jack2 ,mowrey1 ,pero2 ,nichols1 ,thomas2 ,perry1 ,ganset2 ,phillips1 ,philow2 ,pierce1 ,titus2 ,potter1 ,david2 ,randall1 ,prince2 ,rhodes1 ,bristol2 ,rhodes1 ,priamus2 ,rhodes1 ,richard2 ,rhodes1 ,samuel2 ,richmond1 ,ebenezer2 ,robinson1 ,mingo2 ,rodman1 ,isaac2 ,rodman1 ,mingo2 ,rodman1 ,prince2 ,rose1 ,cesar2 ,saltonstall1 ,brittain2 ,saunders1 ,sampson2 ,sheldon1 ,cesar2 ,slave2 ,slave2 ,smith1 ,juba2 ,sweeling1 ,query2 ,talbot1 ,sigby2 ,tanner1 ,quam2 ,tillinghast1 ,cuff2 ,updike1 ,cesar2 ,updike1 ,moses2 ,vaughan1 ,prince2 ,vernon1 ,cato2 ,watson1 ,fortune2 ,wells1 ,cesar2 ,wickes1 ,nat2 and ,willbour1 ,boston4 #c4 ,congressional gold medal 7a7 ,award authorized ,the ,speaker of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,president pro tempore of the ,senate shall make appropriate arrangements for the award1 on behalf of the ,congress1 of a single gold medal of appropriate design to the ,first ,rhode ,island ,regiment1 collectively in recognition of their dedicated service during the ,revolutionary ,war4 7b7 ,design and striking ,for the purposes of the award referred to in subsection 7a71 the ,secretary of the ,treasury 7hereafter in this ,act referred to as the ,secretary7 shall strike the gold medal with suitable emblems1 devices1 and inscriptions1 to be determined by the ,secretary4 7c7 ,rhode ,island ,state ,library 7#a7 ,in general ,following the award of the gold medal in honor of the ,first ,rhode ,island ,regiment of the ,revolutionary ,war under subsection 7a71 the gold medal shall be given to the ,rhode ,island ,state ,library1 where it will be displayed as appropriate and made available for research4 7#b7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that the ,rhode ,island ,state ,library should make the gold medal received under paragraph 7#a7 available for display elsewhere1 particularly at other appropriate locations associated with the ,first ,rhode ,island ,regiment of the ,revolutionary ,war4 #d4 ,duplicate medals ,the ,secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal struck under section #c1 at a price sufficient to cover the costs thereof1 including labor1 materials1 dies1 use of machinery1 and overhead expenses4 #e4 ,status of medals 7a7 ,national medals ,medals struck pursuant to this ,act are national medals for purposes of chapter #ea of title #ca1 ,united ,states ,code4 7b7 ,numismatic items ,for purposes of sections #eacd and #eacf of title #ca1 ,united ,states ,code1 all medals struck under this ,act shall be considered to be numismatic items4 #f4 ,authority to use fund amounts2 proceeds of sale 7a7 ,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 ,act4 7b7 ,proceeds of sale ,amounts received from the sale of duplicate bronze medals authorized under section #d shall be deposited into the ,united ,states ,mint ,public ,enterprise ,fund4 ,passed the ,senate ,june #aa1 #bjbf4,secretary