Alamance Battleground

The Division of North Carolina State Historic Sites is committed to sharing the stories of African Americans whose lives have intersected with our historic sites. We have launched the #TrueInclusion initiative to highlight the broad interpretive work already happening at our sites and emphasize our continued goal of sharing an inclusive narrative from the mountains to the coast.
Today, Alamance Battleground brings you the stories of Dina, Cuffee, and Toney, and remembers also the many unnamed enslaved people who labored for the defense of New Bern’s citizens during the Regulator uprising. 
As part of the preparations for a militia campaign, royal governor William Tryon used the labor of enslaved people in various ways. When rumors of a Regulator attack circulated around New Bern, Tryon ordered the construction of earthworks between the Trent and Neuse rivers to defend the approach to town. Of the “sundry laborers” who worked on the project, many were enslaved. Evidence of the enslaved persons who dug these earthworks can be found in the accounting of payments made for the campaign. But many of those people are unnamed and payment went directly to their enslavers. One payment mentions a woman named Dina, who might have been paid directly for her labor. The document reads “To Mr. Cogdell's Dina,” which is different than most notations for labor that list the name of the enslaver and the notation “for Negro hire.” Two other men, listed as Cuffee** and Toney, may also have been paid directly.  
**The name “Cuffee” is believed to be originally derived from the Akan name Kofi, meaning ‘born on a Friday.’ It was a common name for enslaved persons in the 18th century, but by the 19th century was also used as a derogatory or generalized term for Black men.
 

Alamance Battleground State Historic Site:

Instagram:  @alamancebattleground
Facebook:  @alamancebattlegroundshs
Twitter:  @alamance_1771