Full Name
Colonel Tye (also known as Titus Cornelius)
Date of Birth
1753
Date of Death
1780
Place of Birth
Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States
Place of Death
Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States
Occupation
Slave, Soldier, Colonial Militia Officer
Known Affiliates Names
- John Corlies (former slave owner)
- John Graves Simcoe (leader of the Queen’s Rangers)
- William Franklin (Loyalist New Jersey Royal Governor)
- Stephen Blucke (successor as leader of the Black Brigade)
Affiliated Organizations’ Names
- British Army Ethiopian Regiment (1775-1776)
- Black Brigade (1778-1780)
Major Battles/Wars
- American Revolutionary War
- Battle of Monmouth (June 28, 1778)
Brief Biography
Colonel Tye, born as Titus Cornelius around 1753, was a slave of African descent in the Province of New Jersey. He was one of four slaves owned by Quaker John Corlies from Shrewsbury, Monmouth County, New Jersey. Tye escaped from slavery during the American Revolutionary War and joined the British forces. He quickly gained respect for his military skills and was given the honorary title of Colonel. He led the Black Brigade, a group of Loyalist raiders, conducting raids and assassinations across New Jersey. Tye’s intimate knowledge of the local area was a valuable asset to the British forces. He died in 1780 from tetanus and lockjaw resulting from a gunshot wound[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8].
Citations: [1] https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/colonel-tye [2] https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/people-african-american-history/colonel-tye-1753-1780/ [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonel_Tye [4] https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part2/2p52.html [5] https://blackloyalist.com/cdc/people/secular/tye.htm [6] https://www.nps.gov/gate/learn/historyculture/cornelius-titus.htm [7] https://revolutionarynj.org/people/colonel-tye/ [8] https://constitutionallawreporter.com/great-american-biographies/colonel-tye/