Dunmore's Proclamation

(Wikipedia) Dunmore's Proclamation is a historical document issued on November 7, 1775, by John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore, royal governor of the British Colony of Virginia. The Proclamation declared martial law and promised freedom for slaves of American patriots who left their masters and joined the royal forces.
... The only notable battle in which Dunmore's slaves participated was the Battle of Great Bridge, which was a decisive British loss. Although few slaves reached Dunmore (estimates vary, but generally range between 800 and 2000), it is estimated that up to 100,000 attempted to leave their masters and join the British. Those escaped slaves who managed to join the British became known as Dunmore's Ethiopian Regiment. Continued