Colonel Tye

Titus Cornelius
Bornc. 1753
Colt's Neck, New Jersey, Great Britain
DiedSeptember 1780 (aged c. 27)
Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States
Cause of deathTetanus and lockjaw from gunshot wound
AllegianceGreat Britain
Years of service1778-1780
Battles/wars

Titus Cornelius, also known as Titus, Tye, and famously as Colonel Tye (c. 1753 – September 1780), was a slave of African descent in the Province of New Jersey who escaped from his master and fought as a Black Loyalist during the American Revolutionary War; he was known for his leadership and fighting skills. He fought with a volunteer corps of escaped Virginia Colony slaves in the Ethiopian Regiment, and he led the Black Brigade associators. Tye died from tetanus from a musket wound in the wrist following a short siege in September 1780 against Captain Joshua Huddy. He was one of the most feared and effective guerrilla leaders opposing the American patriot forces in central New Jersey.[1][2]

  1. ^ "Colonel Tye", Africans in America, PBS
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).