User:Titus234/sandbox

= Ishmael Titus =

Early Life
Ishmael Titus was born in southern Virginia or northern North Carolina (near the Virginia border) in the year 1745 or 1746 according to contradictory accounts. He was enslaved to Harry Bluford who worked hauling goods for the British commissary during the French and Indian War. As a child Titus rode an additional horse which pulled a heavily loaded wagon. In his old age Titus claimed to still remember the striking red coats worn by the British soldiers he delivered goods to during this time. In 1755 Titus was witness to General Edward Braddock's catastrophic defeat. At about age thirteen, Titus was sold to John and Richard Marr. At some point later, the exact date of which is still unknown currently, he was sold to Lawrence Ross. In the spring of 1799, Ross was drafted for the Revolutionary War and sent his slave, Ishmael Titus, to serve in his place.

Service
Ishmael was made to serve in the American Revolution in place of his enslaver, Lawrence Ross, who had been drafted. He fought under Captain James Davis. After his one year term on behalf of Ross, Titus re-enlisted as a free man, serving in the Carolinas on the front lines of the Southern Campaigns for the subsequent two years. During his time in service, he was held in British captivity near the Holston River.

Later Life
Titus’ military service granted him freedom from enslavement, but he still chose to move north, where he eventually landed in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Specifically, he became a member of the White Oaks Community which was founded by self-emancipated and formerly enslaved people. Although his military service is well documented, in 1832, at the age of 89, Titus began a lengthy legal battle to secure his pension. It is said that four leaders of the community went to testify in favor of Ishmael. After numerous court appearances, he was denied pension by Honorable William P. Walker, County Judge of the Berkshires in 1833. Titus died at age 110. He was survived by his wife Lucy Titus, and at least two sons: Harvey and Sherman.

Titus Family Project
The Titus Family Foundation, founded in 2011, and organized primarily by descendent Solomon Titus Taylor. The mission championed by the Titus-Taylor Family is to continue reclaiming Ishamel’s history, and the history of their lineage in its entirety. Solomon, in a recent interview, spoke about the import of facilitating connections between the extended family, who’s relation was obscured prior to the Foundation’s work, emphasizing the value of the realization that “we are not alone anymore pretty much.”  Their research practices include archival and ethnographic research.

Connections with Williams College Faculty and Staff
In 2021, the Titus Foundation began a research collaboration with Williams College professor Dr. Allison Guess and her Africana Studies 200, 234 and 235 classes. The partnership started with a screening of the the film “Come Hell or High Water: The Battle for Turkey Creek” in collaboration with the Zilkha Center and the Davis Center's Social Justice Film Series. These students completed original archival research in the Williamstown, White Oaks, and Bennington area and have also been included in the larger body of work of the foundation. In October 2022, Dr. Guess organized, fundraised, and brought Solomon Titus Taylor to Williamstown and Williams College through a TIDES Grant. This was the first time Solomon and maybe any Titus descendant visited this place. Solomon Titus Taylor has since been granted the title of “research associate” at the college.