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And lay my fife beside me there, I'd miss it even in the grave.
And when ye rest beside the spring, At morning's dawn or evening gloom,
Discharge a volley o'er the spot, And cheer the silence of the tomb."
— Excerpt from The Grave of Hammond, Luola Miller, published August 1858
Isaac Hammond's military service should have come to a close with the Militia Act of 1792. When the act passed on May 8, 1792, Hammond's position as a fifer became illegal for him to continue. Only white men were allowed to join militias and serve their country. Yet, less than a year later, in April of 1793, Hammond, a free Black man, resumed his fifing duties with the Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry, a position he would hold for 30 years.
"The Militia Act of 1792 said that no Blacks were allowed to serve in militia units. Yet here he was in the FILI. You could kind of say he was breaking the law, and the FILI let him," said Charles Anderson Jr., a history lecturer at Fayetteville State University.
An FSU double alumnus, Anderson has been teaching history to FSU students since 2015. He has conducted African American history tours of Fayetteville, with stops at the original site of FSU, the E.E. Smith House, the Chesnutt House and Isaac Hammond's grave on the parade grounds of the FILI located at the intersection of Cool Spring and Meeting Streets.
Hammond's birth date, even the year, is unknown. What is known is he was a barber, living in Fayetteville as a free Black man. Hammond's baptism in September of 1755 seems to be his earliest record.
During the Revolutionary War, Hammond joined the 10th Regiment of N.C. Continental Line as a fifer. Hammond was among those who spent that very cold winter of 1777-78 in Valley Forge with Gen. George Washington.
"It was his dream to be a company fifer, and he did it," Anderson said.
A fifer's position within the military ranks was an important one. A fifer plays a small shrill flute called a fife. The fife was particularly useful because soldiers could hear its high-pitched tones over the sounds of combat.
The fifers and drummers would signal battle plans and movements during marches and battles. Soldiers would hear the instruments across the battlefield and know what each drum beat or flute note would mean. By all accounts, Hammond took his job as a fifer very seriously.
When Hammond returned to Fayetteville, he returned to his life as a barber. However, the idea of serving his country never left him. The Revolutionary War ended in 1783. It would be another decade before Hammond would pick up his fife as part of an organized militia. Hammond became the company fifer when the Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry was organized on August 23, 1793.
"Here [in Fayetteville], you had folks that were enslaved. He's free, and he's serving in a military unit, in an important position. In some ways, it can kind of give hope. 'I'm enslaved, but this guy is free. What can I do to be free?'" Anderson said.
Hammond served as the FILI's company fifer until he died in 1822. Records show that not only did he serve despite not being allowed to, he also voted in local elections. His wife petitioned for his pension from the government after he passed. Their family Bible recorded the name of a child, George. Other possible descendants of Hammond are unknown.
Hammond wished to be buried on the FILI parade grounds, to remain near the company he loved. He was given a burial with full military honors, wearing his uniform and his fife at his side. He is the only known person buried on the FILI parade grounds.
"Isaac Hammond demonstrated a willingness to serve something greater than himself, and hopefully that allowed a door to open so that other folks could eventually follow him," Anderson said.
This piece is part of our series, "Local Black History", where we will be featuring local Fayetteville Black history heroes in each issue in February.