## Biography Clinton Wesly Battle was born into slavery in 1849. He learned to read as an adolescent and after Emancipation, he was educated at Shaw University. By age 27, he became Clerk of the Swift Creek Township Board of Trustees. He then served 2 years as a Trustee himself. He was elected in 1876 to the Edgecombe County Commissioners for a two-year term. In 1877, Clinton and his wife Siddie were able to purchase a two-acre homestead in Battleboro, North Carolina and by 1881 they built their home on the land. Clinton Battle, and [[People/Dred Wimberly|Dred Wimberly]], were born into slavery in the year 1849 and in 1883, at the age of 34, and they both were elected and seved together in the North Carolina House of Representatives. In November of 1896, Clinton was excited about the prospects for the social and political advancement of African-Americans. President Wlliam Mckinley, Governor Daniel Russel and State Senator [[W. Lee Person]], all Republican, had just been elected, in large part due to overwhelming support from African-American voters. Battle organised a grand parade and celebration with patriotic decorations and flags. For over an hour, [[Weeks Armstrong]] and the [[Excelsior Band]] from Rocky Mount, with about fifty mounted marshals, led the parade around Battleboro until they proceeded to the speaker's stand where Clinton Battle, in a short and patriotic speech, introduced Senator-elect W. Lee Person. He spoke for 20 minutes about the significance of the just-won victory, and the crowd went wild with enthusiasm. And as usual with a W. Lee Person stump speech, there was a good turn-out of white people who also enjoyed his speech. On November 11, 1897, Battle was appointed the U.S. Postmaster at Battleboro. At 48 yearsold, Clinton Westly Battle had an impressive and distinguished 20 year career behind him - an impeccable record of public service, community engagement, and personal economic success. A year later the Red Shirt Campaign and the Wilmington Massacre occurred and Clinton Battle’s fate was sealed. On January 14,1900, officials who were part of the state-wide coordinated movement to reinstate white rule targeted and arrested Clinton for embezzlement of postal funds and he was tried in Federal Court in Raleigh. Knowing he would face a sham trial, Clinton pled guilty. But, in a separate proceeding, the Hon. [[George Henry White]], African-American attorney and United States congressman, testified under oath in federal court that Clinton had in fact resigned months before his arrest. He further testified that immediately before Clinton Battle tendered his resignation letter, his Battleboro Post Office had been inspected and the books found to be in good order. Nonetheless, Clinton was fined $166.04 and sentenced to 9 months in Halifax County Jail. This sham charge was part of the state-wide campaign to promote the Disenfranchisement Amendment. It was one of a set of manufactured investigations and charges against African-American leaders that were reported on by the Josephus Daniels media apparatus--a major tool of the white supremacist organization in North Carolina. The pro-disenfranchisement press had a heyday with Clinton’s conviction along with the other targeted charges - which were orchestrated right before North Carolina’s August 2, 1900 vote on the [[Disenfranchisement Amendment]]. The Amendement passed and when enactment robbed African American’s citizens of their collective political power for over 60 years. After serving his sentence, Clinton moved to Washington DC, fleeing the continuing white supremacist violent disenfranchisment and targeted destruction of integrated political rule. At times he contemplated returning to his hometown area, going so far as to buy 2 lots on Atlantic Avenue in 1906. But in 1921, still in Washington and getting old, he sold his lots to [[James Whitehead]], who built the impressive home still standing in the Cross Town neighborhood at [[Places/419 Atlantic Avenue]]. Clinton Wesly Battle died on May 15, 1927 and his body was sent home to Rocky Mount on the train to be buried here in Unity Cemetery.` ### Events: