NEW SCOTLAND — “The Battle of the Normanskill through African-American Eyes” will be presented by Aaron Mair, for the Nov. 1 program of the New Scotland Historical Association, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Wyman Osterhout Community Center, just off of Route 85, in New Salem. 

This Revolutionary War battle was the only one fought in Albany County.  The marker along Route 146 in Guilderland states, “Battle of Normanskill — fought north of the creek — Schenectady militia with 40 Rhode Island troops disbursed large group of Tories on August 11, 1777.” 

Part of the 1st Rhode Island Regiment was composed of African-American patriots; some were slaves with their owners, others were free blacks and Native Americans.  These Continental soldiers were part of the regular trained forces, the line regiments that did most of the fighting and served for long periods of time, often until they were killed or captured. 

Mair lives in Guilderland and is an epidemiological-spatial analyst for the New York State Department of Health.  He is also an environmentalist and the current president of the Sierra Club.  He was a founder of Arbor Hill Environmental Justice in 1995.  He holds degrees in Southwest Asian and North African studies from Binghamton State University. 

The program is free and open to the public.  For further information, please call 765-4212. 

Editor’s note: Ethie Moak is the publicity chairwoman for the New Scotland Historical Association.