History Alive is a program of first-person portrayals of historical figures by presenters who have conducted scholarly research on their character. Born in Charles Town, Martin Delany was a leader in the anti-slavery movement and a superintendent of the Underground Railroad. He co-edited an abolitionist newspaper with Frederick Douglass and attended Harvard Medical College. Delany was a recruiter for the U.S. Colored Troops and in 1865 became the first black field officer when he was commissioned a major.r