1st Continental Light Dragoons
Encyclopedia
The 1st Continental Light Dragoons, also known as Bland's Horse, was a mounted regiment
of the Continental Army
organized between 13 June and 10 September 1776 in Williamsburg, Virginia
from eastern and northern Virginia for service with the Continental Army
.
The regiment was first authorized 8 June 1776 in the Virginia State Troops as the 1st, 2d, 3d, 4th, 5th (Captain Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee) and 6th Troops of Light Horse, and on 25 June 1776 mustered as the Virginia Light Horse Regiment. It was first adopted by and then accepted into the Continental Army, designated as the 1st Continental Light Dragoons on 25 November 1776.
On 7 April 1778 Lee's Troop was replaced by Captain Addison Lewis's troop. Lee's Troop then expanded into Lee's Legion
, designated the 2nd Partisan Corps in 1781. The 1st Continental Light Dragoons were re-assigned to the Southern Department
on 8 November 1778 when the Corps of Continental Light Dragoons was broken up as an organization. The regiment was officially re-organized on 1 January 1781 consisting of four mounted and two dismounted troops and redesignated the 1st Legionary Corps. On 2 November 1782, reflecting an amalgamation that had occurred in the spring of 1780, the unit was consolidated with the 3d Legionary Corps
, maintaining five troops, and the new unit was designated 1st Legionary Corps.
The regiment saw action at the Battle of Brandywine
, Battle of Germantown
and the Battle of Guilford Court House
. The regiment was disbanded on November 15, 1783 at Winchester, Virginia
.
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
of the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
organized between 13 June and 10 September 1776 in Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
from eastern and northern Virginia for service with the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
.
The regiment was first authorized 8 June 1776 in the Virginia State Troops as the 1st, 2d, 3d, 4th, 5th (Captain Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee) and 6th Troops of Light Horse, and on 25 June 1776 mustered as the Virginia Light Horse Regiment. It was first adopted by and then accepted into the Continental Army, designated as the 1st Continental Light Dragoons on 25 November 1776.
On 7 April 1778 Lee's Troop was replaced by Captain Addison Lewis's troop. Lee's Troop then expanded into Lee's Legion
Lee's Legion
Lee's Legion was a military unit within the Continental Army during the American Revolution. It primarily served in the Southern Theater of Operations, and gained a reputation for efficiency and bravery on the battlefield.The original unit was raised June 8, 1776, at Williamsburg, Virginia, under...
, designated the 2nd Partisan Corps in 1781. The 1st Continental Light Dragoons were re-assigned to the Southern Department
Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War
The Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War was the central area of operations in North America in the second half of the American Revolutionary War. During the first three years of the conflict, the primary military encounters had been in the north, focused on campaigns around the...
on 8 November 1778 when the Corps of Continental Light Dragoons was broken up as an organization. The regiment was officially re-organized on 1 January 1781 consisting of four mounted and two dismounted troops and redesignated the 1st Legionary Corps. On 2 November 1782, reflecting an amalgamation that had occurred in the spring of 1780, the unit was consolidated with the 3d Legionary Corps
3rd Continental Light Dragoons
The 3rd Continental Light Dragoons, also known as Baylor's Horse or Lady Washington's Horse, was a mounted regiment of the Continental Army raised on January 1, 1777 at Morristown, New Jersey...
, maintaining five troops, and the new unit was designated 1st Legionary Corps.
The regiment saw action at the Battle of Brandywine
Battle of Brandywine
The Battle of Brandywine, also known as the Battle of the Brandywine or the Battle of Brandywine Creek, was fought between the American army of Major General George Washington and the British-Hessian army of General Sir William Howe on September 11, 1777. The British defeated the Americans and...
, Battle of Germantown
Battle of Germantown
The Battle of Germantown, a battle in the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War, was fought on October 4, 1777, at Germantown, Pennsylvania between the British army led by Sir William Howe and the American army under George Washington...
and the Battle of Guilford Court House
Battle of Guilford Court House
The Battle of Guilford Court House was a battle fought on March 15, 1781 in Greensboro, the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, during the American Revolutionary War...
. The regiment was disbanded on November 15, 1783 at Winchester, Virginia
Winchester, Virginia
Winchester is an independent city located in the northwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the USA. The city's population was 26,203 according to the 2010 Census...
.
External links
- Bibliography of Continental Army Dragoons compiled by the United States Army Center of Military History