George Baylor
Encyclopedia
George Baylor was an officer in the Continental Army
, serving throughout the American Revolution
.
to George Washington
, and brought the news of the Battle of Trenton
to the Continental Congress
. He was later appointed to lead the 3rd Regiment of Continental Light Dragoons, which often acted as the escort for Martha Washington
. While commanding his Dragoons in September of 1778, his forces were attacked on the night of the 28th as they slept in local homes and barns on Overkill Road in what is now River Vale, New Jersey
. The attack came to be known as the Baylor Massacre
. Colonel Baylor and his men were on an information gathering assignment for General Washington when they were attacked by General "No Flint" Grey's men. The British had many loyal friends among the farmers of that area and it is suspected that one of the farmers alerted the British about the placement of Baylor's men. The American dead where thrown into tanning vats. The wounded were taken to the Tappan Dutch Reformed Church a few miles north over the New York border. There, Baylor's second in command Major Alexander Clough died. Baylor received a bayonet
wound in the lung and was captured, but was later able to rejoin the Continental forces. Along with a number of other colonels, he was promoted to brevet
brigadier general
at the end of the war.
The location of their bodies remained a secret until they were unearthed in an archaeological dig in the 1960s. Many artifacts were found but, unfortunately, the location of them is now unknown.
There is a park dedicated to the Bayor Massacre on Rivervale Road in River Vale.
to regain his health. However, he continued to weaken and died there in 1784.
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...
, serving throughout the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
.
Military career
Baylor was first aide-de-campAide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
, and brought the news of the Battle of Trenton
Battle of Trenton
The Battle of Trenton took place on December 26, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War, after General George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River north of Trenton, New Jersey. The hazardous crossing in adverse weather made it possible for Washington to lead the main body of the...
to the Continental Congress
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
. He was later appointed to lead the 3rd Regiment of Continental Light Dragoons, which often acted as the escort for Martha Washington
Martha Washington
Martha Dandridge Custis Washington was the wife of George Washington, the first president of the United States. Although the title was not coined until after her death, Martha Washington is considered to be the first First Lady of the United States...
. While commanding his Dragoons in September of 1778, his forces were attacked on the night of the 28th as they slept in local homes and barns on Overkill Road in what is now River Vale, New Jersey
River Vale, New Jersey
River Vale is a township in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 9,659. The community was ranked #29 on the 100 Best Places to Live 2007 survey published by CNN/Money magazine....
. The attack came to be known as the Baylor Massacre
Baylor Massacre
A raid, widely known as the "Baylor Massacre" or the "Tappan Massacre", was a surprise attack on September 27, 1778, against the 3rd Regiment of Continental Light Dragoons under the command of Colonel George Baylor during the American Revolutionary War. It occurred in the present-day town of River...
. Colonel Baylor and his men were on an information gathering assignment for General Washington when they were attacked by General "No Flint" Grey's men. The British had many loyal friends among the farmers of that area and it is suspected that one of the farmers alerted the British about the placement of Baylor's men. The American dead where thrown into tanning vats. The wounded were taken to the Tappan Dutch Reformed Church a few miles north over the New York border. There, Baylor's second in command Major Alexander Clough died. Baylor received a bayonet
Bayonet
A bayonet is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit in, on, over or underneath the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar weapon, effectively turning the gun into a spear...
wound in the lung and was captured, but was later able to rejoin the Continental forces. Along with a number of other colonels, he was promoted to brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
brigadier general
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
at the end of the war.
The location of their bodies remained a secret until they were unearthed in an archaeological dig in the 1960s. Many artifacts were found but, unfortunately, the location of them is now unknown.
There is a park dedicated to the Bayor Massacre on Rivervale Road in River Vale.
Death
Baylor never completely recovered from his injuries, and following the end of the war in 1783 he journeyed to BarbadosBarbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
to regain his health. However, he continued to weaken and died there in 1784.
Family
- His nephew was US Congressman Robert Emmett Bledsoe BaylorRobert Emmett Bledsoe BaylorRobert Emmett Bledsoe Baylor was a Kentucky native who later moved to Alabama and then Texas. Baylor was also the nephew of Kentucky politician Jesse Bledsoe....
. - His Great-nephews were Confederate Colonels John BaylorJohn BaylorJohn Robert Baylor was a politician in Texas and a military officer of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War.-Biography:...
and George Wythe Baylor. - His father was Col. John Baylor III (1705–1772). On Col. Baylor III, see Thomas Katheder, The Baylors of Newmarket: The Decline and Fall of a Virginia Planter Family (New York and Bloomington, Ind., 2009).
External links
- Letter from Washington to Baylor, June 19, 1777
- Letter from Washington to Baylor, September 22 1778
- Letter from Baylor to Washington, September 26, 1778
- engravings of Baylor
- H.R. 504 21st Congress, A Bill for the relief of the legal representatives of Colonel George Baylor, December 21, 1830.