2nd Continental Light Dragoons
Encyclopedia
The 2nd Continental Light Dragoons, also known as Sheldon's Horse after Colonel Elisha Sheldon, was commissioned by the Continental Congress on December 12, 1776 and was first mustered at Wethersfield, Connecticut
in March 1777 for service with the Continental Army
. The regiment consisted of four troops from Connecticut, one troop each largely from Massachusetts and New Jersey, and two companies of light infantry. The regiment saw action at the Battle of Woodbridge, Battle of Brandywine
, Battle of Kingston, Battle of Schoharie, The Battle of The Flocky (site of the first cavalry charge on American soil), Battle of Paoli, Battle of Whitemarsh, Battle of Morrisania, Battle of Saratoga
, Battle of Germantown
, and the Battle of Yorktown.
The unit almost never served as a whole. Usually individual troops were assigned as necessary. The regiment also performed numerous raids from whaleboats against British and Loyalist installations on Long Island. Some of the successful raids captured Fort St. George, Ft. Slongo and Lloyd's Neck, Long Island. Elements from the unit comprised Washington's personal bodyguard. In 1778, when Loyalist agents and a crack British commando team shadowed Washington for weeks with the intention of kidnapping him, they had to abandon the operation because, according to the British Intelligence Dispatches, "The 2nd Dragoons are (always) with him." The 2nd Dragoons also guarded John Andre
during his incarceration, trial and subsequent execution in Nyack, New York.
The regiments main patrol areas during the war were in Southern Connecticut and New York, where they intercepted British supplies and fought off bands of Loyalist partisans who preyed on local citizens. This duty earned them the nickname "Watchdogs of the Highlands". They also earned the sobriquet "Washington's Eyes", likely because of their spy work. Commander Benjamin Tallmadge became a spy master who ran one of the most successful spy rings of the war, able to infiltrate the British military command in New York city.
On January 1, 1781, the regiment was reorganized by the dismounting of two of its six troops and re-designated the 2nd Legionary Corps. The regiment was furloughed June 9, 1783 at Newburgh, New York and discharged on November 20, 1783 by proclamation of General Washington. The 2nd Light Dragoons are prominent in Colonel John Trumbull
's paintings of the American Revolution.
Wethersfield, Connecticut
Wethersfield is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. Many records from colonial times spell the name Weathersfield, while Native Americans called it Pyquag...
in March 1777 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 consisted of four troops from Connecticut, one troop each largely from Massachusetts and New Jersey, and two companies of light infantry. The regiment saw action at the Battle of Woodbridge, 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 Kingston, Battle of Schoharie, The Battle of The Flocky (site of the first cavalry charge on American soil), Battle of Paoli, Battle of Whitemarsh, Battle of Morrisania, Battle of Saratoga
Battle of Saratoga
The Battles of Saratoga conclusively decided the fate of British General John Burgoyne's army in the American War of Independence and are generally regarded as a turning point in the war. The battles were fought eighteen days apart on the same ground, south of Saratoga, New York...
, 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 Yorktown.
The unit almost never served as a whole. Usually individual troops were assigned as necessary. The regiment also performed numerous raids from whaleboats against British and Loyalist installations on Long Island. Some of the successful raids captured Fort St. George, Ft. Slongo and Lloyd's Neck, Long Island. Elements from the unit comprised Washington's personal bodyguard. In 1778, when Loyalist agents and a crack British commando team shadowed Washington for weeks with the intention of kidnapping him, they had to abandon the operation because, according to the British Intelligence Dispatches, "The 2nd Dragoons are (always) with him." The 2nd Dragoons also guarded John Andre
John André
John André was a British army officer hanged as a spy during the American War of Independence. This was due to an incident in which he attempted to assist Benedict Arnold's attempted surrender of the fort at West Point, New York to the British.-Early life:André was born on May 2, 1750 in London to...
during his incarceration, trial and subsequent execution in Nyack, New York.
The regiments main patrol areas during the war were in Southern Connecticut and New York, where they intercepted British supplies and fought off bands of Loyalist partisans who preyed on local citizens. This duty earned them the nickname "Watchdogs of the Highlands". They also earned the sobriquet "Washington's Eyes", likely because of their spy work. Commander Benjamin Tallmadge became a spy master who ran one of the most successful spy rings of the war, able to infiltrate the British military command in New York city.
On January 1, 1781, the regiment was reorganized by the dismounting of two of its six troops and re-designated the 2nd Legionary Corps. The regiment was furloughed June 9, 1783 at Newburgh, New York and discharged on November 20, 1783 by proclamation of General Washington. The 2nd Light Dragoons are prominent in Colonel John Trumbull
John Trumbull
John Trumbull was an American artist during the period of the American Revolutionary War and was notable for his historical paintings...
's paintings of the American Revolution.
External links
- http://www.myrevolutionarywar.com/states/cl-mt-02.htm
- http://www.dragoons.info/ (Official web site of the Second Continental Light Dragoons)
- http://www.2dragoon.org/ (Web site of The Second Regiment Light Dragoons, Tallmadge's Troop reenactment group)
- Bibliography of Continental Army Dragoons compiled by the United States Army Center of Military History