BAYLOR'S REGIMENT: The Third Continental Light Dragoons

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Colonel George Baylor was given command of the Third Regiment of Continental Light Dragoons, which would always be known as Baylor's Regiment. The men covered in this book were almost entirely recruited from Virginia, with some men from North Carolina, but who, after the war, settled and raised families not only in Virginia, but in surrounding states, including Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Colonel Baylor, who inspired life-long loyalty in his men, was wounded during 'Baylor's Massacre' in September 1778 and was never able to return to active command. The officers of the Third Regiment have been well documented, based on regimental returns, but the one surviving muster roll of the troops gives us only a snapshot of the men. In order to identify them, it has been necessary to search letters written to and from the regimental officers, quartermaster records, and post-war sources, such as state and federal pension records, rejected pension applications, and bounty land warrants.

Due to this scarcity of documentation, it is not possible to compile a complete listing of the men of the Third Continental Light Dragoons; however, the men and their accounts summarized herein give us insight into their service and the hardships suffered during the war, the battles they fought in, their families, the friendships they made, and quite often, the poverty resulting from their inability to work due to their war wounds. A bibliography and a full-name index add to the value of this work.