Both sides made rather limited use of cavalry during the American Revolutionary War. On the British side, the difficulty in transporting horses across the Atlantic, and of finding fodder for them was a major impediment, but the nature of the terrain in the 13 Colonies was an even bigger factor. Much of the land was still dense forests, swampland, and hills with limited opportunities for the tactical deployment of mounted troops. Still, they were useful; as scouts and  messengers, and there were a few small cavalry charges during the course of the War. 

As part of the reorganization of the Continental army in 1799, 4 regiments of Continental Light Dragoons were created. What became the 3rd regiment was raised by William Baylor in January of  1777, from men residing in Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware, and thus was known as Baylor’s Dragoons. 

Throughout its existence, the troopers wore white jackets with blue facings, with the shade varying from light through dark blue over time. 

This is probably the uniform that most think of when they think of Continental Light Dragoons. 

The device on the red flag is supposed to be a pair of Antlers. Flag by Adolfo Ramos, miniatures are Perry. Curiously, all of their American AWI cavalry are one piece castings (with rather frail legs, I might add), whilst all the British Cavalry are 2 part figures (i.e., horse and rider are separate). I much prefer the later

The Regiment didn’t get off to a very auspicious start; it was ambushed in Tappan, NY in October 0f 1778; Baylor and all but 20 of the 104 men of the Regiment were captured. Thereafter, William Washington, a cousin of General George Washington, commanded the regiment. It suffered further losses at Camden and then in South Carolina, fighting at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, but did manage a charge upon Tarleton’s forces in the final stages of the Battle of Cowpens in 1781. 

We’ve been having and old fashioned New England winter so far this year; It is very cold now (6 degrees F), with between 10 and 20 inches of snow anticipated tomorrow. That can’t help but make one contemplate the misery of even winter encampments, such as Morristown and Valley Forge, and, here in Connecticut, Putnam. Then consider Benedict Arnold’s audacious invasion of Canada in 1776, when his ultimately unsuccessful attempt to capture Quebec was delayed not once but twice by blizzards in December!

The regiment (battalion) has regulation white vests and trousers. 

Pennsylvania had a rather large quota of 12 regiments of Continentals. 

Very snappy reversed colors for the drummer!

Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware were also assigned red facings. 

It had buff facings, and such regiments were supposed to have buff vests, breeches, and belts as well. 

These are Perry Figures in the 1768 warrant unifoprm.

The 52nd fought at many battles of the American Revolution, including Lexington, Concord, Bunker Hill, the Siege of Boston, Long Island, White Plains, occupation of Newport RI, Fort Washington, Princeton, Brandywine, and Fort Montgomery. 

In 1781 the regiment was given the county designation “Oxfordshire”,and in 1803 it was designated as Light Infantry; it formed a part of the famed Light Division during the Peninsular  War.

Those Brirtish troops are going to need some officers to command them at some point, right?

Despite the rather extensive AWI range by Perry Miniatures, it is pretty short of British general officers.

This set is one of the only ones I could find, and 2 of them are wearing the round hats. 

They will serve just fine for now.

Their ranks will be augmented by a number of command figures from Fife and Drum Miniatures in the future. 

The 30th Regiment of Foot (which would later be named the Cambridgeshire Regiment in 1782) had its origins in 1689, when a body of men was raised by Viscount Castleton, and was known as Castelton’s Regiment of Foot. The regiment fought Flanders from 1692 to 1699, and wore grey and purple (!) uniforms; it was disbanded in 1698, but a new regiment raised as marines in 1702, now wearing red coats with yellow facings. They were involved in an assault on Gibraltar in 1704 and the capture of the French fort at Annapolis, Nova Scotia,  in 1710. The regiment was disbanded in 1713 at which time a mutiny related to their pay being greatly in arrears (7 years!) and being dumped 200 miles from home with just 14 days subsistence to assist them. Their commander, General Charles Willis, borrowed 600 GBP to pay them partial arrears, and after initial harsh threats, the men were ultimately paid their long overdue wages by the government. 

 

The regiment was reraised as the 30th Foot in 1714, in response to the increasing Jacobite threat. Although General Willis did see combat during the first Jacobite uprising in 17154, the regiment did not. It served chiefly in the Mediterranean (Minorca, Gibraltar), and Lorient in France.

It was a late arrival to the American War of Independence in 1781, serving in South Carolina and participating in the Battle of Eutaw Springs. 

The regiment is depicted wearing the rather unglamorous “Round hats and roundabouts” of the later War, especially in the South.  

At least their bright yellow facings and the reversed color of the hornist elevate their dress! The figures are once again Perry metals. The flag was created from internet sources. 

During the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars the regiment served at Toulon and Corsica (1793), Egypt (1801 – 1802), Cadiz (1809), Fuentes de Onoro (1811), Badajoz and Salamanca (1812), and Waterloo (1815).