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Orderly Book of General De Lancy's 3 Battalions of LOYALISTS 1776-1778
Orderly Book of The Three Battalions of LOYALISTS
commanded by Brigadier - General Oliver De Lancy, 1776-1778; to which
is appended a list of New York Loyalists in the City of New York during
the war of the Revolution, compiled by William Kelby, Vol III, "John
Divine Jones Fund Series," by the New York Historical Society, New
York, 1917: 147 Pages
PREFACE of the Text
This volume, the third of the
series of the publications of "The John Divine Jones Fund," contains an
Orderly Book, 17761778, relating to the Battalions of Loyalists or
Provincial Troops, raised for the defense of Long Island, and commanded
by Brigadier General Oliver De Lancey, and mentions several regiments
of the British Army and other provincial troops.
Upon the submission of
Long Island to the British in 1776, Sir William Howe, Commander in
Chief of the British Forces made the following appointments which were
announced at Headquarters, New York Island, September 29, 1776, viz.:
Oliver De Lancey, Esq.,
Brigadier General and Colonel of the 1st Battalion; John Harris Cruger,
Esq., Lieut. Colonel; Captain Joseph Greene, late of the 40th Regiment,
Major; 2nd battalion, George Brewerton, Esq., Colonel; Stephen De
Lancey, Esq., Lieut. Colonel; Thomas Bowden, Esq., Major; 3rd
Battalion, Gabriel Ludlow, Esq., Colonel; Richard Hewlet, Esq., Lieut.
Colonel; A. Menzies, Esq., Major; A. Campbell, Esq., Major Brigade.
The above officers had
"offered their services to raise a Brigade of provincials of three
Battalions of 500 men each for the service of His Majesty and the
suppression of the present unnatural Rebellion." The Brigade was raised
for the defense of Long IsIand with the understanding they were not to
leave the Island for any service elsewhere. The entire third Battalion
consisted of natives or Inhabitants of Queens County. In the winter of
1776-77 these battalions were stationed one at Oyster Bay, one at
Huntington and one at Brookhaven. In making out the commission for this
Corps, after the words "for the defense of Long Island" the words "and
other exigencies" were added and in May, 1777, the 1st and 2nd
battalions were ordered to embark at Flushing, L.I., and land at
Morrisania from whence they proceeded to Kingsbridge. The following
month the 1st battalion returned to Long Island while the 2nd battalion
remained at Kingsbridge.
In the Spring of 1778
the forts which had been erected at Huntington and Brookhaven were
ordered to be destroyed much to the dismay of the Inhabitants of Long
Island who were thereafter harassed by raiding parties of the Americans
coming from the Connecticut shore. The 1st and 3rd battalions then
encamped near Newtown, L.I. When the Southern campaign was organized
the 1st and 2nd battalions of De Lancey's Brigade were sent in November
1778 to Georgia, with several other Regiments all under the command of
Lieut. Col. Archibald Campbell where they served until the evacuation
of Georgia and South Carolina by the British. The 3rd battalion was
stationed at Lloyd's Neck where they remained until the evacuation of
New York City. All three battalions disbanded in Nova Scotia.
This Orderly Book covers
the period from September 1776, to June I, 1778, and relates mainly to
the 1st and 3rd battalion of De Lancey's Brigade and their service on
Long Island.
The earliest entry in the
orderly book September 29, 1776 telling of the organization of the
Brigade, appears after the date of May 12, 1777, in the original and
consequently is so printed.
The Orderly Book is
followed by a list of the New York Loyalists or Adherents to the
British Crown in the City of New York, during the War of the
Revolution, compiled by William Kelby, late Librarian of The New York
Historical Society.
Mr. Kelby for years had
made a study of the Loyalists, with a view of publishing a volume, with
notes, but his death on July 27, 1898, prevented the completion of the
work. The list is from contemporary manuscripts and newspapers (1917)
covering the period 1776-1783, and is alphabetically arranged.
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