Fort Ward Hosts Battle Reenactment

Captain Jess Phillips and Dragoon Gregory Fisher both at right (Photo by James Cullum)

The 17LD participates in the skirmish at Fort Ward on 20 February as reported in the Old Town Alexandria Patch.

Dragoon Gregory Fisher kneeling at right

The 17LD participated in the Battle at Fort Ward on Sunday, 20 February.  More of the battle was reported in the Alexandria Times.

This Day in 17LD History - 1776

War Office 21st Febry 1776.

Sir,

I send you the enclosed order for the March of the Volunteers & Recruits of the 17th Reg[imien]t of Light Dragoons under your Command to Newcastle, and to acquaint you that the same is not to be carried into execution unless you cannot get a passage for them, in proper time, either from Edinburgh or Berwick.

 I am Sir & c Barrington

Cornet Hamilton of the 17th Reg[imen]t of Light Dragoon

Linlithgow No. Britain

[Source: P.R.O., W.0.4/96, #153.  Microfilm Collection of the David Library of the American Revolution.  Transcribed by Gilbert Riddle]

This Day in 17LD History - 1776

Sir,

I send you the enclosed order for the March of the Volunteers & Recruits of the 17th

Reg[imien]t of Light Dragoons under your Command to Newcastle, and to acquaint you that the same is not to be carried into execution unless you cannot get a passage for them, in proper time, either from Edinburgh or Berwick.

  I am

 Sir & c

Barrington

Cornet Hamilton of the 17th Reg[imen]t of Light Dragoons           

Linlithgow No. Britain

[Source: P.R.O., W.0.4/96, #153.  Microfilm Collection of the David Library of the American Revolution.  Transcribed by Gilbert Riddle]

"War Office, 29th January 1776

Lord Barrington to General Howe

Sir,

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your Letters of the 12th and 13th of December, with the papers enclosed, and to acquaint you that the promotions recommended in the former have been confirmed by His Majesty, who likewise approves of the leaves of absence you have thought proper to grant.

I am to inform you that Brigadier Robertson of the 16th Regiment is appointed Colonel of the 2d Battalion of Royal Americans in the room of Major Haldimand promoted, and Brigadier Jones of the 52d is made Colonel of 62d Regiment, vice Strode, deceased.

Enclosed you will receive the Extract of a Letter from Major General Campbell of the 35th Regiment which has induced His Majesty to prolong Captain Drew's leave of absence to the latter end of May.

The King having been pleased to direct that the Regiments mentioned in the Margin shall embark the first or second Week of March for North America, I have the honor to acquaint you therewith, and that they are to embark according to the Establishment of 677 each /including Officers/ with Tents and Camp Necessaries compleat [sic].  It is likewise intended that each of the said Battalions shall have two additional Companies to remain at home for the purpose of recruiting.

His Majesty has also thought proper to direct that One Cornet, One Serjeant, two Corporals and thirty private Men dismounted shall be added to each of the Troops of the 16th and 17th Regiments of Light Dragoons; and that the said augmented numbers shall be sent out to North America at the same time as the 16th Regiment, and the remount Horses of the 17th.

I am further to inform you it is proposed to send out the Recruits for the Regiments under your Command, in Detachments, as occasion may require on board Victualling [sic] Transports &c as a Guard for the protection of the said Vessels, and that a Detachment of Recruits for the 6th Regiment consisting of about 30 Men, Non Commissioned Officers included, under the Command of two Subalterns has been accordingly ordered to embark on board the Renown   [sic] Hays.  You will be pleased to give such directions as you may think proper relative to these Recruits and any other Detachments which shall arrive in North America at places where their Regiments may not at that time be stationed.

3d Foot Amherst's,
9th Ligonier's
11th A'Court Ashe's
20th Parker's
24th Tayler's [sic]
34th Cavendishe's
53d Eliphinstoric's
62d Jones's

I have the honor to be Sir, Your most obedient and Most humble Servant.  Barrington

Hon[ora]ble Major General Howe, &c   &c   &c

[Source: British Headquarters Papers, Micro film Collection, The David Library of the American Revolution.  Item No. 114 (1-2).]

War Office 27 January 1776


Sir,


Enclosed I have the honour to send you some printed Copies of His Majesty's most gracious Pardon to Deserters from the Land Forces; and am to signify to you His Majesty's Pleasure, that all such who shall surrender themselves before the 10th April next, to any of your Regi­ment, be received and regularly attested for the same, provided it appears they were actually Deserters before the Publication of His Majesty's Pardon, and that they are able bodied Men, and fit for Service.

It is His Majesty's further Pleasure that for every Such Deserter so entertained for your Regiment, the Sum of Twenty Shillings be paid to the Regiment from which he deserted.

If such Deserters shall be totally unfit for Service, you are forth with to give them a Certificate of their having surrendered agre[e]- able to His Majesty's directions, which Certificate shall entitle them to the full benefit of this Pardon.

     But, if it shall appear that the Desertion was committed since the publication of His Majesty's Pardon, then such Deserter, tho he may have surrendered himself to your Regiment, shall, nevertheless, be confined as a Deserter, and Notice thereof given to this Office, that the necessary Orders may be sent for conveying him to the Corps to which he belonged.

I am to desire that, for His Majesty's information, a Return may be made to me on the 11th of April of the number of Deserters who shall have surrendered to your Regiment or any Party thereof, specify­ing also the Corps to which they formerly belonged.

You will be pleased to cause the several particulars of this Letter to be communicated to every Officer of your Regiment on the Recruiting Duty.

I have the hon[o]r to be Sir &c Barringt

R[igh]t Hon[ora]ble

General Henry Seymour Conway, Colonel of the Royal Reg[imen]t of Horse Guards

Like Letters of the same date, to the Colonels of the Regiments of Cavalry and Infantry, on the British Establishment, as under, Cavalry

1st Regiment of Dragoon Guards ……………...........Mostyn' s 2d do ............................…………………………..Townshend's 3d do ............................……………………………….Manner's 1st Regiment of Dragoons…………………………Pembroke' s 2d do ............................……………………………..Panmure’s 3d do ............................………………………………..Fitzroy's 4th do ............................……………………………Carpenter's 6th do  /or InniskiIlen's/…………………………...........Harvey's 7th do ...........................……………………………….Howard's 10th do ..........................…………………………….Mordaunt's 11th do.........................………………………………Johnston's 15th do  /or King's Light Dragoons/. ……………….……Elliot's 16th do  /or Queen's Light Dragoons/ ……………..Burgoyne's 17th do  /Light Dragoons/.........……………………….Preston's

[Source: P.P.O., W.0. 4/96, #190-191 Microfilm Collection of the David Library of the American Revolution. Transcribed by Gilbert Riddle.