The King's American Dragoons were a British provincial military unit, raised for Loyalist service during the American Revolutionary War. They were founded by Colonel Benjamin Thompson, later Count Rumford, in 1781.[1] They were initially formed from the remnants of other British Loyalist units, including Black Loyalist soldiers.
| King's American Dragoons | |
|---|---|
 Lt.Col. Benjamin Thompson Count Rumford | |
| Active | 1781-1783 |
| Country |  Great Britain |
| Allegiance | British Army |
| Branch | dragoons (mounted infantry) |
| Type | British provincial unit, (auxiliary troops) |
| Role | demolition, construction |
| Size | ? |
| Garrison/HQ | Long Island, Province of New York |
| Engagements | American Revolutionary War Never saw combat |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Major General Sir Guy Carleton Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Thompson |
The King's American Dragoons primarily served on Long Island in 1782 and early 1783,[2] where they earned local notoriety for destroying a church and burial ground in order to erect Fort Golgotha in Huntington.[3]
They were evacuated from New York and resettled in Saint John, New Brunswick, in July 1783.[4] They were disbanded there in October.[5]
References
edit- ^ Ellis, George Edward; Sciences, American Academy of Arts and (1 January 1871). Memoir of Sir Benjamin Thompson, count Rumford: with notices of his daughter. Estes and Lauriat.
- ^ Siebert, Wilbur Henry (1 January 1916). The Loyalist Refugees of New Hampshire. Ohio State University.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 April 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2010.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Ellis, George Edward; Sciences, American Academy of Arts and (1 January 1871). Memoir of Sir Benjamin Thompson, count Rumford: with notices of his daughter. Estes and Lauriat.
- ^ Ellis, George Edward; Sciences, American Academy of Arts and (1 January 1871). Memoir of Sir Benjamin Thompson, count Rumford: with notices of his daughter. Estes and Lauriat.
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