3rd Light Musings

As I'm deeper in my research regarding the 3rd Light Dragoons, I've realized 2 things:

• May have to write about the 1st Light at the same time, b/c the 2 regiments served together as one whole cavalry regiment during Gen. Greene's time in the south (and a little before that) with Lt. Col. William Washington as its head

• There was collectively twice in the whole war (1776 - formal declaration - to 1783 - end of hostilities and signing of peace treaty) that it seemed like many of the higher ups and regiments collectively said: "f--- it" and either went rogue, or demanded the war end on their terms.

  • 1778 - seems like a popular year. The 2DL officers wrote a damning letter to Sheldon, the 3DL was massacred.

  • 1780 - Gates' reputation collapsed in Camden and Washington said f-- it and sent Greene. Benedict Arnold said f--- it and betrayed the Americans by attempting to give up West Point.

  • 1781 - Almost everyone collectively said f-- it and knew at least one decisive battle needed to be had to force the issue of peace. British with their attacks and Greene pushing Cornwallis up and away from the Carolinas into Virginia and Washington finally coming to his senses and sending his Army and the French down to trap Cornwallis at Yorktown

Anyways, more musings to come and more on America 250 tidbits!

Celebrating 250: The Burning of Ridgefield & Danbury

It is about 2 days early, but talking about the 2nd Light's involvement in the Burning of Ridgefield and Danbury, CT (originally occurred Apr. 27 through 28th, 1777). This post won't be focused on the heroics of Benedict Arnold, Gold Selleck Silliman and David Wooster, but rather the mustering of the 2nd Light and subsequent response.

In my 1st novel, "Patriots" I made allusions that the 2nd Light actually went to Danbury and Ridgefield - but after it had already been burned and with the survivors reeling from Governor Tryon's surprise attack. Ridgefield in particular was where a lot of the grain and foodstores for Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York were stored. Connecticut - throughout the war - was known as the provision state (we fed the Continental Army), all under the deft hand of Jeremiah Wadsworth and a handful of other members of the Commissary and officials of the Revolution.

Once Tryon's attack was successful at Ridgefield and he made his way down to Norwalk with Arnold in pursuit (and a couple of field pieces from John Lamb), there is the sense that the general alarm was raised all across CT. Of course, it was too late for Ridgefield and Danbury, but since the 2nd Light was mustering in Wethersfield, CT - about 30 miles away from the battlefield, one can assume that they rode with all haste. Their first call to action, and only arrived in the half-burnt town to wounded and skittish troops commanded by Silliman. With Wooster mortally wounded and Tallmadge's old commanding officer in charge (along with Arnold who was semi-successful in leading a charge of revenge down by the coast, but failed to really affect anything against Tryon's forces), the 2nd Light could not really do anything.

So when Danbury and Ridgefield burned, there were perhaps two, maybe three troops of men sent and most returned back to Wethersfield when there was nothing to be done.

The other major problem the 2nd Light faced, and would face for the rest of the war, was getting serviceable mounts. Tallmadge had a personal report of 40 serviceable mounts by March 24th, 1777. While there were horses available for the men during the enlistment period, a lot of them were made lame due to training and so the 2nd Light was already in a precarious situation. Winter quarters were about to end soon (campaign season started roughly Apr. and lasted through late Oct./early Nov.) and the officers all knew that they would be expected to field as the newly created regiments of cavalry in the re-formed Continental Army.

During the winter/early spring months, Tallmadge had also been trying to figure out the problem of getting horses by using it as his cover while he worked with Nathanield Sackett and escorted Major John Clark throughout the Long Island area by actually looking for mounts by nearby stables. In the source book "Revolutionary Spies: Intelligence and Espionage in America's First War" by Tim McNeese (2015, Fall River Press): there is mention of Tallmadge going across the Sound and working with Clark for Sackett - and favorable reports from both to Washington regarding Tallmadge and his conduct. This would be his 3rd mention to Washington of his capabilities in discretion and spycraft. (1st mention would be from Nathan Hale - even though there is no proof, there are plenty of allusions and Hale would have mentioned that he had a friend who was a Long Island native that he graduated from Yale with. 2nd mention and 1st meeting would have been Tallmadge and Chatterton Hill during the Battle of White Plains in Oct. 1776.)

I inferred from Clark and Sackett's favorable reports that Washington more than likely realized that Tallmadge was perfectly positioned - both as cavalry officer - but also as a Long Island native, that he would be amenable to being his future spymaster of the area. However, nothing would come of it until after 1778 due to multiple reasons (one of which is that he had a very capable spymaster named Major Alexander Clough in his employ who knew the craft with the aplomb of a veteran and was a member of the 3rd Light Dragoons). Yes...Clough is the subject of my 5th novel and next book I'm currently writing about the 3rd Light.