American Legion (Great Britain)
The American Legion was a provincial cavalry and infantry corps (regiment) of the British Army in the American War of Independence commanded by Brigadier General Benedict Arnold.
| American Legion | |
|---|---|
 American Legion reenactors at Colonial Williamsburg | |
| Active | 1780–1783 |
| Disbanded | 24 October 1783 |
| Country | .svg.png){kind=small} |
| Allegiance | New York |
| Branch | British Army |
| Type | Provincial Troops |
| Role | Cavalry and infantry |
| Size | Corps (regiment) |
| Part of | British American Forces |
| Facings | Green |
| Engagements | American War of Independence |
| Commanders | |
| Commanding Officer | Brigadier General Benedict Arnold |
History
The American Legion is notable for the fact that Brigadier General Benedict Arnold was commander.[1] It was organised in October 1780 at New York.[2] It accompanied him in his raid upon Virginia and did good service. It was also with him in his expedition into Connecticut in September 1781 in which two forts were stormed and dismantled and the town of New London plundered and burned.[1] The Legion was disbanded on 24 October 1783 in New Brunswick.
Uniform
The Legion's uniform consisted of a red coat with green facings. The coat had short tails, as opposed to those worn by British Regulars who wore long tails.
References
- Collections of the New Brunswick Historical Society. Volume I. Saint John, N. B.: The Daily Telegraph Steam Book and Job Print. 1894. pp. 210-211. OL 7199069M – via Internet Archive.
- Katcher, Philip R. N. (1973). Encyclopedia of British, Provincial, and German Army Units—1775–1783. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books. p. 82. ISBN 0-8117-0542-0. OCLC 514627. OL 5291651M.
Further reading
- Allen, Thomas B. (2010-11-09). Tories: Fighting for the King in America's First Civil War (p. 321). Harper Collins, Inc. Kindle Edition.
External links
- Index to American Legion History at the Loyalist Institute (royalprovincial.com)