Talk:Light Infantry Division at Yorktown (1781)

Sitrep

This needs more context in the lead, more like this. I don't see a real need for the names of all the officers & men, as included now. Also, if possible, I'd want more information on what this formation did. That's at a glance... TREKphiler ^{any time you're ready, Uhura} 03:07, 15 September 2011 (UTC)

Progrep

These items have been addressed, thanks for the help. Cfrye66 (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 23:24, 16 September 2011 (UTC).

Roll of Commanders

The following is a list of the company commanders within LaFayette's command of light infantry. The source for this information is predominantly state rolls and pension applications. The numbers in parentheses are the number of rank & file that were initially assigned to these units, and the approximate number that were fit for duty in early October 1781 (based on Edward Hand's rolls of October 6th and 13th). Some of the companies are denoted with a "li.c." which means these were the designated light infantry companies for their regiments as of January 1781.

1st Brigade:
Commander: Brigadier General Peter Muhlenburg (1150, 700)
Brigade Major: Capt John Hobby, 10th MA

LTC Jean Joseph Sourbader de Gimat's Regiment: (370, 250)
Capt Stephen Olney, 1st RI, li.c.
Capt Thomas Hunt, 9th MA, li.c.
Unknown Captain, 10th MA, li.c.
Capt Jonathan Heart, 1st CT, li.c.
Capt John St. John then Elijah Chapman, 2nd CT, li.c.
Capt Roger Welles, 3rd CT, li.c.
Capt Samuel Augustus Barker, 4th CT, li.c.
Capt Richard Douglass, 5th CT, li.c.

LTC Francis Barber's Regiment (380, 200)
Capt Moody Dustin, 1st NH, li.c.
Capt William Rowell, 2nd NH, li.c.
Capt Aaron Ogden, 1st NJ, li.c.
Capt Jonathan Forman, 1st NJ, li.c.
Capt Thomas Pry, Canadian, li.c.
Capt Cyrus D'Hart, 2nd NJ
Capt Jonathan Holmes, 2nd NJ
Capt William Piatt, 2nd NJ

Col Joseph Vose's (1st MA) Regiment (370, 250)
Unknown Captain, 1st MA, li.c.
Capt Robert Bradford, 2nd MA, li.c.
Unknown Captain, 3rd MA, li.c.
Unknown Captain, 4th MA, li.c.
Capt Joshua Benson, 5th MA, li.c.
Unknown Captain, 6th MA, li.c.
Capt William White, 7th MA, li.c. (Killed while at Siege of Yorktown)
Unknown Captain, 8th, MA, li.c.

2nd Brigade: (note that these units were still very close to full strength at the beginning of October, 1781, so only that number is shown)
Commander: Brigadier General Moses Hazen (800)
Brigade Major: Capt Leonard Bleeker, 1st NY

LTC John Laurens' Battalion (250)
Major John N. Cumming, 2nd NJ
Capt Stephen Betts, 3rd CT
Capt Ebenezer Williams, MA
Capt Isaac Frye, 1st NH
Capt Samuel Cherry, 2nd NH
Capt Enoch Chase, 2nd NH

LTC Ebenezer Huntington's Battalion (200)
Major Nathan Rice, MA
Capt Samuel Comstock, 5th CT
Capt Benjamin Pike, MA
Capt James Morris, 2nd CT
Capt Joseph Bates, 7th MA

LTC Alexander Hamilton's Battalion (200)
Major Nicholas Fish (commanded during taking of Redoubt #10)
Capt Lemuel Clift, 1st CT
Capt Thaddeus Weed, 2nd CT
Capt Daniel Williams, 1st NY
Capt William Sackett, 2nd NY

LTC Edward Antill's (Hazen's Canadian Regiment) (200)
Major Tarleton Woodson
Capt Laurent Olivier, Canadian
Capt William Satterlee, Canadian
Capt James Dunacan, Canadian
Capt Hughes, Canadian
Capt Philip Lebert, Canadian
Capt Clement Gosselin, Canadian

In the 2nd Brigade the battalions of Laurens and Huntington were initially a regiment under Col Alexander Scammell who was wounded and died on October 4th, 1781. Washington's orders on October 8th distributed the companies as shown. The composition of the units in Scammell's regiment was not strictly by state. There were not as many men in the NH regiments so the NH captains had a mix of men from NH, MA, and CT within their companies. Scammell's regiment was a regiment of "picked" men, meaning the best men remaining at West Point (after the light companies went south with LaFayette in late February) were selected and assigned to Scammell's regiment. Scammell's Regiment was refilled after the Battle of King's Bridge (July 3, 1781), and again in August just prior to marching for Yorktown to replace wounded or unfit soldiers.

Regarding the composition of Scammell's regiment, it would initially have contained eight companies of 50 men each. However Washington's orders of July 16 called for an additional commander from NH to be added. Pension records of soldiers who served in this regiment named all of the captains listed above multiple times and no other captains. This strongly implies that there were nine companies with a balanced representation of states by commander. None of the three rolls by Edward Hand (Sept 26, Oct 6, and Oct 13) contain enough information to be certain because the disposition of officers who were sick, on command, on extra duty, etc. is not shown.

The composition of Hamilton's battalion was determined based on all the captain's names being mentioned in Washington's papers. The composition Edward Antill's battalion was determined based on James Duncan's journal and pension records. The composition of Scammell's regiment was based on pension records and Asa Reddington's (a private in Chase's company) journal. The composition of Barber's regiment was researched by John U. Rees. The composition of Vose's regiment was determined from the existing regimental rolls; some regiments did not have rolls in the National Archives. The composition of Gimat's regiment was determined based on a combination of state rolls, James Duncan's journal, and Washington's papers. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Cfrye66 (talk • contribs) 14:57, 16 September 2011 (UTC)