The North Carolina Light Dragoons Regiment was raised on April 13, 1775 at

Wilmington, North Carolina Wilmington is a port city in and the county seat of New Hanover County in coastal southeastern North Carolina, United States. With a population of 115,451 at the 2020 census, it is the eighth most populous city in the state. Wilmington is the ...

, first as provincial troops, then as state troops, then for service with the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

, and finally returned as a State Troop Regiment. On April 16, 1776, the General Assembly authorized the creation of three companies of NC Light Dragoons. These are first considered to be Provincial Troops then State Troops. On March 7, 1777, these companies were placed on the North Carolina Continental Line. All companies of North Carolina Light Dragoons were removed from the Continental Line on January 1, 1779 and ordered to disband. The North Carolina General Assembly decided to retain these units, but it took them several months to figure out how best to employ them. Between February and June of 1779, they were assembled into a new Regiment of State Troops under ex-Continental Col.

François Malmédy François Lellorquis de Malmédy (circa 1750November 1781), the Marquis de Malmédy, (also known as François Malmédy-Gray), possibly a son of Charles-François de Gray de Malmédy and his wife Marie Charlotte Sébastienne Le Masson de Vandelinc ...

, who had marched south with Major General

Benjamin Lincoln Benjamin Lincoln (January 24, 1733 ( O.S. January 13, 1733) – May 9, 1810) was an American army officer. He served as a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Lincoln was involved in three major surrender ...

in late 1778.Lewis, J.D.; ''North Carolina in the American Revolution''
NC Light Dragoons
accessed Jan 30, 2019

Organization

The regiment included the following companies: *1st Company, commanders: John Dickerson until February 1777; Captain Samuel Ashe, Jr., approved March 7, 1777 *2nd Company, commander: Captain Martin Phifer, approved in 1777 *3rd Company, commander: Captain James Jones, resigned October 25, 1776; Captain Cosmo Medici, approved in 1777 *4th Company, commander: Captain John Brown, approved in June 1778 when company was created The regiment was disbanded on January 1, 1779 at

Halifax, North Carolina Halifax is a town in Halifax County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 234 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Halifax County. It is known as "The Birthplace of Freedom" for being the location for the April 12, 1776, adopt ...

and Fort Pitt. Many considered this new Regiment to be Militia, while most considered them to be State Troops. The unit was simply called the North Carolina Light Dragoons Regiment. The regiment saw action at the

Battle of Brandywine The Battle of Brandywine, also known as the Battle of Brandywine Creek, was fought between the American Continental Army of General George Washington and the British Army of General Sir William Howe on September 11, 1777, as part of the Ame ...

and the

Battle of Germantown The Battle of Germantown was a major engagement in the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War. It was fought on October 4, 1777, at Germantown, Pennsylvania, between the British Army led by Sir William Howe, and the American Con ...

. The North Carolina General Assembly decided to retain these units, but it took them several months to figure out how best to employ them. Between February and June of 1779, they were assembled into a new Regiment of State Troops under ex-Continental Col.

, who had marched south with Major General

in late 1778. The regiment was disbanded in 1781, not long after Col. François Malmédy was killed in a duel.

References

Bibliography

Bibliography of the Continental Army in North Carolina
compiled by the United States Army Center of Military History * Lewis, J.D.; ''North Carolina in the American Revolution''

* payroll records during this period
RHSearch.com
* Davis, Charles L.; ''A Brief History of the North Carolina Troops on the Continental Establishment in the War of the Revolution with a Register of Officers of the Same'', published in 1896
Link
accessed Jan 30, 2019 {{DEFAULTSORT:Corps Of North Carolina Light Dragoons 4th Continental Light Dragoons North Carolina militia North Carolina Provincial troops North Carolina State troops North Carolina regiments of the Continental Army