Friday, October 9, 2015

Green Spring--Cornwallis's Order of Battle

British outposts in Virginia.  Painting by Edward Lamson-Henry
After campaigning in South and North Carolina, Lord Charles Cornwallis advanced into Virginia, where he linked up with a British army under Benedict Arnold which was already in the area.  The Marquis de Lafayette was sent to keep Cornwallis from overrunning the state. But Cornwallis laid a trap for Lafayette at Green Spring.  There, he made it appear that most of his army had crossed the James River.  Major-General "Mad" Anthony Wayne attacked--only to find most of Cornwallis's battle-hardened veterans waiting for him.  To buy time, Wayne organized a counter-attack and Lafayette was able to extricate him from his dangerous situation.  This order of battle for Cornwallis's army at the Battle of Green Spring (July 6, 1781) was taken from http://web.archive.org/web/20060709171639/http://www.battleofgreenspring.org/participants/participanthistory/orderofbattle.html

Advanced Guard, Colonel Bannistre Tarleton
  • 17th Light Dragoons
  • British Legion
  • Jaegers
Camp Guard
  • 71st Regiment of Foot, 2nd Battalion
  • 82nd Regiment of Foot, Light Company
  • Regiment von Bose
Dundas's Brigade
  • Royal Artillery
  • 43rd Regiment of Foot
  • 76th Regiment of Foot
  • 80th Regiment of Foot
Yorke's Brigade
  • 1st Battalion of Light Infantry
  • 2nd Battalion of Light Infantry
  • Brigade of Guards
  • 23rd Regiment of Foot
  • 33rd Regiment of Foot
A Rifleman of the Queen's Rangers
Baggage Guard, Lt. Colonel Simcoe
(Simcoe's troops had crossed

the James River and did not participate in the battle)
  • Queen's Rangers
  • North Carolina Volunteers

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