The New Jersey Volunteers, also known as Jersey Volunteers, "Skinners", Skinner's Corps, and Skinner's Greens (due to their green wool uniform coats), were a British provincial military unit of Loyalists, raised for service by Cortlandt Skinner, during the American Revolutionary War.
| New Jersey Volunteers (Skinner's Greens) | |
|---|---|
,_Nova_Scotia.png) James Moody, 5th Battalion New Jersey Volunteers. | |
| Active | 1776-1783 |
| Country |  Great Britain |
| Allegiance | British Army |
| Branch | British Provincial unit |
| Type | dragoons (mounted infantry), (auxiliary troops) |
| Role | intelligence, special operations, maneuver warfare, guerrilla warfare, light infantry, cavalry light infantry, cavalry, cattle raiding |
| Size | six battalions (500 each), regiment (1,800) |
| Garrison/HQ | New York City, Province of New York |
| Nickname(s) | Jersey Volunteers, Skinner's Corps, Skinner's Greens, Skinners |
| Engagements | American Revolutionary War
Battle of Long Island (1776)
|
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
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Regiment formed in Province of New York
editIn 1776, some American loyalist soldiers formed the New Jersey Volunteers, which was raised in the Province of New York, first as three battalions, and eventually as six, of 500 men each.
Garrison duty
editThe New Jersey Volunteers experienced combat first at the Battle of Long Island, during the British Campaign of New York offensive and after the defeat and flight of the Patriot forces, and was assigned to the initial British garrison of the occupation army, in New York City.
Campaigns
editBrigadier General Cortlandt Skinner performed regular operations, in the region north of New York City, in Westchester County, New York, between Morrisania and the Croton Rivers, which was known as the "Neutral Ground". Lawlessness and guerrilla warfare occurred between Skinner's "Skinners", marauders and their rivals, the British loyalist raiders, De Lancey's "Cowboys" who, both, stole cattle, looted, and gathered military intelligence, in the New York countryside.
One battalion of New Jersey Volunteers was later sent to East Florida, assisting with the capture of Savannah; others served in the Battles of Eutaw Springs and King's Mountain, with a detachment participating with the Siege of Yorktown.
On September 6, 1781, the 3rd Battalion, New Jersey Volunteers, participated with the raid on New London, Connecticut, commanded by Brigadier General Benedict Arnold, and fought at the Battle of Groton Heights.
Regiment disbanded and resettled in British Canada
editIn 1783, after the British lost the war, the New Jersey Volunteers regiment was disbanded in the loyalist settlement of Digby, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in British Canada.
References
edit- Crary, Catherine S. "Guerrilla Activities of James De Lancey's Cowboys in Westchester County: Conventional Warfare or Self-Interested Freebooting?" In The Loyalist Americans: A Focus on Greater New York. Tarrytown, NY: Sleepy Hollow Restorations, 1975.
- Diamant, Lincoln (September 1987). Skinners: Patriot "Friends" or Loyalist "Foes" (PDF). Vol. 4, Number 2.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help) - Gue Belle Willey and John D. Felter (1922). The Neutral Ground. Boston: Stratford Company. p. 1.
revolutionary war neutral ground.
- Kemble, Lieut. Col. Stephen. Journals of Lieut. Col. Stephen Kemble, 1773-1789: And British Army Orders: Gen. Sir William Howe, 1775-1778; Gen. Sir Henry Clinton, 1778; and Gen. Daniel Jones, 1778, American Revolutionary series: British accounts of the American Revolution, British accounts of the American Revolution, Volume 16 of Collections of the New-York Historical Society for the year ... New York: Ardent Media, 1972.
- Lossing, Benson J. The Pictorial Field Book of the Revolution, 2 vols. Reprint, Rutland, VT.: C. E. Tuttle Co., (1851) 1972.
- Shenstone, Susan Burgess. So Obstinately Loyal: James Moody, 1744-1809. Montreal: McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP, 2001.
- Stryker, William Scudder. "The New Jersey Volunteers" (loyalists) in the Revolutionary War. Trenton, NJ: Naar, Day & Naar, 1887.
- Ward, Harry M. Between the Lines: Banditti of the American Revolution. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger, 2002.