British Legion (American Revolution)

British Legion (American Revolution)
Joshua Reynolds · Public domain · source
Unit name	British Legion
Caption	Banastre Tarleton, commander
Dates	1778–1782
Country	Kingdom of Great Britain
Allegiance	British Empire
Branch	British Army
Type	Cavalry and Infantry regiment (Legion)
Role	Light cavalry, light infantry, reconnaissance, raiding
Size	~250–600 (varied)
Garrison	Charleston, South Carolina
Notable commanders	Banastre Tarleton

British Legion (American Revolution) The British Legion was a Loyalist provincial corps raised during the American Revolutionary War to conduct mounted and dismounted operations in the southern colonies. Organized under British authority and led by Banastre Tarleton, the Legion served in campaigns across South Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia, becoming infamous for aggressive raids, decisive battlefield actions, and controversial behavior toward Patriots and civilians. Its operational history intersects with major events such as the Siege of Charleston (1780), the Battle of Camden, and the Siege of Yorktown.

Formation and Organization

Formed in 1778 after the capture of Philadelphia and while the focus of British strategy shifted south under Sir Henry Clinton, the Legion originated from petitions by Loyalists and directives from the War Office; it drew volunteers from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Georgia and was sanctioned by Clinton and Lord George Germain. Raised as a mixed unit combining cavalry and infantry capabilities, its structure modeled on earlier provincial units like Queen's Rangers and on British light dragoon practices exemplified by regiments such as the 16th Light Dragoons. The corps received the formal title "British Legion" and a commission for its commander, establishing a regimental staff, troop organization, and adjutant roles paralleling British line regiments like the 44th Regiment of Foot.

Uniforms, Equipment, and Strength

Legion troopers wore distinctive uniforms combining elements of British and provincial attire: green coats with black facings contrasted with redcoats of regular units such as the King's Own Royal Regiment, while some detachments adopted buff or black facings akin to the Queen's Rangers. Equipment included brown-bess musket-type muskets, carbines for dragoons similar to those used by the 16th Light Dragoons, pistols, sabres, and leather accoutrements modeled on cavalry of the British Army. Horse procurement involved remounts seized in the colonies and remounted from West India Regiment supplies; logistics relied on supply lines through Charleston, South Carolina and supply convoys protected by naval units like those of the Royal Navy (18th century). Strength fluctuated from an initial complement near 250 to peaks approaching 600 after recruitment drives and consolidation with other Loyalist elements including remnants of the Loyal American and Batteaux companies, while attrition from battle, capture, disease, and desertion reduced numbers during the Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War.

Campaigns and Military Actions

The Legion first saw action in the Intercolonial skirmishes and coastal raids before participating in the Siege of Charleston (1780) campaign where its mobility aided Sir Henry Clinton and General Charles Cornwallis in subduing Patriot defenses; it fought at the Battle of Monck's Corner and conducted the notable cavalry charge at the Battle of Waxhaws often associated with Tarleton's name. In the aftermath of Camden the Legion pursued retreating Patriot forces and engaged militia under leaders like Nathanael Greene and Francis Marion. In Georgia the unit supported operations around Savannah and in counterinsurgency actions against partisans aligned with Thomas Sumter and Andrew Pickens. During the Virginia campaign the Legion joined Cornwallis’s force, conducting forays and reconnaissance culminating in the Siege of Yorktown where detachments were present during the final British capitulation and many Legion members were captured alongside regulars such as the 43rd Regiment of Foot.

Leadership and Notable Officers

The Legion’s commanding officer, Banastre Tarleton, was a charismatic and controversial cavalry leader whose previous service with units like the 81st Regiment of Foot (Aberdeenshire Highlanders) and actions at Charlestown shaped his tactics. Several subordinate officers achieved prominence: Majors and captains who had served in provincial corps or in British regiments such as the 33rd Regiment of Foot and the 71st Regiment of Foot (Fraser's Highlanders) provided company command; adjutant and quartermaster roles were often filled by veterans from the Queen's American Rangers and the Royal American Regiment (60th Regiment of Foot). Notable junior leaders collaborated with Loyalist leaders like Robert Gray and coordinated with Royal Navy officers including Peter Parker during amphibious raids.

Relations with Loyalists and Civilians

As a Loyalist formation, the Legion recruited from and relied upon networks including South Carolina Loyalists, Georgia Loyalists, and refugee communities centered in Charleston, South Carolina and Savannah. Its counterinsurgency role placed it in direct conflict with Patriot militias led by Francis Marion, Thomas Sumter, and Daniel Morgan, exacerbating local tensions. Allegations of harsh conduct, most famously associated with the action at the Waxhaws (Battle of Waxhaws), produced propaganda in Patriot publications and galvanized figures such as Thomas Jefferson and George Washington in denunciations. Conversely, Loyalist civil authorities and magistrates in occupied districts often supported the Legion’s requisitions, billeting, and intelligence networks, while interactions with neutral civilians and Quaker communities varied from cooperation to resentment.

Disbandment and Aftermath

Following the British defeat at Yorktown and the dispatch of prisoners to parole and prisoner exchanges negotiated under British commanders including Charles Cornwallis and diplomats such as Henry Laurens, the Legion’s active operations ceased. After the Treaty of Paris (1783), many Legion members were evacuated with other Loyalists to destinations including New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Great Britain; some entered service in later imperial postings with regiments like the 33rd Regiment of Foot or retired to estates in Jamaica and the Bahamas. The unit’s legacy influenced British light cavalry doctrine and Loyalist historiography debated in works addressing the southern campaigns by historians referencing the Southern Strategy (American Revolution) and biographies of Banastre Tarleton. Surviving veterans appear in pension petitions, Loyalist claims adjudicated by commissions such as the British Loyalist Claims Commission, and memorials in former theaters including monuments near Cowpens National Battlefield and interpretive sites in South Carolina.

Category:Units of the British Army in the American Revolutionary War Category:Loyalist military units in the American Revolution