Country Great Britain | Allegiance British Army | |
Branch British Provincial unit Type infantry, dragoons (mounted infantry), (auxiliary troops) Role special operations, maneuver warfare, guerrilla warfare light infantry, cavalry Size three battalions (500 each), brigade (1,500) | ||
De Lancey's Brigade, also known as De Lancey's Volunteers, De Lancey's Corps, De Lancey's Provincial Corps, De Lancey's Refugees, and the "Cowboys" or "Cow-boys", was a Loyalist British provincial military unit, raised for service during the American War of Independence. Its commander was Brigadier General Oliver De Lancey.
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Brigade raised in Province of New York
De Lancey's Brigade was raised in September 1776 on Long Island, New York, after the Patriot forces had lost the Battle of Brooklyn during the British New York Campaign. The Brigade consisted of three battalions of five hundred men each, with De Lancey serving both as brigadier general and colonel of the 1st Battalion.
Garrison duty
In the winter of 1776–1777, De Lancey's three battalions were stationed (one each) at Oyster Bay, Huntington, Brookhaven, Long Island, and Kingsbridge, Bronx. In May 1777, the 1st and 2nd Battalions moved to the Kingsbridge area, north of Manhattan. The following month, the 1st returned to Long Island, while the 2nd remained at Kingsbridge. In the spring of 1778, the forts that had been erected at Huntington and Brookhaven were abandoned, and the 1st and 3rd Battalions removed to encamp near New Town.
Patrolling Long Island's "Neutral Ground"
Brigadier General Oliver De Lancy conducted regular operations in the region east of New York City, in Westchester County, New York, between Morrisania and the Croton Rivers, which was infamously known as the "Neutral Ground" of eastern Long Island. Lawlessness and guerrilla warfare occurred between De Lancey's "Cowboys" and their rivals, the New Jersey Volunteers, known by their nickname, the "Skinners", British loyalist marauders who both stole cattle, looted, and gathered military intelligence in the New York island countryside.
Campaigns and Battles
In November 1778, although the Brigade had originally been formed "for the defense of Long Island", the 1st and 2nd Battalions were ordered South, where they served under Lt. Col. Archibald Campbell. The 1st and 2nd Battalions fought successfully in the Siege of Ninety-Six and at the Battle of Eutaw Springs and other battles in the Carolinas. The 3rd Battalion remained on Long Island for the entire war, as did De Lancey himself.
The entire brigade was disbanded in Woodstock, New Brunswick, Canada in 1783.