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The Loyal American Regiment was raised by Colonel Beverley Robinson Senr. in the Spring of 1777, primarily from Loyalists in Westchester and lower Durchess County, New York. The regiment garrisoned Morrisinia and Kingsbridge, NY that year until they took part in the Hudson Highlands Expedition of October 1777 under Lt. Genl. Sir Henry Clinton.

They received great credit in helping to storm Forts Clinton and Montgomery. While the corps stayed there over the next few weeks, they received scores of new recruits, which led to the promotion of Captains Beverley Robinson, Junr. and Thomas Barclay to lieutenant colonel and major respectively. The regiment continued garrison duty on the lines at Kingsbridge or on Long Island until the Spring of 1779 when they took part in yet another expedition up the Hudson, this time garrisoning the posts of Verplank and Stony Point. When the latter was stormed in July of 1779 the corps lost 60 men of all ranks prisoners. These posts were evacuated in October of 1779 and the corps (between 200-250 men) returned onagain to the lines of Kingsbridge.

In April of 1780 50 men of the corps assisted in the surprise attack on the Pennsylvania Line in Paramus, New Jersey. The regiemnt once remained in garrison until December of 1780 when it was ordered to embark for Virginia under the command of newly appointed Brig. Genl. Benedict Arnold. The regiment suffered very severely throughout January of 1781 and thereafter until they returned to New York in early June of that year. Receiving little rest, they took part in an unsuccessful raid to Pleasant Valley, New Jersey under Brig. Genl. Cortland Skinner of the New Jersey Volunteers. Their last major action would take place in September of 1781 when they were once again requested by Benedict Arnold to be a part of his New London, CT expedition where they experienced some heavy fighting. The regiment returned to Long Island where they remained in garrison until embarking for Nova Scotia in September of 1783.

Several detachments of men from the corps served with distinction and should be noted here. Captain Joshua Barnes led a number of men from the LAR into a new corps of marksmen commanded by Captain (and later Lt. Col.) Andreas Emmerick in August of 1777. Known as Emmerick's Chasseurs, this corps expanded into a legion of cavalry, riflemen, light infantry and chasseurs and served constantly on the lines of Kinsbridge. Unfortunately, the corps was very ill-disciplined, particularly amongst the officers, which directly led to it's disbanding in August of 1779. The second draft made from the regiment came in December of 1779 when the famous British Captain Patrick Ferguson recruited volunteers from amongst the Provincial Corps at New York to serve as riflemen and rangers on the up-coming expedition to take Charlestown, South Carolina. Known as the American Volunteers, this corps landed in Georgia in the beginning of February, 1780 and made it's way to the Siege of Charlestown, taking part in the destruction and dispersal of the Continental Cavalry at Monk's Corner, SC. After the city fell in May of 1780, this corps was supposed to return to their parent regiments in New York, but Ferguson successfully lobbied to have them remain with him in SC.

They served as a detached corps from the army and assisted in the training of Loyalist militia regiments. Their luck ran out with the defeat of Ferguson at King's Mountain. The survivors either returned to their corps over time or sat out the war in prison. The last detachment was that of their light infantry company. Formed under Captain Morris Robinson in August of 1780, this company set sail for Virginia in October of 1780 under Major General Leslie. After some minor forays there, the expedition was ordered to make haste to Charlestown, SC to reinforce the British there. The Light Company served with 5 others raised from other Provincial corps at New York and were collectibvely known as the Provincial Light Infantry. This corps was commanded by Lt. Col. John W. Watson, a regular officer from the Brigade of Foot Guards. This unit operated in the High Hills of Santee, mostly engaged in operations against the rebel partisan Thomas Sumpter. After many skirmishes and casualties, the corps fought at the bloody battle of Eutaw Springs, SC in September of 1781. Suffering many casualties, the companies were returned to their parent units at New York in the Spring of 1782.