Part 1 - Introduction & Recruiting a Regiment
Part 2 - From Recruits to Soldiers
Part 3 - New York 1777
Part 4 - Rhode Island 1778
Part 5 - Raiders & Refugees 1779
Part 6 - To the South 1780/1781
Part 7 - Savannah 1781/1782
Part 8 - Into History 1782/1783

At Kingsbridge they were brigaded with British, Hessian and other Provincial troops, including the Prince of Wales American Volunteers, Independent Companies, 2nd Battalion of DeLancey's and New York Volunteers. Their main duty at Kingsbridge was to contribute to the defense of the northern fortifications of New York and provide working parties for their maintenance.

While stationed at Kingsbridge the regiment participated in two major excursions from the British lines. The first was from September 11th — 16th when two hundred Provincials, including many from the KAR, all under the command of Lt. Col. George CAMPBELL, crossed over the Hudson and marched towards Tappan, New York. This movement was part of a several pronged incursion into Bergen County from Staten Island, Paulus Hook, and Fort Lee by Sir Henry CLINTON, commanding officer at New York and environs.

The object of the raid was to collect cattle and forage, and in some small way, possibly attract attention away from the main British army operations in Pennsylvania.³² None of the troops under CAMPBELL suffered any losses during the foray.³³

The second action was of a much more serious nature. September and October of 1777 were a critical period of the war. The main army under Sir William HOWE had just captured the Rebel capital of Philadelphia while a battered and cut off army under Lt. Genl. John BURGOYNE was fighting for its life above Albany. The British army at New York and environs had a strength of only about 8,000 effective men, many of them Provincials.

With a part of this force though, CLINTON wished to make a diversion in favor of BURGOYNE in the hopes of relieving the pressure on him. Taking 3,000 of his men in the beginning of October, CLINTON sailed up the Hudson to attack the river forts Clinton and Montgomery.³⁴ The King's American Regiment and the King's Orange Rangers were landed on the east side of the river, while the remainder of the British, Germans and Provincials landed below and behind the forts on the west side.

On October 6, 1777 the British attacked the forts by storm, taking many officers and over two hundred soldiers prisoner.³⁵ The KAR had no direct role in the attack except for those men who were attached to Captain Andreas EMMERICH's Company of Chasseurs.

The Chasseurs had been formed at Kingsbridge in late August of 1777 from volunteers from the Provincial Corps stationed there.³⁶ The men were to be active marksmen and were re-equipped with rifles.³⁷ They had a prominent role in the attack on the forts, but the vast majority of troops on the east side of the Hudson were reduced to spectators.³⁸

With the capture of the forts, CLINTON was free to sail up the Hudson as far as he dared to aid BURGOYNE. A large number of troops were re-embarked under General VAUGHAN, but once again the KAR was left out of the fray, staying behind to strengthen the newly captured forts. The entire experience was academic, as soon after, an urgent dispatch arrived from Philadelphia demanding a reinforcement of troops be sent there from the New York garrison.

With the loss of these men, CLINTON had no choice but to level the forts and sail everyone back to their former posts around the city. In the end, the expedition did not change the fate of John BURGOYNE or draw troops away from Washington in Pennsylvania. It did provide an opportunity for the officers and men of the KAR to witness a viscous and bloody battle with little danger to themselves.

The next time they would not be so fortunate as to escape without loss.

31 The regiment marched to Huntington from their quarters at Jamaica (Queens) in two detachments, the first under Colonel Fanning, the second under Captain Fuge. From the first detachment, three companies were moved on to Oyster Bay from Jericho under Major James Grant. Regimental Orders of 31 May, 1 & 10 June 1777. KAR Orderly Book, CL.

32 H. Clinton to Sir William Howe, 23 September 1777. Colonial Office, Class 5, Volume 94, Pages 683–687.

33 "Return of the Killed, Wounded, Prisoners and Missing of the following Corps during an Excursion to Jersey from the 12th to the 16th Septemr. 1777. Colonial Office 5/94/313, PRO.

34 Clinton to Howe, 9 October 1777. Colonial Office 5/94/693–697.

35 "Return of Prisoners taken at Fort Montgomery and received in New–York, October 12th 1777." Clinton Papers 25:4, CL.

36 The KAR contributed 17 Privates, out of a total compliment of 100 for the new company. "Return of Provincial Volunteers, for Captain Emericks Company of Chasseurs, 27th August 1777." Clinton Papers 23:22, CL.

37 Half were immediately given rifles, the other half presumably at some later date. Apparently the men of Hierlihy's Independent Companies were used to lend support with their bayonet equipped muskets. Clinton to Howe, 23 August 1777. Clinton Papers, Volume 263, Misc. Correspondence, 1776–1782, CL.

38 Oddly the only man killed in Emmerich's Chasseurs was on detached duty from the KAR, Private Stephen Butcher. Six others were wounded in the attack but it is unknown if any of them were from Fanning's. "Muster Roll of Captain Emmericks Company of Chasseurs, Tetards house Kingsbridge April 27th 1778." RG 8, "C" Series, Volume 1891, National Archives of Canada.