Baylor Massacre

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Baylor Massacre

Part of the American Revolutionary War

Date	September 27, 1778
Location	River Vale, New Jersey
Result	British victory

Combatants

Commanders

Strength

about 135

12 companies, light infantry

Casualties

privates:
15 killed
13 wounded
25 prisoners
8 wounded prisoners
Total 69

The Baylor Massacre was the September 27, 1778, attack on the 3rd Regiment of Continental Light Dragoons under the command of Colonel George Baylor during the American Revolutionary War. It occurred in the present-day town of River Vale, New Jersey.

1 Battle
2 Discovery of remains
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Battle

Baylor secured quarters for his men (numbering about 100) in the barns of several farms on Overkill Road (now Rivervale Road). While they slept, a deployment of British troops under Major-General Charles Grey were made aware of their presence through local loyalists. The British used their bayonets to maintain the element of surprise as they went from house to house, a tactic he used previously in the Paoli Massacre. At least 69 of the dragoons were killed, injured or taken prisoner. Eleven were killed outright; four were left and died of their wounds.

After the attack, some of the injured were taken to the Reformed Church of Tappan in nearby Tappan, New York, which served as a prison and hospital. ^[1]

[edit] Discovery of remains

In 1967, it was discovered that the bodies of six of the dead were buried in three abandoned tanning vats. The vats were from Haring's Tannery, which used to be on the site. The remains were identified by artifacts such as buttons and clothing remnants. This became widely known because of a February 1968 report to the Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders, "1778 - The Massacre of Baylor's Dragoons". Facing suburban development, the burial site was made into a county park in 1972 with a dedication on October 15. The remains were reinterred within the park at that time.

The plaque at the site reads:

In memory of American soldiers killed during the Revolutionary War in the 'Baylor Massacre' on September 28, 1778. Lt. Col. George Baylor's 3rd Regiment of Continental Dragoons took quarters for the night on several nearby farms. Tories betrayed their presence to a British force who surrounded the Dragoons during the night. A number of Americans were killed or wounded after they surrendered.