New Jersey Volunteers

New Jersey Volunteers (Skinner's Greens)
Portrait of James Moody in the uniform of the New Jersey Volunteers
Active	1776-1783
Country	Great Britain
Branch	Provincial Corps
Type	Dragoons and infantry
Role	Intelligence gathering, special operations, maneuver warfare, guerrilla warfare, cattle raiding
Size	six battalions (500 each), regiment (1,800)
Garrison/HQ	New York City, Province of New York
Nicknames	Jersey Volunteers, Skinner's Corps, Skinner's Greens, Skinners
Engagements	American Revolutionary War New York and New Jersey campaign Battle of Long Island Battle of Staten Island Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War Capture of Savannah Battle of King's Mountain Battle of Eutaw Springs Battle of Groton Heights Siege of Yorktown
Commanders
Notable commanders	Cortlandt Skinner

Reenactors portraying the New Jersey Volunteers in front of the New York Historical Society in New York City, 2012

The New Jersey Volunteers was a Loyalist regiment raised in 1776 by Cortlandt Skinner for service in the American Revolutionary War. A combined arms unit consisting of dragoons and infantry which was organizationally part of the Provincial Corps, the regiment fought in the New York and New Jersey campaign and Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War before being disbanded in 1783.

Regiment formed in Province of New York

In 1776, some American loyalist soldiers formed the New Jersey Volunteers, which was raised in the Province of New York, first as three battalions, and eventually as six, of 500 men each.

Garrison duty

The New Jersey Volunteers experienced combat first at the Battle of Long Island, during the British Campaign of New York offensive and after the defeat and flight of the Patriot forces, and was assigned to the initial British garrison of the occupation army, in New York City.

Campaigns

Brigadier General Cortlandt Skinner operated in the region north of New York City, in Westchester County, between Morrisania and the Croton Rivers, which was known as the Neutral Ground. His unit of New Jersey Volunteers was nicknamed "Skinner's Skinners" ("skinners" was a term applied to marauders at the time). ^[1] Guerrilla warfare took place between Skinner's Skinners and their rivals, the British Loyalist raiders, De Lancey's Cowboys. Both units stole cattle, looted, and gathered military intelligence for the British army in the New York countryside.

One battalion of New Jersey Volunteers was later sent to East Florida, assisting with the capture of Savannah; others served in the Battles of Eutaw Springs and King's Mountain, with a detachment participating with the Siege of Yorktown.

On September 6, 1781, the 3rd Battalion, New Jersey Volunteers, participated with the raid on New London, Connecticut, commanded by Brigadier General Benedict Arnold, and fought at the Battle of Groton Heights.

Regiment disbanded and resettled in British Canada

In 1783, after the British lost the war, the New Jersey Volunteers regiment was disbanded in the loyalist settlement of Digby, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in British Canada.

References

• Crary, Catherine S. "Guerrilla Activities of James De Lancey's Cowboys in Westchester County: Conventional Warfare or Self-Interested Freebooting?" In The Loyalist Americans: A Focus on Greater New York. Tarrytown, NY: Sleepy Hollow Restorations, 1975.
• Diamant, Lincoln (September 1987). Skinners: Patriot "Friends" or Loyalist "Foes" (PDF). Vol. 4, Number 2.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
• Gue Belle Willey and John D. Felter (1922). The Neutral Ground. Boston: Stratford Company. p.  1. revolutionary war neutral ground.
• Kemble, Lieut. Col. Stephen. Journals of Lieut. Col. Stephen Kemble, 1773-1789: And British Army Orders: Gen. Sir William Howe, 1775-1778; Gen. Sir Henry Clinton, 1778; and Gen. Daniel Jones, 1778, American Revolutionary series: British accounts of the American Revolution, British accounts of the American Revolution, Volume 16 of Collections of the New-York Historical Society for the year ... New York: Ardent Media, 1972.
• Lossing, Benson J. The Pictorial Field Book of the Revolution, 2 vols. Reprint, Rutland, VT.: C. E. Tuttle Co., (1851) 1972.
• Shenstone, Susan Burgess. So Obstinately Loyal: James Moody, 1744-1809. Montreal: McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP, 2001.
• Stryker, William Scudder. "The New Jersey Volunteers" (loyalists) in the Revolutionary War. Trenton, NJ: Naar, Day & Naar, 1887.
• Ward, Harry M. Between the Lines: Banditti of the American Revolution. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger, 2002.

External links

• Index to New Jersey Volunteers History - The On-Line Institute for Advanced Loyalist Studies
• 4th Battalion, New Jersey Volunteers, Captain Samuel Hayden's Company, recreated unit

1. ""Skinners" Land Pirates of the American Revolution Myths and Reality". Revolutionary War Journal. 2019-07-01. Retrieved February 21, 2026.