Historic Pelham Blog Archive
February 17, 2010

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For more than a century, conflict has raged over how many British soldiers were killed and wounded during the Battle of Pelham on October 18, 1776.  British records suggest losses far smaller than purported eyewitness accounts from British deserters at the time of the Battle.  Some have suggested that the British numbers do not truly reflect the Battle losses because the numbers do not include the German troops who fought alongside the British troops.

Below is a transcription of one such record, followed by a citation to its source.

"An abstract of the return of the killed, wounded and missing, belonging to the army under the command of Gen. Howe, from Sept. 17. to Nov. 16. inclusive.  Dated Dec. 8, 1776.

In the action at Pelham Manor, Oct. 18, and in previous skirmishes from Sept. 17, inclusive.

BRITISH.

17th reg. light dragoons, 1st and 2d batt. light infantry, 2d batt. grenadiers, 4th, 27th, 28th, 38th, 55th, 57th, and 71st regiments and royal artillery, -- 2 serjeants, 11 rank and file killed; 1 field-officer, 1 captain, 1 subaltern, 3 serjeants, 1 drummer or trumpeter, 40 rank and file, wounded; 1 drummer, 3 rank and file, missing; -- including a serjeant and 3 rank and file, royal artillery, drowned in East river by the oversetting of a boat, Oct. 12, returned killed which was the whole loss of that corps.

Names of the officers killed and wounded.

1st batt. light infantry.  Capt. Evelyn, of the 4th reg. mortally wounded, and dead; Lt.-Col. Musgrave, of the 40th and Lieut. Archibald Rutherford of the 22nd reg. wounded." 

Source:  "America:  Operations of the Army Under Gen. Howe" in The Scots Magazine MDCCLXXVI, Vol. XXXVIII, p. 646 (Edinburgh, Scotland:  A. Murray and J. Cochran, Printers 1776).

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posted by Blake A. Bell @ 4:53 AM Comment

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