Light Dragoon Flag
In 1776, the Continental Congress authorized four “light dragoon” regiments. The Second Continental Light Dragoons, comprised largely of men from Connecticut, carried this flag.
Light dragoons often fought on horseback and the Second, which was commanded by Elisha Sheldon, from Wethersfield, CT, was referred to as “Sheldon’s Horse.” It members – including Jabez Pottage, the Native soldier; Benjamin Tallmadge, the prominent spy; and Elijah Churchill, who was awarded the Badge of Military Merit – engaged in actions across Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey. The regiment rarely acted as a whole. Instead, its soldiers were dispatched to discrete special projects, which included spying, acting as couriers, and serving as part of General George Washington’s personal guard.
The silk flag’s thirteen stripes reference the thirteen new states. The abbreviated Latin motto “Patria Concita Fulminent Nati” translates to, “the nation expects its sons to respond with rolls of thunder.”
This standard is in the Museum of Connecticut History at the Connecticut State Library in Hartford.
Credits
The Second Continental Light Dragoon’s flag is in the Museum of Connecticut History at the Connecticut State Library in Hartford.