Baylor Hill (c. 1760–1804) was an American

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

who served in the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

. He kept a daily diary between 1777 and 1781 that described his experiences during the conflict and with several prominent historical figures of his time. He later served as

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. It had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Virginia, third-most populous city ...

Birth

Hill was born in about 1760 at his family's home Hillsborough in

King and Queen County, Virginia King and Queen County is a county in the U.S. state of Virginia, located in the state's Middle Peninsula on the eastern edge of the Richmond, VA, metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,608. Its county seat is King a ...

. He was the son of Colonel Humphrey Hill and Frances Baylor.

American revolutionary war diaries

Most of what is known about Hill's service during the American Revolution is recorded in the daily diary he kept. A three-volume book about the diary titled ''A Gentleman of Fortune – The Diary of Baylor Hill -

1st Continental Light Dragoons The 1st Continental Light Dragoons, also known as Bland's Horse, was a mounted regiment of the Continental Army organized between 13 June and 10 September 1776 in Williamsburg, Virginia. It was made up of men from eastern and northern Virgini ...

1777-1781'' was published in October 2002 by the late John T. Hayes, editor of ''The Saddlebag Press''. ''A Gentleman of Fortune'' contains a transcript of the surviving entries in the diary as well as extensive notes and additional commentary including correspondence and expense records kept by Hill. The actual diary is part of the R. A Brock Collection at the Huntington Library in

San Marino, California San Marino is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It was incorporated on April 25, 1913. At the 2020 United States census the population was 12,513, a decline from the 2010 United States census. History Origin of name Th ...

. Hill was commissioned as a

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in his home state of Virginia on December 4, 1776. Under the command of Colonel Theodorick Bland, Hill was immediately sent north to join

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

's army. The first surviving entry in the diary is dated Wednesday, January 29, 1777, where Hill reports he was in

Morristown, New Jersey Morristown () is a Town (New Jersey), town in and the county seat of Morris County, New Jersey, Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

. The final diary entry is dated Thursday, January 18, 1781. Hill had been a British

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at Haddrell's Point in

Mount Pleasant, South Carolina Mount Pleasant is a large suburban town in Charleston County, South Carolina, United States. In the Lowcountry, it is the fourth-most populous municipality in South Carolina, and for several years was one of the state's fastest-growing areas, d ...

since being captured on Saturday, May 6, 1780. If Hill kept a diary for 1778, it is currently unknown. Hill's diary entries during this four-year period offer a look into the daily life of a young cavalry officer. While much of the diary could be seen as routine, Hill writes about being at times in the immediate company of prominent figures such as George Washington,

Casimir Pulaski Kazimierz Michał Władysław Wiktor Pułaski (; March 4 or 6, 1745 October 11, 1779), anglicised as Casimir Pulaski ( ), was a Polish nobleman, soldier, and military commander who has been called "The Father of American cavalry" or "The So ...

Benjamin Lincoln Benjamin Lincoln (January 24, 1733 ( O.S. January 13, 1733) – May 9, 1810) was an American army officer. He served as a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Lincoln was involved in three major surrender ...

Nathanael Greene Major general (United States), Major General Nathanael Greene (August 7, 1742 – June 19, 1786) was an American military officer and planter who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, Revolutionary War. He emerge ...

Lord Stirling William Alexander, also known as Lord Stirling (December 27, 1725 – January 15, 1783), was a Scottish-American major general during the American Revolutionary War. He held a claim to be the male heir to the Scottish title of Earl of Stirl ...

, and Charles Henri Hector, comte d'Estaing.

Notable diary entries

Below are several of the most notable entries from Hill's diary: * Wednesday, February 26, 1777 – "This day I with 9 of our Troop had the pleasure of ascorting His Excellency Gen Washington down to Chatham, dined with him and retd to Morris Town with him that night." * Tuesday, March 11, 1777 – "At Bearskin Ridge all day this day I had the honour of dining wth Lord Stirling, Gen Green, Gen Lincon and Sundry other Gen Officers." * Friday, September 17, 1779 – “After breakfast I with several of the officers with a party our Regt. Escorted Gen Lincoln & Count D’Estang down about twelve miles from Head Quarters where a part of the French army was encamp’t, and after viewing the Enemy’s Breastworks & forts we returned to our Quarters.” * Thursday, September 30, 1779 – “At our quarters till evening when we had orders for one third of each Regimt to parade I had the Comd of the party wch consisted of fifty men march’t at Sun Set to the French camp where I was met by Gen. Pulaski who took the command.”

Military service

Hill served in both the Northern Theater and

Southern Theater of the American Revolutionary War The southern theater of the American Revolutionary War was the central theater of military operations in the second half of the American Revolutionary War, 1778–1781. It encompassed engagements primarily in Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, ...

. He was involved in several engagements including the

Battle of Germantown The Battle of Germantown was a major engagement in the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War. It was fought on October 4, 1777, at Germantown, Pennsylvania, between the British Army led by Sir William Howe, and the American ...

, the

Battle of Monck's Corner The Battle of Monck's Corner was fought on April 14, 1780, outside of Charleston, South Carolina, which was under siege by British forces under the command of General Sir Henry Clinton in the American Revolutionary War. The British Legion, un ...

, and the

Battle of Lenud's Ferry The Battle of Lenud's Ferry () was a battle of the American Revolutionary War that was fought on May 6, 1780 in present-day Berkeley County, South Carolina. All of the British soldiers who took part in the Battle of Lenud's Ferry were in fact Lo ...

, where he was captured by the British.

Later life and death

After the American Revolution, Hill settled in

, where he served as mayor in 1798. Hill is thought to have died in 1804.Ryland 1948, p 7.

Notes

References

* Ryland, Elizabeth Hawes (1948) “Some Descendants of Colonel Humphrey Hill of “Hillsborough,” King & Queen County, Virginia. * Hayes, John T. (2002) “A Gentleman of Fortune: The Diary of Baylor Hill. First Continental Light Dragoons 1777-1781.” Volumes 1–3. The Saddlebag Press. Fort Lauderdale, Fl. ISBN 9780971670334. * Norfolk Virginia Public Library. “The Mayors of Norfolk.” {{DEFAULTSORT:Hill, Baylor 1760s births 1804 deaths Mayors of Norfolk, Virginia American Revolutionary War diarists 18th-century American diarists 18th-century mayors of places in Virginia Continental Army officers from Virginia