Background
George Baylor was born on January 12, 1752, at Newmarket in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, the son of Col. John and Fanny (Walker) Baylor.
George Baylor was born on January 12, 1752, at Newmarket in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, the son of Col. John and Fanny (Walker) Baylor.
Early in the Revolutionary War George Baylor became one of the military aides of the commander-in-chief, an appointment possibly due to Washington's personal acquaintance with Baylor's father. He served at the battle of Trenton, and directly afterward was sent by Washington to Congress, bearing the news of the victory, and carrying also a captured Hessian standard. In a letter dated December 27, 1776, written by Washington to the president of Congress, Baylor was highly commended. He received the thanks of Congress; John Hancock, its president, wrote to Washington recommending that Baylor be promoted to the rank of colonel and receive the gift of a horse, and these recommendations were promptly carried into effect. When Baylor requested the command of a regiment of cavalry, Washington consented, and wrote to him a letter of advice regarding his selection of officers.
The event with which Baylor's name is chiefly associated occurred in 1778, and is still a matter of debate. After the battle of Monmouth, there were no general engagements by the northern armies, but there were various isolated affairs on a smaller scale. One of these was a British attack on the American forces below the Hudson Highlands, in order to cover operations elsewhere. Part of their force under the Hessian Knyphausen planned to surprise one of the American detachments at New Tappan, but this attempt was detected and failed. The other force under Gen. Grey - "No Flint Grey" of Paoli notoriety in the previous campaign - was directed against Baylor's detachment. This regiment of light horse, the so-called "Mrs. George Washington's Guards, " was cantoned at Old Tappan or Harrington near the Hackensack River, about two and a half miles from the main body. It has been stated that Baylor encamped at a distance "to be free, as is supposed, from the control of Wayne. " It is also asserted that there were few precautions against a surprise.
Gen. Grey, guided by Tories, on the night of September 27-28 attacked the dragoons who were asleep in barns. The bayonet was freely used. Many were killed or taken prisoners, among the latter being Baylor, who had been bayoneted through the lungs. Out of 104 privates, the loss was sixty-seven. Grey was accused of inhumanity, as on the previous occasion at Paoli. His epithet "No Flint Grey" was derived from his order to remove the flints from the soldiers' muskets, in order to preserve silence; the charge was made that his men were commanded to refuse quarter. Baylor on October 19, 1778, wrote a letter to Washington in justification of his action, asserting that his patrols had been cut off, and his communications thereby severed. It does not appear that he was reprimanded by the commander-in-chief. Four years later he was in charge of light troops in the South, and was referred to in a communication by Laurens as a trustworthy officer. He died at Bridgetown, Barbados.