The Harsh Duty of the Light Dragoons:

[Letters of George Harris, 5th Regiment of Foot:

Senior Captain in the 5th Foot, and commanded the Grenadier Company.]

January 16, 1777.

......................"I shall therefore merely say that Lord Cornwall is employed me to carry a letter to General Washington relative to the Hessians’ prisoners, and I returned safe, to the astonishment of most of my friends, with the two light horse who accompanied me. It may appear extraordinary that with a flag of truce I should be in danger, but the whole country is full of their scouting parties, whose greatest ambition is to be behind cover and kill our light dragoons, who patrol most of the roads at different times, and for whose heads, it is said, a reward is offered in the army."

[Source: Wilkin, W.H., editor. "Some British Soldiers In America." Hugh Rees, LTD. London, 1914. Page 193]