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Moylan, secretary to George Washington. (Credit: U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum)
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Brig. Gen. Stephen Moylan
More Than Just A Dashing Dresser, Irish-Born Patriot Led Red-Coated Continental Dragoons For 'Glorious Cause'
By Bethanne Kelly Patrick
Military.com Columnist
Inhabitants of Woodbridge, N.J., were "exceedingly alarmed," wrote Gen. George Washington, to see red-coated soldiers in their area. Fortunately, those soldiers were no threat, being from Col. Stephen Moylan's Fourth Continental Light Dragoons. However, Washington realized there was danger of friendly fire if Moylan's men continued to sport their red coats: "I therefore desire that you will immediately fall upon means for having the present colour changed." Soon, the Fourth Dragoons were wearing green coats with red facings.
It was typical of the jovial, patriotic Moylan to attire his soldiers as splendidly as possible. His own costume was described as "a very remarkable uniform, consisting of a red waistcoat, buckskin breeches, and a bright green coat and bearskin hat." Born in Cork and educated in Europe, Moylan emigrated to Philadelphia in 1768 and quickly acquired both wealth and social standing. He was an early and zealous advocate of the Colonial cause -- so much so that a friend, prominent attorney John Dickinson, recommended him to be the Muster-master general of the Continental Army in 1775. Moylan's loyalty and dignity caught the attention of Washington, who made Moylan his secretary in March 1776.
That summer, Moylan succeeded Thomas Mifflin as the Army's second quartermaster general. It was a disastrous assignment, due to tactical difficulties and to Moylan's own administrative weakness. When Washington determined that Long Island had not been evacuated properly after the Battle of Brooklyn, Moylan tactfully resigned on behalf of "the Glorious Cause we are engaged in." He remained on Washington's staff as a volunteer, serving with distinction at the Battle of Princeton.
On orders from the commander-in-chief, Moylan raised and was commissioned commander of the Fourth Continental Light Dragoons, taking the command he would hold for the rest of the war on Jan. 5, 1777. Once the Fourth Dragoons' red-coated uniforms had been modified, they served in several theaters of the revolution. They wintered at Valley Forge, maintained a station in the Hudson Highlands, and took part in the Charleston Campaign of 1780.
For his valiant services throughout the Revolution, Col. Moylan was breveted brigadier general on the day he retired due to ill health, Nov. 3, 1783.
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