Our Collection

At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

Bayard, John (1751-1804) to George Dawson

High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also order a pdf of the image from us here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC01450.610.02 Author/Creator: Bayard, John (1751-1804) Place Written: Halifax, Nova Scotia Type: Letter Date: 25 August 1780 Pagination: 2 p. : docket ; 32.1 x 40.8 cm. Order a Copy

Authorizes George Dawson to raise a company of men in Halifax to serve under Lieutenant Colonel Commandant Bayard. Indicates that the troops are needed to serve the Crown during the American Revolution. Informs Dawson that after he successfully recruits the men, he will be appointed captain. Marked a copy. Docket notes that the original document dates to May 20, 1780.

Colonel John Bayard, along with his brother Major Samuel V. Bayard, raised the King's Orange Rangers, a loyalist regiment, raised chiefly in Orange County, New York. The corps left New York for Halifax in late 1778, and performed garrison duty there until the end of the Revolutionary War.

Bayard, John, 1751-1804
Dawson, George, fl. 1771-1832

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources