Elisha Sheldon

Elisha Sheldon (March 6, 1740 - March 11, 1805) was a Colonel in the American Revolution who served under General George Washington.

Born in Lyme, Connecticut,[1] Sheldon joined the Continental Army at the outbreak of hostilities, and served under the command of General George Washington, who requested that Congress commission Sheldon to raise a cavalry regiment. The 2nd Continental Light Dragoons, which he commanded, came to be known as "Sheldon's Horse",[2] and "served with distinction throughout the Revolutionary War".[3]

Shortly after the end of the war, he moved to Franklin County, Vermont, where he had a grant of land.[4]

He died in Saint Albans, Franklin County, Vermont, and was buried next to his wife, Sarah Bellows.[3] The town of Sheldon, Vermont was named for him, and the Elisha Sheldon House is part of the Litchfield Historic District.[3]

Elisha Sheldon was an original member of the Society of the Cincinnati in the State of Connecticut.[5]

References

  1. ^ John C. Fredriksen, Revolutionary War Almanac (2006), p. 628.
  2. ^ "Our Past: 2nd Continental Light Dragoons". 2nd Continental Light Dragoons. Second Continental Light Dragoons Official Website. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
  3. ^ a b c Colonel Elisha Sheldon - Sheldon at Waymarking.com.
  4. ^ Reuben Hyde Walworth, Hyde Genealogy, Vol. 2, Part 1 (1864), p. 847.
  5. ^ Davenport, Robert R., Original Members and Other Officers Eligible to the Society of the Cincinnati, 1783-1938, 2008, ISBN 978-1-885943-19-4 p. 315.


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