In the summer of 1777, General Washington, guarding Philadelphia from the King’s forces under General Sir William Howe, found himself compelled to send aid to his forces in the North. There, American General Philip Schuyler was trying to prevent Burgoyne from driving a wedge of Crown forces down from Canada between New England and the rest of the colonies. The only troops Washington could send without seriously weakening his own small army, were Colonel Daniel Morgan and his expert riflemen. These men were particularly well suited for war in the northern forests.

This left Washington with a serious problem. Morgan’s men, skilled in backwoods-Indian style warfare, had been acting as scouts and skirmishers, screening the main body of the army while it maneuvered for decisive action. How could they be replaced?
Washington had been impressed with the British light infantry, who constantly threatened his own flanks. Indeed, he had almost been captured by them on Long Island in 1775. The fast-moving light infantry were the only British troops able, by skilled use of the bayonet, to effectively counter the American rifles, who had no bayonets. He decided to form his own light infantry, selecting the best soldiers of his Continental Army to create this elite unit.

Brigadier General William "Scotch Willie" Maxwell, veteran of British service during the Seven Years War (French And Indian War), and of the unsuccessful American invasion of Canada in 1775-76, was chosen to command. Maxwell was commander of the New Jersey Brigade, which undoubtedly made up a significant part of this new light infantry corps, since Maxwell’s "Jerseymen" were among the most seasoned and dependable in the army at that time. The New Jersey Brigade had protected Washington from British raids since January, while the army was being reorganized near Morristown, New Jersey.

Light infantry were used for scouting, to perform swift flanking movements, and pursue a retreating enemy. They also fought delaying actions, rearguards and assaulted fortified positions at night. Their superior training and discipline enabled them to fight in extended order or small groups in front of or on the flanks of the main body of troops. Since light infantry were often scattered all over the battlefield, communication was by bugle-horn or whistle rather than drums or shouted commands.

Washington’s new light infantry quickly distinguished itself at the Battle of Brandywine Creek on September 11, 1777, stopping a mixed British and Hessian advance at the stream in an action recalled by Colonel Timothy Pickering:

"A hot skirmish took place between our light troops, under Maxwell, and a party of Hessians, in which the latter were chiefly killed or wounded, not thirty running away, it being judged by Maxwell that three hundred of them were killed and wounded."

Of the same action, British light infantry Major Ferguson wrote:

"We had the whole body of their light troops (riflemen, light infantry, etc.) on hand who occupied every strength and had erected breast works to stop us in front and annoy us in flank in the course of our March…My lads were so fatigued with dashing after the Rebels over all surfaces that I found it necessary to leave one half by turns in the rear with the Column of March and work my way with the others…"

At the Battle of Germantown Maxwell’s command, including the New Jersey Brigade, was held in reserve, but were used to attack Chew House, a British stronghold that resisted both infantry and artillery assault throughout most of the battle.
During the winter at Valley Forge, 1777-78, the army’s new drillmaster, Baron Von Steuben, took special interest in training the light infantry, especially in the use of the bayonet.

In June of 1778, Maxwell and the Jersey Line were ordered to pursue and harass the British Army as it crossed New Jersey. For this "Scotch Willie" also commanded the New Jersey Militia, Morgan’s Rifles, and Colonel "Light Horse" Harry Lee’s cavalry. Maxwell came under General Charles Lee for the opening of the Battle of Monmouth on June 28, but Lee mishandled his forces and was summarily relieved of his command by General Washington who personally brought the battle to a victorious, if less than decisive conclusion.

The war in this part of the country then settled into a stalemate, with the New Jersey Brigade patrolling against British raids from New York City while the Continental Army encamped again at Jockey Hollow for the winter. By this time the light companies were serving with their parent regiments as a Ninth Company. The stalemate was broken in the summer of 1779 when the British suddenly captured two forts on the Hudson River, on e at Stony Point. Washington organized four regiments of light infantry to recapture them. These handpicked men, all with more than a year’s experience, came from Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and Connecticut regiments. They were commanded by General "Mad Anthony" Wayne in a highly successful night assault that took Stony Point with only bayonets fixed to unloaded muskets.

But where were "Scotch Willie" and his Jerseymen? The New Jersey Brigade was in the frontier wilderness as part of General Sullivan’s Punitive Expedition against the Six Nation Indian Confederation, who were allied with the British. Using tactics based on Robert Roger’s Rules of Ranging, the expedition moved through the forest, burning crops and villages without being ambushed. A battle occurred near what is now Elmira, New York, where Henry Dearborn recorded that"

"The Enimy (sic) … left the field … with precipitation & in great confusion, pursued by our light infantry about 3 miles."

In 1780, the regiments of the New Jersey Brigade, acting independently, performed a major role in the Battles of Springfield and Connecticut Farms. Here they stiffened the resistance of the New Jersey Militia against the last British attempt to invade that state and threaten the continental encampment.

After this period, several changes occurred in the New Jersey Continental Line. The Brigade was reduced from four to two regiments. Tough, hard-drinking "Scotch Willie" Maxwell, one of Washington’s most trusted generals, resigned his commission to protest the lack of supplies provided by the state. Late 1780 saw the refitting of the New Jersey Continental troops into Blue Regimentals with Buff facings.

February 1781 saw the creation of the famous Continental Corps of Light Infantry, commanded by the Marquis de La Fayette. The men of the Corps were drawn mainly from New England and New Jersey, with 160 Jerseymen forming the part of the 3rd Battalion, commanded by Lt. Col. Francis Barber, himself from New Jersey. Having been personally trained by Von Steuben, Lt. Col. Barber was also appointed Inspector General of the corps, ensuring the highest standards of equipment and drill.

Because they still wore the uniforms of the various regiments from which they had come, some with shortened coattails, members of the Corps of Light Infantry were recognized by the distinctive red and black plumes on their caps and helmets. These had been purchased by La Fayette at his own expense and the Light Infantry were the only troops to wear such plumes. La Fayette also supplied his officers with swords and lace trimming for their helmets. The sergeants were also given a distinctive belt plate to be worn on their cross belts.

The Corps was sent to Virginia to reinforce Generals Von Steuben and Muhlenburg, who were threatened by a large force of Redcoats and American Loyalists under General Phillips and the former American General Benedict Arnold. La Fayette had about 3,000 men when supported by the Virginia Militia. The 23 year old faced and army of about 7,000 which continually grew, eventually coming under the command of Lord Cornwallis. La Fayette wrote to General Washington in May of 1781:

"Where I to fight a battle, I should be cut to pieces, the militia dispersed and the armies lost. Where I to decline fighting, the country would think itself given up. I am therefore determined to skirmish, but not to engage too far… Were I anyways equal to the enemy, I should be extremely happy in my present command, but I am not strong enough even to get beaten."

La Fayette proceeded to lead Cornwallis all over the state of Virginia, harassing and skirmishing as only the Light Infantry could. His men began to refer to this action as "Cornwallis’ Country Dance" and even made up a song about it.

In June, 1781 General Wayne arrived with his crack Pennsylvania Brigade and Colonel Proctor’s 4th Continental Artillery. La Fayette’s movements became bolder and the actions more decisive until July 4, when Cornwallis decided to trap this "boy" and his annoying force of Continentals.

Cornwallis made a great show of moving his troops across the James River while actually moving very few. On July 6th, La Fayette thinking that most of Cornwallis’ men were on the other side of the river, sent Wayne to attack what he assumed was the British rearguard at a place called Greenspring Farm. By the time the mistake was realized, British cavalry and infantry had terrorized the militia and almost enveloped the majority of La Fayette’s continentals. Rather than holding a defensive position, "Mad Anthony" Wayne ordered a bayonet charge that put the superior force of Redcoats off balance long enough for them to escape.

By the end of the month Cornwallis was at Yorktown, with La Fayette seeing that he stayed there. With the arrival of the American and French armies under Washington, the Corps of Light Infantry swelled to two brigades. During the siege of Yorktown, Lt. Col. Barber’s New Jersey Lights were now in General Muhlenburg’s brigade, under La Fayette’s overall command. The Corps of Light Infantry was assigned to take redoubt number 10 in a night assault on October 14, 1781. Lt. Col. Barber was chosen to lead the assault with his battalion of New Jersey and New Hampshire troops, but Lt. Col. Alexander Hamilton protested, claiming that October 14th was his duty night in the normal rotation of command. The appeal was granted and the Jerseymen became the second wave of the assault, during which Lt. Col. Barber was slightly wounded. They actually arrived at the wall about the same time as the New Yorkers in this last major Light Infantry action of the war.

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