Langdon's Company of Light Horse Volunteers
A New Hampshire volunteer light-horse company formed in 1777 for service with General John Stark's brigade during the American Revolutionary War.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Langdon's Company of Light Horse Volunteers was a temporary New Hampshire military unit established at Portsmouth on July 21, 1777, during the American Revolutionary War. It was organized from selected volunteers drawn from other New Hampshire militia formations and assembled for General John Stark's brigade at Charlestown, New Hampshire. Its creation took place during the Saratoga Campaign, when American forces in the northern theater were attempting to resist and contain the British advance under General John Burgoyne. The company served as a mounted volunteer formation rather than as a commercial organization or consumer-facing brand. Its designation associated it with Langdon, a name connected to the unit's organization, while its “light horse” character indicates a mobile mounted military role. The available historical account does not identify a formal corporate structure, permanent headquarters, commercial products, or continuing institutional ownership. In the context of the Revolutionary War, such volunteer formations could provide reconnaissance, communications, escort, and other mobile support functions alongside infantry and militia regiments, although the cited account does not give a detailed operational roster or a complete description of the company's internal organization. Langdon's Company operated with Stickney's and Hobart's regiments during the Battle of Bennington in August 1777. The American victory at Bennington disrupted British efforts to secure supplies and support in the region and contributed to the wider campaign that culminated in the American victory at Saratoga. After Bennington, the company continued with Stark's brigade as American forces sought to isolate Burgoyne's army from retreat and supplies. The unit therefore formed part of the broader American effort to pressure the British army in northern New York and the upper Hudson Valley. In 1778, the company also participated in General John Sullivan's campaign in Rhode Island. This placed the New Hampshire volunteer unit in a different theater from its earlier northern service and reflects the movement of militia and volunteer formations in response to changing military priorities. The Rhode Island campaign was an American attempt to challenge British control and operations in the region, though the campaign did not produce a decisive American victory. The company was disbanded in the fall of 1778. No evidence in the supplied references indicates that it survived as a permanent military organization, evolved into a later commercial or institutional brand, or maintained a continuous successor under the same name. It is best understood as a short-lived Revolutionary War volunteer company whose historical significance rests on its connection to Stark's brigade, the Bennington and Saratoga Campaigns, and Sullivan's Rhode Island expedition.
History
Langdon's Company of Light Horse Volunteers was formed on July 21, 1777, at Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The unit was assembled from selected volunteers serving in other New Hampshire militia organizations and was intended to join General John Stark's brigade at Charlestown, New Hampshire. Its formation occurred during the Saratoga Campaign, at a time when British forces under General John Burgoyne were advancing southward from Canada and seeking to secure the Hudson River corridor. The company served with Stickney's and Hobart's regiments at the Battle of Bennington. As a light-horse company, it provided a mounted element within the American forces, although the supplied historical material does not specify its complete strength, command structure, equipment, or precise battlefield duties. The Bennington engagement was an important American victory that weakened Burgoyne's logistical position and helped prevent the British from obtaining supplies and reinforcements needed for the northern campaign. Following Bennington, Langdon's Company remained with Stark's brigade as American forces worked to cut off Burgoyne's avenues of retreat and restrict his access to supplies. This service connected the company to the wider sequence of operations that preceded the British surrender at Saratoga. In 1778, the unit was employed in General John Sullivan's campaign in Rhode Island, demonstrating that its service was not limited to the northern theater. The company was disbanded in the fall of 1778. The available reference does not document a later reorganization, permanent successor, or continued use of the name. Its historical identity is consequently that of a wartime volunteer company with a service life of approximately fifteen months. The record also identifies Wentworth Cheswill among its notable members, but provides no fuller biographical or service details in the supplied material.
- 1778
Rhode Island campaign
[1]The company participated in General John Sullivan's campaign in Rhode Island.
- 1778
Disbandment
[1]The company was disbanded in the fall of 1778.
- 1777
Company formed at Portsmouth
[1]On July 21, the company was organized at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, from selected volunteers drawn from other New Hampshire militia units for service with General John Stark's brigade.
- 1777
Service at the Battle of Bennington
[1]The company served alongside Stickney's and Hobart's regiments during the American victory at Bennington.
- 1777
Continued operations with Stark's brigade
[1]After Bennington, the company remained with Stark's brigade during efforts to restrict General John Burgoyne's retreat and supply lines.
Products and positioning
A temporary mounted volunteer military formation organized for Revolutionary War service, not a commercial brand.
Marketing campaigns
- 1778Sullivan's Rhode Island campaign
Rhode Island
The company served in General John Sullivan's 1778 campaign in Rhode Island after its earlier operations with Stark's brigade.
Outcome. The campaign did not produce a decisive American victory, and the company was disbanded later in the fall of 1778.
- 1777Saratoga Campaign
Northern New England · New York
The company was formed for service with John Stark's brigade during the Saratoga Campaign and took part in operations intended to oppose Burgoyne's advance and limit his logistical support.
Outcome. The campaign ended in a major American victory at Saratoga and the surrender of Burgoyne's army, although the supplied source does not attribute that outcome specifically to this company.
Sources2 sources
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