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Yorktown Battlefield Grand French Battery
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Yorktown Battlefield
Colonel Richard Butler

Butler, Richard. 1743-1791.

Commissioned July 20, 1776, Richard Butler served as a major in the 8th Pennsylvania Regiment. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel less than a year later and his regiment served in Daniel Morgan's command of riflemen. As part of this unit, Butler fought at the Battles of Saratoga and Monmouth. Later promoted to colonel of the 2d Pennsylvania Battalion, he fought at the Battles of Stoney Point and Yorktown.

Upon leaving the army, he moved to Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and began to practice law. His time out of the army was short lived. He rejoined the army in 1790 with the rank of major general and was second in command to General Arthur St. Clair, commander-in-chief of the American army.

In November 1791, he was among a force of 2000 men sent to Ohio to quell an indian uprising. This force met with disaster at the "Battle of Miami", suffering 913 killed, wounded or missing. Butler was severely wounded in the battle and left on the field where he was killed by the victorious indians.

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Re-enactor camp in 1981

Did You Know?
The 9,000 American forces were in the minority during the Yorktown Campaign. The French army and navy combined for over 25,000 men, while the British army and navy participants numbered over 21,000.

Last Updated: June 22, 2006 at 15:38 MST