SKINNER, Brigadier General Cortlandt UEL

   General Notes:

Rev War-(1775-1783).


Note: Attorney General of NJ prior to the Revolution and one of the
highest ranking Loyalist officers of the war, second in command
to Major General William Tryon.

Brigadier General Cortlandt Skinner. He was born in Perth Amboy in 1728, married in 1755 to Elizabeth Kearney, and died in 1799 and is buried at St. Augustine's Church, Bristol, England. He was Attorney General of New Jersey in 1754 which office he held until the Revolution. He was Speaker of the Assembly, 1765-76, except during one year's sickness. He raised three battalions of New Jersey Volunteers known as "Skinner's Greens" and was based on Staten Island.


New Jersey Volunteers
Roster of Officers 1776-1783

No. Name Battalion Rank & Date of Commission/Warrant
SKINNER, Cortland 1st Colonel 7/1/76
Brigade Brigadier General 9/4/76


Major Figures
Brigadier General Cortland Skinner
1776-1783

Cortland SKINNER, the last attorney general under the Royal Government of New Jersey, was commissioned a brigadier general on 4 September 1776, empowered to raise a regiment (actually a brigade) of six battalions, called the New Jersey Volunteers. The 1st battalion of this corps was already forming, with many more Loyalists only awaiting the arrival of British troops in New Jersey before joining them.

SKINNER was successful in raising his battalions, all six being commissioned by December, but was disappointed in that none of them reached their authorized strength. He was further frustrated by Washington's victories at Trenton and Princeton, which captured several of his commissioned officers and others with warrants, including one attempting to raise an Irish battalion for SKINNER.

With his headquarters at New Brunswick during the British occupation there, he also attempted to reorganize the Monmouth County Militia, having himself a commission from Royal Governor William FRANKLIN as major general of militia.

SKINNER picked George TAYLOR for the task, giving him a commission as colonel. TAYLOR was left on his own when the 1st and 2d NJV were removed from the county, and he himself was eventually forced to flee to Perth Amboy and later Sandy Hook.

With the British evacuation of New Jersey in June of 1777, SKINNER removed to what would become his personal headquarters on Staten Island. While not terribly skilled in military maneuvers, he was expert in setting up intelligence networks in New Jersey.

For the remainder of the war he occasionally planned (but seldom led) raids into New Jersey, but was primarily responsible for gathering all intelligence out of the state and forwarding it on to the office of the British Adjutant General, responsible for secret service matters. SKINNER knew the planning for most Rebel raids on Staten Island before they happened, the big exception being Sullivan's raid in August of 1777, when he narrowly escaped capture. He personally rallied many of the scattered parties of NJV that day and organized the counter attacks that prevented any more captures.

He was also present in New Jersey during the battles of Connecticut Farms and Springfield in June of 1780, and lead 1,000 men on a forage raid to Pleasant Valley a year later. During his tenure he was also given command of Staten Island from time to time and also of Paulus Hook in 1782.

SKINNER was a strong supporter of his corps, but had serious conflicts with several of the officers under him. His most bitter rival was Lieut. Colonel Joseph BARTON of the 5th and later 1st battalion. BARTON made himself obnoxious to Skinner by making an enemy of Lieut. Colonel Elisha LAWRENCE and the officers loyal to him. BARTON had replaced LAWRENCE in the command of the 1st battalion only due to the fact that he was exchanged first, both of them having been made prisoner during Sullivan's raid.

The military career of Brigadier General SKINNER ended in 1782 when he left for England to settle his affairs and retire from public service. He left two of his sons serving as subalterns in the 1st battalion, as well as other relatives serving in the regular British army. These officers would continue their military service into the next century, some rising to the rank of general.

Spies & Intelligence
Skinner to Clinton

19th Feby. 1779

Sir

Yesterday the rebell army was to rejoice for the anniversary of their french alliance;
Mr. Washington was at Raritan (his return to Phila. as mentioned in my last was premature) & to boat to Pluckomin yesterday, near which their artillery is;
at Elizth. very few Officers most of them gone to Pluckomin, and will not return till tomorrow or next day;
nothing new from the southward, they give out that we can’t advance from Georgia;
its confirmed that at Philada. a french Gent. was kill’d in a duel last week with one of Maxwell’s Capts.
They are laboring hard at Philada. in getting Materials &c for ship’s they intend a 64 & 40 & several Others;
the guns are casting they have a great number of (they say 1400) Carpenters at work at 12/ hard money Pr. Day who are also exempt from Military duty but are bound to their ship yards.
I am
Your Excellencys
most Obt.
hul. servt.
Cortd. SKINNER
Sr. Henry CLINTON &c.
University of Michigan, William L. Clements Library, Sir Henry Clinton Papers, Volume 52, item 43.

New Jersey Volunteers
Landing at Shoal Harbour
May 24th, 1778

A very small detachment of Brig. General SKINNER's Corps landed at Shoal Harbour, in East Jersey, a few nights ago, and marched up to Middletown, where they had intelligence a few of the rebel light-horse had collected;
when they had surrounded the houses in town, expecting to meet these youths taking their repose, they found that eight of them, who were a little detached from the houses, had taken the alarm, and made off.
They collected some sheep and a few cattle, and marched down to the shore, followed by some of the militia, who kept at a distance; another party followed the first with a brass field-piece, and kept at long shot for an hour and an half;
the man of war at the Hook observing the contest, reinforced the party with four boats of marines, when they came off with their booty without loss.

The Royal Gazette, (New York), May 27th, 1778

Staten Island, September 11th 1780
His Milatery Servants:
William KEICE- Genl. SKINNER’s servant
John MOUDER- Genl. SKINNER’s servant



The New Jersey Volunteers
The corps, sometimes termed "Skinner's Greens" was enrolled by Brigadier General Cortlandt Skinner, the last royal attorney general of New Jersey. The corps comprised three battalions which were afterwars increased to four. The officers and men were natives of New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Numerically, the New Jersey volunteers was the strongest of all the loyalist regiments and it gave a good account of itself during the war.

   Events:

1. Military. last attorney general under the Royal Government of New Jersey
Commissioned a brigadier general on 4 September 1776, empowered to raise a regiment (actually a brigade) of six battalions, called the New Jersey Volunteers

   Marriage Information:

Cortlandt married Elizabeth KEARNEY, daughter of Philip KEARNEY and Susannah BURLEY (Ravaud), on 30 Nov 1751. (Elizabeth KEARNEY was born on 18 Aug 1731 in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, USA and died in 1810 in Belvoir Park, Belfast, Ireland.)