American Legion (Loyalist)

The American Legion was a British provincial militia raised for service late in the American Revolutionary War by the turncoat Brigadier General Benedict Arnold. It was composed primarily of deserters from the Continental Army.

It was raised on Long Island in October 1780. In the first half of 1781 it was sent with Arnold on raids to Virginia. The unit was with Arnold in the September 1781 Battle of Groton Heights, Connecticut, but was not involved in the attack on Fort Griswold, which was deemed an atrocity by some, with hand to hand fighting and more than 115 Patriots and more than 200 British killed or wounded in the battle. The force was disbanded in 1783.