Liberty County Militia
The Saint Johns Rangers took part in the “Battle of the Riceboats” and the “Tybee Raid” at Savannah, Georgia, in 1776. It served as scouts for the Georgia Continental Light Horse Regiment, commanded by Colonel John Baker, during the Second Florida Expedition. Its captains after James Screven were Daniel Roberts, James Maxwell, and Joseph Oswald.
A “Volunteer Troop of Dragoons,” commanded by John Berrien, was formed in 1785 and attached to the Liberty County Regiment of Militia, also formed that year, to combat hostile Creek Indians.
A “Company of Horsemen,” commanded by Elijah Lewis, was organized and existed for three months in 1788. Two cavalry troops were organized in Liberty County in 1788, one of which was commanded by Michael Rudulph, and later by John Whitehead, after which it became known as “Whitehead’s Dragoons.” The other cavalry troop was short-lived.
A second cavalry troop was organized in Liberty County in July 1789, and its first captain was Simon Fraser. The original cavalry troop, commanded by William McIntosh Jr., who succeeded John Berrien, was redesignated the First Troop of Horse Militia, was disbanded in August 1790, and the Second Troop of Horse was redesignated the Troop of Horse, Liberty County Battalion.
The Troop of Horse, Liberty County Battalion, commanded by Joseph Way Jr., was authorized March 31, 1793, for service in Liberty County, first on the local establishment, and then on the state establishment. It was on active duty for eight months.
Federal cavalry detachments, augmented by county cavalry elements, were also on duty in Liberty County in 1793, commanded by Captain Galen Brownson, Sergeant Joseph Austin, Ensign John Peacock, and First Lieutenant William Peacock. In addition, 13 men served as “spies” from Liberty County from 1792 to 1796 in various scout detachments.
A unit known as “Hundred Horsemen” was organized in Liberty County and mustered into federal service on July 22, 1794, and was replaced by a troop of Liberty County cavalry in 1796, and commanded by John Bohun Girardeau. It adopted the name “Liberty County Blues” before 1800, and “Liberty Independent Troop” on July 4, 1807. The organization was mustered out of the service, reorganized, and redesignated over the years.
This is a list of captains of the Liberty Independent Troop since its inception:
John Berrien, 1785
William McIntosh Jr., 1785
Simon Fraser, 1789
Ferdinand O’Neal, 1793
John Croft, 1793-1795
Simon Fraser, 1795-1798
John Bohun Girardeau, 1798-1802
Samuel Spry Law, 1801-1812
Joseph Jones, 1813-1815
William Maxwell, 1815-1818
William Baker, 1818-1819
William Maxwell, 1819-1832
Joseph Law, 1832-1833
Peter Winn Fleming, 1837-1840
David Anderson, 1837-1840
Edwin H. Bacon, 1841-1842
Abiel Winn, 1842-1845
Cyrus Stevens Mallard, 1845 -1849
Peter Winn Fleming, 1850-1859
Abiel Winn, 1860-1862
William L. Walthour, 1862-1865
William Fleming, 1872-1883
Edward Payson Miller, 1884-1890
Josiah L. Fleming, 1890-1891
James Bacon Fraser, 1891-1895
Willard Prester Waite, 1895-1900
A. Gordon Cassels, 1900-1910
Willard Preston Waite, 1910-1915
Donald Fraser Martin Sr., 1916-1916
Donald A. Fraser, 1916-1919
Donald Fraser Martin Sr., 1920-1921
Joseph B. Fraser Jr., 1921-1927
Charles J. Martin Jr., 1927 -1934
Ernest V. Martin, 1934-1934
G. Parker Browning, 1934-1935
Paul E. Caswell, 1935-1940
