A Confident Officer: Captain William Dansey

William Dansey posed for this portrait after he returned home to England from the war in America. The commander of the 33rd Regiment’s light infantry company during the Philadelphia Campaign, Dansey shared Richard Mansergh St. George’s daring disposition. In his letters home to his mother, Dansey recounted tales of fighting against riflemen and taking cover from gunfire behind rocks. He seemed to enjoy sharing his battlefield bravery. Dansey also captured a flag from the Delaware militia and brought it home to England as a war trophy. 

William Dansey
Painted by an Unidentified Artist
1781-1783
Oil on Canvas 
Courtesy of the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment Museum, Halifax, UK

Light infantry officer William Dansey captured this flag from a Delaware militia colonel a few days before the Battle of Brandywine. Along with the flag, Dansey also took weapons, drums, a horse, and the colonel’s personal baggage. Dansey brought the flag back to England as a war trophy where it remained until the Delaware Historical Society purchased it in 1927.

Flag
ca. 1777
Silk
Courtesy of the Delaware Historical Society

Captain William Dansey wrote this letter home to his mother in England to describe his experience during the Philadelphia Campaign. He wrote this letter on August 30, 1777, five days after arriving in Maryland to begin the effort to capture Philadelphia. Dansey called his time on campaign “a Savage Life.” 

Letters
Written by William Dansey
August 30, 1777
Paper, Ink
Courtesy of the Delaware Historical Society

Captain William Dansey wrote this letter home to his mother in England to describe his experience during the Philadelphia Campaign. Writing on October 9-11, 1777, Dansey thanked God for sparing his life at the battles of Brandywine and Germantown and described his capture of a flag from the Delaware militia: "I must tell you a Piece of good Luck . . . I took the Horse, Arms, Colours, and Drums belonging to a Rebel Colonel."

Letters
Written by William Dansey
October 9-11, 1777
Paper, Ink
Courtesy of the Delaware Historical Society

Captain William Dansey wrote this letter home to his mother in England to describe his experience during the Philadelphia Campaign. Writing on October 9-11, 1777, Dansey thanked God for sparing his life at the battles of Brandywine and Germantown and described his capture of a flag from the Delaware militia: "I must tell you a Piece of good Luck . . . I took the Horse, Arms, Colours, and Drums belonging to a Rebel Colonel."

Letters
Written by William Dansey
October 9-11, 1777
Paper, Ink
Courtesy of the Delaware Historical Society