Page "John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore" Paragraph 12

He organised these Black Loyalists into the Ethiopian Regiment.

However, after the Battle of Kemp's Landing, Dunmore became overconfident, which precipitated his defeat at the Battle of Great Bridge, 9 December 1775.

Following the defeat at Great Bridge, he loaded his troops, and many Virginia Loyalists, onto British ships ; as there was an outbreak of smallpox at the time, this had disastrous consequences, particularly for the ex-slaves ; some 500 of the 800 members of the Ethiopian Regiment died.