The earliest beginnings of the 8th Hussars has been traced back to a regiment formed in 1775 in Virginia by Col. John Saunders during the American Revolution. He raised a troop of cavalry, at his own expense , which was part of the Queen’s Loyal Virginia Regiment. Saunders and his men fought their first battle at Great Bridge, North Carolina. In 1776 they merged with the Queen's Rangers. The Queen’s Rangers fought as scouts, as guerrillas, as cavalry and as infantry. A self-contained unit, they had riflemen, grenadiers, artillery and cavalry in their ranks. They killed or captured twice as many men as they lost. Until the British surrender at Yorktown, Virginia, in October 1781, they had never known defeat. John Saunders was a captain in the Queen’s Rangers and was twice wounded in action. After the war was over John Saunders sailed to England. The Regiment was offered the opportunity of settling in Nova Scotia. The regiment as an entity sailed for Nova Scotia in September, 1783, and reached Saint John (then Parr Town) on the 27th of that month. They settled in the St. John and Kennebecasis river valleys. John Saunders came to New Brunswick 7 years after the Loyalist landings of 1783. He came out from London to be a Justice of the Supreme Court of the province. Two of his descendants lived on a noble hill in the Kennebecasis Valley. (Fox Hill). His grandson, Lt-Col John Saunders became the father of the Regiment and started their training at his home near Apohaqui. Saunders’ great-grandson, Lt. Col. H Montgomery Campbell took over command of the regiment in 1899. Col. John Saunders is buried in Fredericton.