List of British units in the American Revolutionary War
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List of British Forces in the American Revolutionary War
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This is a list of British units in American Revolutionary War which took part in the conflict, fighting against the American rebels and their French, Spanish and Dutch allies in the Americas, Europe and Asia. In addition to the British Army, the list includes German auxiliary units along with provincial and irregular units formed raised in North America and the West Indies. No battle honours were ever awarded to British regiments who fought in America as it was seen by the British to be a civil war. Four battle honours were, however, awarded for actions against the French and Spanish in the West Indies and other theatres.
Of the British Army regiments raised during the war, primarily for military service in North America or the Caribbean, only three, the
78th Foot, survived the post-war reductions in the Army. The 23rd Light Dragoons (later the 19th Light Dragoons) served in India until 1806; the 73rd (renumbered 71st in 1786) later became part of the Highland Light Infantry while the 78th (renumbered 72nd in 1786) became part of the Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs) in 1881. The newly raised 85th Foot, 86th Foot, 87th Foot, 88th Foot, 89th Foot, 90th Foot, 91st Foot, 92nd Foot, 93rd Foot, 94th Foot and 99th Foot were stationed on garrison duty in the West Indies
. All were disbanded at the end of the war.
Infantry units which remained in the British Isles during the war included the
78th Foot, the 83rd Foot and the 95th Foot were stationed in Jersey, where they defeated a French invasion of the island in 1781 (the Battle of Jersey
). Other regiments were in service in India or Gibraltar.
British Army units
Cavalry
Infantry
Foot guards
- Brigade of Foot Guards (raised from the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards, Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards and 3rd Regiment of Foot Guards)
- 1st Battalion
- 2nd Battalion
Regular infantry
- 1st (Royal) Regiment of Foot
- 3rd Regiment of Foot or "Buffs" and "Royal East Kent Regiment"
- 4th (The King's Own) (Lancaster) Regiment of Foot
- 5th Regiment of Foot (Royal Northumberland Fusiliers)
- 6th Regiment of Foot (Royal Warwickshire Regiment)
- 7th Regiment of Foot (Royal Fusiliers)
- 8th (The King's) Regiment of Foot
- 9th Regiment of Foot (East Norfolk Regiment)
- 10th Regiment of Foot (Royal Lincolnshire Regiment)
- 13th Regiment of Foot (Prince Albert's) (Somerset Light Infantry)
- 14th Regiment of Foot (Prince of Wales's Own) (West Yorkshire Regiment)
- 15th Regiment of Foot (Sir William Clifton's Regiment of Foot) (East Yorkshire Regiment)
- 16th Regiment of Foot
- 17th Regiment of Foot
- 18th (or Royal Irish) Regiment of Foot
- 19th Regiment of Foot
- 20th Regiment of Foot
- 21st Regiment of Foot (Royal North British Fusiliers)
- 22nd Regiment of Foot (Cheshire Regiment)
- 23rd Regiment of Foot (Royal Welch Fusiliers)
- 24th Regiment of Foot
- 26th Regiment of Foot
- 27th (Enniskillen) Regiment of Foot
- 28th Regiment of Foot
- 29th Regiment of Foot
- 30th Regiment of Foot
- 31st Regiment of Foot
- 33rd Regiment of Foot
- 34th Regiment of Foot
- 35th Regiment of Foot
- 37th Regiment of Foot
- 38th Regiment of Foot
- 40th Regiment of Foot
- 42nd (Royal Highland) Regiment of Foot
- 43rd Regiment of Foot
- 44th Regiment of Foot
- 45th Regiment of Foot
- 46th Regiment of Foot
- 47th Regiment of Foot
- 48th Regiment of Foot
- 49th Regiment of Foot
- 50th Regiment of Foot
- 52nd Regiment of Foot
- 53rd Regiment of Foot
- 54th Regiment of Foot
- 55th Regiment of Foot
- 57th Regiment of Foot
- 59th Regiment of Foot
- 60th (Royal American) Regiment of Foot
- 62nd Regiment of Foot
- 63rd Regiment of Foot
- 64th Regiment of Foot
- 65th Regiment of Foot
- 69th Regiment of Foot
- 70th Regiment of Foot(Glasgow Lowland)
- 71st Regiment of Foot (Frasers Highlanders)
- 74th Regiment of (Highland) Foot
- 76th Regiment of Foot (Macdonald's Highlanders)
- 79th Regiment of Foot (Royal Liverpool Volunteers)
- 80th Regiment of Foot (Royal Edinburgh Volunteers)
- 82nd Regiment of Foot (1777)
- 83rd Regiment of Foot (Royal Glasgow Volunteers)
- 84th Regiment of Foot (Royal Highland Emigrants) (Loyalist)
- 85th Regiment of Foot (Westminster Volunteers)
- 86th Regiment of Foot (Rutland Regiment)
- 87th Regiment of Foot (1779)
- 88th Regiment of Foot (1779)
- 89th Regiment of Foot (1779)
- 90th Regiment of Foot (Yorkshire Volunteers)
- 91st Regiment of Foot (Shropshire Volunteers)
- 92nd Regiment of Foot (1779)
- 93rd Regiment of Foot (1780)
- 94th Regiment of Foot (1780)
- 99th Regiment of Foot (Jamaica Regiment)
American establishment
- 1st American Regiment (formerly the Queen's Rangers) (1756–1783)
- 2nd American Regiment (formerly the Volunteers of Ireland, placed on British establishment, in 1782, as 105th Regiment of Foot) (1778-1784)
- 3rd American Regiment (formerly the New York Volunteers) (1776-1783)
- 4th American Regiment (formerly the King's American Regiment, placed on British establishment, in 1782, possibly as the 110th Regiment of Foot) (1776-1783)
- British Legion, placed on British establishment, in 1782, as Tarleton's Dragoons) (1777-1782)
His Majesty's Marine Forces
- 1st Battalion
- 2nd Battalion
Loyalist units
Provincial Corps
- American Legion (1780–1783)
- American Volunteers (1779–1780)
- Armed Boat Company (1781–1783)
- military construction engineers) (1777–1778)
- British Legion (placed on American establishmentin 1781 as 5th American Regiment) (1777–1778)
- British Legionin 1780) (1778–1780)
- Butler's Rangers (1777–1784)
- British Legionin 1778) (1777–1778)
- Campbell's Dragoons (South Carolina Dragoons) (1781)
- Canadian Companies (1777–1783)
- Claus' Rangers[1][2] (1775–1783)
- Collett's Independent Company (1777)
- De Lancey's Brigade (1776–1783)
- 1st Battalion 119th Field Artillery Regiment, Michigan National Guard) (1778–1783)
- Diemar's Troop of Black Hussars (also, known as Diemar's Hussars and Black Hussars), hussars, (light cavalry) (1779–1781)
- Duke of Cumberland's Regiment (1781–1783)
- Duchess County Company (1776–1777)
- chasseurs / light cavalry) (1777–1779)
- Fenwick's Dragoons (South Carolina Dragoons) (1781)
- Forshner's Independent Company (1780–1781)
- Georgia Light Dragoons (there was also, a Local Volunteer Corps unit, of the same name) (1779–1781)
- Georgia Loyalists (1779–1782)
- Governor Wentworth's Volunteers (1777–1781)
- Guides and Pioneers (absorbed the Black Company of Pioneers in 1778) (1778–1783)
- Harkimer's Batteau Company (1780–1783)
- Hierlihy's Corps
- James Island Light Dragoons
- King's American Dragoons
- King's American Regiment (placed on American establishment, in 1781, as 4th American Regiment, part of the regular, British Army) (1776–1783)
- King's Rangers
- King's (Carolina) Rangers
- King's Orange Rangers
- King's Royal Regiment of New York
- British Legionin 1778)
- Locke's Independent Company
- Loyal American Rangers (1780–1783)
- Loyal American Regiment
- Loyal Foresters
- Loyal New Englanders
- Loyal Rangers
- Loyal Rhode Islanders
- Maryland Loyalists Battalion
- McAlpin's Corps (also, known as McAlpin's Corps of Royalists, absorbed the American Volunteers, King’s Loyal Americans, Queen’s Loyal Rangers, and Adams' Rangers)
- Nassau Blues
- Newfoundland Regiment(placed on British establishment in 1782)
- New Hampshire Volunteers
- New Jersey Volunteers (Skinner's Greens)
- Newport Artillery Company(Rhode Island) 1741
- New York Volunteers (placed on American establishment, as 3rd American Regiment in 1779)
- North Carolina Highlanders
- North Carolina Independent Company
- North Carolina Independent Dragoons
- Pennsylvania Loyalists
- British Legionin 1778)
- Prince of Wales's American Volunteers
- Provincial Light Infantry
- Roger's Rangers)
- Roman Catholic Volunteers (1777–1778)
- Royal American Reformers
- Royal Fencible Americans
- Royal Garrison Battalion (placed on British establishment in 178
- Royal Georgia Volunteers
- Royal Highland Emigrants (placed on British establishment in 1779 as 84th Foot)
- Royal Nova Scotia Volunteer Regiment
- Saint John's Volunteers
- Starkloff's Dragoons (South Carolina Dragoons) (1781)
- South Carolina Rangers
- South Carolina Royalists
- Stewart's Troop of Light Dragoons
- Van Alstine's Batteau Company
- Volunteers of Ireland (absorbed the Roman Catholic Volunteers and New Jersey Volunteers and placed on American establishment, in 1779, as 2nd American Regiment, part of the regular, British Army) (1778–1782)
- Volunteers of New England
- West Florida Royal Foresters
- West Jersey Volunteers
Local Volunteer Corps
- Adams Company of Rangers (also, known as Adams' Rangers) (1777–1780)
- Bay Fusiliers (also, known as Mosquito Shore Volunteers and Black River Volunteers) (1779–?)
- Bucks County Volunteers (1778–1783)
- Detroit Volunteers (1778–1783)
- Dunlop's Corps (1780–1781)
- East Florida Rangers (1776–1779)
- East Florida Volunteers (1777–1780)
- Ethiopian Regiment (1775–1776)
- Georgia Light Dragoons (there was also, a Provincial Corps unit, of the same name) (1781–1782)
- Georgia Rangers (1773–1776)
- Georgia Rifle Dragoons (1779)
- King's Dock Yard Volunteers (1780)
- King's Loyal Americans (1776–1781)
- Loyal Volunteers of the City of New York, under the command of Mayor David Mathews
- Mackay's Corps (also, known as Mackay’s Corps of Royalists, Pfister's Corps of Royalists, and Leake's Corps of Royalists) (1777–1781)
- Mayor's Independent Company of Volunteers of New York City under the command of Loyalist Mayor David Mathews
- McAlpin's Corps of Royalists (also, known as McAlpin's Corps and American Volunteers) (1777–1781)
- Mosquito Shore Volunteers (also, known as Bay Fusiliers and Black River Volunteers) (1779–?)
- Natchez Volunteers (1781)
- Negro Volunteers (1779)
- Newfoundland Volunteers (1779–1980)
- North Carolina Volunteers (1776)
- Queen's Loyal Rangers (1777–1781)
- Queen's Loyal Virginia Regiment (absorbed by Queen's Rangers in 1776) (1776–1783)
- Queen's Royal Rangers (1775–1776)
- Rattan and Black River Volunteers (1780–1781)
- Royal Bateaux Volunteers (bateau|batteux) (1779–1781)
- Royal Ethiopian Regiment (disbanded) (1775–1776)
- Virginia Light Horse (1776)
- Virginia Volunteers (1781)
- Volunteers of Augusta (1781–1782)
- West Florida Provincials (1778–1781)
- West Florida Refugees (1777–1781)
Associator and Refugee units
- Associated Loyalists (1780–1782)
- Black Loyalists) (1779–1783)
- Brant's Volunteers (1777–1779)
- De Lancey's Refugees (1776–1783)
- irregulars) (1779–1782)
- Hazard's Corps of Refugees (1780–1782)
- James Stewart's Company of Refugees[6] (1780–1781)
- King's Militia Volunteers (1779–1780)
- Loyal American Association (1775–1776)
- Loyal Associated Refugees (1779)
- Loyal Irish Volunteers (1775–1776)
- Loyal Newport Associators (1777–1779)
- Loyal Refugee Volunteers (1779–1782)
- Maryland Royal Retaliators (1780–1781)
- Pepperell's Corps (1779–?)
- irregulars) (1780–1782?)
- Royal North British Volunteers (1775–1776)
- Sharp's Refugee Marines[6] (marines - naval-based infantry force) (1779)
- Uzal Ward's Company of Refugees[6] (1780–1783)
Militia units
- Charleston Militia (1780–1782)
- Charleston Volunteer Battalion (1780–1782)
- Detroit Militia (1775–1784)
- East Florida Militia (1776–1783)
- Georgia Artillery (1781–1782)
- Georgia Militia (1779–1782)
- German Independent Company, (part of New York City Militia) (1776–?)
- Independent Troop of Black Dragoons (also, known as Black Pioneer Troop) (1782)
- Loyal Commissariat Volunteers (1779–1782)
- Loyal Ordnance Volunteers (1780)
- Loyal Volunteers of the City of New York (also, known as New York City Militia) (1776–1783)
- Massachusetts Militia(1775–1783)
- Massachusetts Volunteers (1777–1783)
- McDonald's Company of Volunteers (1778)
- Minorca Volunteer Company (part of East Florida Militia) (1777–?)
- New Jersey Militia(1776–1777)
- New York City Militia (1776–1783)
- New York Independent Highland Volunteers (1776–1783)
- New York Marine Artillery Company (1780–1783)
- New York Militia(1776–1783)
- New York Rangers (1776–1783)
- North Carolina Militia (1781–1782)
- Nova Scotia Militia (1775–1784)
- Nova Scotia Volunteer Militia Regiment (1776–1781)
- Quebec City Militia (1775–1783)
- Quebec Militia (1775–1783)
- Saint Johns County Volunteers (1781)
- South Carolina Militia (1775–1782)
- South Carolina Volunteers (1781–1782)
- Westchester Chasseurs (chasseurs (light cavalry) (1777)
- West Florida Militia (1778–1781)
West Indian units
- Barbados Militia
- Barbadian Rangers (1781–1783)
- Black Carolina Corps
- Grenada Militia (1775–1779)
- Jamaica Corps of Foot (also, known as the Jamaica Corps and Amherst’s Corps) (1781–1783)
- Independent Companies (Jamaica)
- Jamaica Legion (absorbed by Jamaica Volunteers in 1780) (1780)
- Jamaica Light Dragoons (1780–1781)
- Jamaica Militia (1780–1781)
- Jamaica Rangers (1779–1783)
- Jamaica Volunteers (absorbed the Jamaica Legion, after 1780) (1779–1781)
- Turks Island Company (1781–1783)
German auxiliary units
Principality of Anhalt-Zerbst
- Rauschenplatt's Princess of Anhalt-Zerbst's Regiment (2 battalions, 1 infantry in Quebec (1778), and 1 "Pandour" in New York (1780))
- Nuppenau's Jäger Company
- Company of Artillery
Bayreuth
- 1st Regiment Anspach (later Regiment von Volt; 1st Anspach Battalion)
- 2nd Regiment Bayreuth (later Regiment Seybothen; 2nd Anspach Battalion)
- Anspach Jäger Company
Duchy of Brunswick
- Dragoon Regiment Prinz Lüdwig Ernst
- Grenadier Battalion Breymann
- Light Infantry Battalion von Barner
- Musketeer Regiment Riedesel
- Musketeer Regiment Specht
- Regiment Prinz Friedrich
- Regiment von Rhetz
- von Geyso's Jäger Company
Electorate of Hanover
- 1st Battalion von Reden
- 1st Battalion von Hardenberg
- 1st Battalion la Motte
- 2nd Battalion Prinz Ernst von Mecklenburg
- 2nd Battalion von Goldacker
- 14th Regiment
- 15th Regiment
Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel)
- Combined Regiment von Loos
- Fusilier Regiment von Dittfurth
- Fusilier Regiment Erbprinz (later Musketeer Regiment (1780))
- Fusilier Regiment von Knyphausen
- Fusilier Regiment von Lossburg
- Grenadier Regiment von Rall (later von Woellwarth (1777); von Trümbach (1779); d'Angelelli (1781))
- 1st Battalion Grenadiers von Linsing
- 2nd Battalion Grenadiers von Block (later von Lengerke)
- 3rd Battalion Grenadiers von Minnigerode (later von Loewenstein)
- 4th Battalion Grenadiers von Koehler (later von Graff; von Platte)
- Garrison Regiment von Bünau
- Garrison Regiment von Huyne (later von Benning)
- Garrison Regiment von Stein (later von Seitz; von Porbeck)
- Garrison Regiment von Wissenbach (later von Knoblauch)
- Jäger Corps
- Leib Infantry Regiment
- Musketeer Regiment von Donop
- Musketeer Regiment von Trümbach (later Von Bose (1779))
- Musketeer Regiment von Mirbach (later Jung von Lossburg (1780))
- Musketeer Regiment Prinz Carl
- Musketeer Regiment von Wutginau (later Landgraf (1777))
County of Hesse-Hanau
- Janecke's Frei Corps of Light Infantry
- Musketeer Regiment Erbprinz
- Creuzbourg's Jäger Corps
- Pausch's Company of Artillery
Principality of Waldeck
See also
- British Army during the American War of Independence
- List of Regiments of Foot
- List of British Army regiments (1881)
- List of Continental Forces in the American Revolutionary War
References
- Baer, Friederike. Hessians: German Soldiers in the American Revolutionary War (Oxford University Press, 2022). Website. ISBN 9780190249632.
- Katcher, Philip, Encyclopaedia of British, Provincial and German Army Units 1775–1783, 1973, ISBN 0-8117-0542-0
- History of Hanoverian troops in Gibraltar: Minorca and the East Indies (in German)
- List of British Loyalist Regiments - The On-Line Institute for Advanced Loyalist Studies
- Regiments.org
- Revwar75 - Crown Forces
- the King's Own Patriots
- The Hessians in the Revolution
- Specific
- ISBN 9780919670518.
- ^ Charles Oscar Paullin and Frederic Logan Paxson (1914). "Guide to the Materials in London Archives for the History of the United States Since 1783, Issue 90, Part 2". Washington DC: Carnegie Institution of Washington. p. 538.
- ^ Newland, Samuel J. The Pennsylvania Militia:Defending the Commonwealth and the nation, 1669–1870 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Dept. of Military and Veterans Affairs (2002)pp36-45
- ISBN 9781576077467. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
- ^ Black Loyalists:Our History, Our People. Canada's Digital Collection. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28.
- ^ a b c d "List of British Loyalist Associators - The On-Line Institute for Advanced Loyalist Studies".
External links
- Select Bibliography of British Participation in the American Revolutionary War compiled by the United States Army Center of Military History
- The Brigade of the American Revolution (BAR), Recreated British and Allied military units (Living History)
- The Northwest Territory Alliance (NWTA), Recreated British and Allied military units (Living History)