King's Own Royal Regiment Museum

Lancaster

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 You must seek permission prior to publication of any of our images.


Museum Display Information

American Wars

In the latter part of the 18th century a number of campaigns took the King's Own to the lands of North America. The Regiment was present in both the Anglo-French wars of 1758 and the War of Independence in the United States.

The first involvement was when conflict in Europe spread to North America with the French threatening British colonists. The 1st Battalion of the King's Own sailed to the West Indies in 1758.

The voyage across the Atlantic was uncomfortable - the soldiers were tightly packed in the transport ships and suffered from poor ventilation. They were fed on weevil-riddled biscuit and tough salt pork - with a strictly limited amount of water. Widespread seasickness made the journey even more unpleasant.

When the King's Own landed at Barbados few of the men would believe it was 3rd January as the conditions were very hot and the sun blazed down from high above.

For the next six years the Regiment remained in the West Indies and were present at the capture of a number of the islands held by the Spanish and the French. Many of the islands were very important for trade, rum and sugar were valuable commodities.

Many more soldiers of the Regiment lost their lives to the tropical diseases than they did to the enemy in the West Indies. Yellow fever was an airborne virus found only tropical climates and it claimed many lives.

The Rewards of Battle

Prize money was often distributed amongst the Regiments after a successful action. Following the successful raid on Havana in 1762 a considerable sum of money was distributed to all those who took part:

Field Officer £564
Captain £184 4 s 7½ d
Subaltern £116 3s ¼ d
Sergeants £8 18s 8d
Corporals £6 16s 6 d
Privates £4 1 s 8½ d

The American War of Independence

In 1774 the Regiment returned to North America to take part in the first actions of the American War of Independence.

Conflict was growing between the British settlers and the Government in London. Laws affecting trade upset the Americans and smuggling upset the British.

Tension grew and British troops, including the King's Own were sent to keep the peace. In April 1774 the King's Own landed at Boston. One year later on 18th April were involved in their first action with the expedition to Concord to remove the weapons and ammunition held in that town by the Americans.

Between April 1775 and March 1776 the King's Own were part of the force which defended Boston from American attack. They were present at the principal action, the Battle of Bunker Hill, on 17th June 1775.

Just over a year later, on 4th July 1776 Independence was declared by the American leader, George Washington. Within a short time independence was confirmed in every state. The Militia was called out and fortifications were constructed. The revolt had spread to every state.

The King's Own were present at the following actions:

bulletJune - July 1776 Attack on Charleston, South Carolina
bullet26 August 1776 Battle of Long Island
bullet24 October 1776 Skirmish at Pell's Point
bullet28 October 1776 Battle of White Plains
bullet16 November 1776 Capture of Fort Washington
bullet18 November 1776 Capture of Fort Lee
bullet26 April 1777 Raid on Danbury
bullet11 September 1777 Battle of Brandywine
bullet4 October 1777 Battle of Germantown
bulletDecember 1777 Skirmishes at Chestnut Hill and Edge Hill
bullet28 June 1778 Battle of Monmouth Court

In 1777 the French Government entered the war on the side of the Americans. Their aim was to regain the islands the British had taken from them in the West Indies. To protect the West Indies a force of 5000 men, including the King's Own, left America under Major General Grant in November 1778.

The King's Own took part in the the Capture of St. Lucia in December 1778 and the Battle of Grenada on 6th July 1778.

The King's Own remained in the West Indies until 1780. They then spent seven years in Ireland before returning to America for ten years' garrison duty in Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and Quebec in Canada.

 

© Images are copyright, Trustees of the King's Own Royal Regiment Museum.
 You must seek permission prior to publication of any of our images.

Only a proportion of our collections are on display at anyone time.  Certain items are on loan for display in other institutions.  An appointment is required to consult any of our collections which are held in store.

© 2014 Trustees of the King's Own Royal Regiment Museum