Chapter XLIII: Appendix: D

BRITISH ARMY, AT VARIOUS DATES.

The British Official Records show that the entire British force in America, including troops in Canada, Florida and the Bahama Islands, hardly exceeded, at any one time—and then not until 1780—42,000 men. Some of the regiments appear upon the maps as participants in battles from the attack upon Breed’s Hill until the final surrender of Cornwallis. The colonels of these regiments, under British regulations, held command as general officers; but the regiments retained their personal relation to the commanding officer, although the lieutenant-colonel commanded the battalions in the field, one recruiting battalion always remaining at the home depot.

The following Tables have peculiar value, being compiled direct from original sources:

1. British regiments assigned to America, 1776.

17th Dragoons Preston’s.
4th Foot Hodgsin’s.
5th Foot Percy’s.
10th Foot Sanford’s.
22d Foot Gage’s.
23d Foot Howe’s.
35th Foot F. H. Campbell’s.
38th Foot Pigot’s.
40th Foot Hamilton’s.
43d Foot Cray’s.
44th Foot Abercrombie’s.
45th Foot Haviland’s.
47th Foot Carleton’s.
49th Foot Maitland’s.
52d Foot Clavering’s.
63d Foot T. Grant’s.
64th Foot Pomeroy’s.
65th Foot Armstrong’s.

The above were stationed in Boston, with five companies of the Royal Artillery.

On their passage from Ireland to Boston:

17th Foot Monkton’s.
27th Foot Massey’s.
46th Foot Vaughn’s.
53d Foot James Grant’s.

Then, in Canada:

7th Foot Berlier’s.
8th Foot T. Armstrong’s.
26th Foot Lord Gordon’s.
2 Companies Royal Artillery.

Ready to sail for America, from Cork:

15th Foot Caven’s.
33d Foot Cornwallis’.
37th Foot Coote’s.
42d Foot Lord Murray’s.
54th Foot Frederick’s.
57th Foot Irwin’s.

Ordered for Boston:

16th Dragoons Burgoyne’s.
King’s Guards 1,000 men.

Ordered for Quebec:

9th Foot Lagonier’s.
20th Foot Parker’s.
24th Foot Taylor’s.
34th Foot Lord Cavendish’s.
33d Foot Elphinstone’s.
62d Foot Jones’.

Also, 29th Foot upon opening of navigation.

Cunningham’s Regiment, the 14th Foot, was in part in Virginia; the residue, with a Company of the Royal Artillery, was at St. Augustine, Florida.

2. British Army at the Battle of Long Island.

ADVANCE CORPS.

Four Battalions of Light Infantry and the Light Dragoons.

RESERVE CORPS.

Four Battalions of Grenadiers, 33d and 42d Regiments.

BRITISH COLUMN.

1ST BRIGADE 44th, 15th, 27th and 45th Regiments.

2D BRIGADE 5th, 28th, 55th and 49th Regiments.

3D BRIGADE 10th, 37th, 38th and 52d Regiments.

4TH BRIGADE 17th, 40th, 46th and 55th Regiments.

5TH BRIGADE 22d, 43d, 54th and 63d Regiments.

6TH BRIGADE 23d, 44th, 57th and 64th Regiments.

7TH BRIGADE 71st Highland Regiment, New York Companies and
Royal Artillery.

Colonel Donop’s command consisted of the Hessian Grenadiers and the Chausseurs.

General De Heister’s command consisted of two Hessian brigades.

TOTAL OF COMBINED ARMIES, INCLUDING FORCE ON STATEN ISLAND.

General Clinton in his report gives Howe’s “effectives fit for duty” as 26,980—officers not included; but, including all officers, commissioned and non-commissioned, as 31,625 men.

3. British effective force in America, June 3, 1777.

In New Jersey.
British Artillery 365
British Cavalry 710
British Infantry 8,361
Hessian Infantry 3,300
Anspach Infantry 1,043
——————
13,779

In New York.
British Artillery 20
British Infantry 1,513
Hessian Infantry 1,778
—————
3,311

Aggregate, 17,090.

On this date, 2,631 men had been sent to Rhode Island, and the total
force of foreign troops which had arrived—including those of Hesse,
Anspach, and Waldeck—amounted to 14,777.

4. British effective force in America, March 26, 1778.

In New York. In Philadelphia. In Rhode Island.
British 3,486 13,078 1,610
German 3,689 5,202 2,116
Provincial 3,281 1,250 44
—————— —————— —————
10,456 19,530 3,770

Aggregate, 33,756.

5. Aug. 15, 1778.

In New York and vicinity, 19,586; in Long Island, 8,117; in Rhode
Island, 5,189; Lord Howe’s fleet, 512; making an aggregate of 33,404.

A later return of November 1, on account of troops sent to Halifax and
to the West Indies, reduced the aggregate to 22,494 for duty.

6. May 1, 1779.

New York 9,123
Long Island 6,056
Staten Island 1,344
Paulus Hook 383
Hoboken 264
Rhode Island 5,644
——————
22,814

Halifax 3,677
Georgia 4,794
West Florida 1,703
Bermuda and Providence Island 470
——————
10,644

Aggregate, 33,458.

7. December 1, 1779.

At New York and its dependencies:

British 13,848
German 10,836
Provincial 4,072
——————
Total 28,756

Halifax and Penobscot 3,460
Georgia 3,930
West Florida 1,787
Bermuda and Providence Island 636
—————
Total 9,813

Aggregate, 38,569.

8. British effective force in America, May 1, 1780.

New York. South Carolina. Nova Scotia. East Florida. Georgia.
British 7,711 7,041 2,298 590
German 7,451 3,018 572 547 862
Provincials 2,162 2,788 638 316 1,016
—————— —————— —————— —————— ——————
17,324 12,847 3,508 1,453 1,878

Aggregate, including East Florida, Providence Island and Bermuda, 38,002.

9. December 1, 1780.

New York 17,729 On an expedition 2,274 South Carolina 7,384 Georgia 968 —————— 28,355

West Florida 1,261 Nova Scotia 3,167 Bermuda 387 Providence Island 143 ————— 4,958

Aggregate, 33,313; besides Provincial troops, 8,954. Total, 42,267.

10. May 1, 1781.

New York 12,257
On an expedition 1,782
With Leslie 2,278
With Arnold 1,553
With Phillips 2,116
South Carolina 7,254
——————
27,240

East Florida 438
West Florida 1,185
Nova Scotia 3,130
Bermuda 366
Providence Island 128
Georgia 887
—————
6,134

Aggregate forces, 33,374.

11. Sept. 1, 1781.

New S. N. W.
York. Virginia. Carolina. Georgia. Floridas. Scotia. Indies.

British, 5,932 5,544 5,024 920 1,745 498

German, 8,629 2,204 1,596 486 558 562

Provincial, 2,140 1,137 3,155 598 211 1,145

—————— —————— —————— —————— —————— —————— ———

Total, 16,701 8,885 9,775 1,084 1,689 3,452 498

Aggregate, including Providence Island and Bermuda, 42,075.

NOTE.—Stedman has the following estimate:

BRITISH AND REBEL FORCE
IN 1776.

Dates. British. Rebel.
August 24,000 16,000
November 26,600 4,500
December 27,700 3,300

IN 1777.

March 27,000 4,500
June 30,000 8,000