Kings Royal Regiment of New York, American Revolutionary War

From the Journal of the American Revolution: April 8, 2025by Stuart Lyall Manson:

In 1776, the Declaration of Independence charted a new autonomous path for thirteen of Britain’s North American colonies. One of the document’s many allegations was that British authorities had “excited domestic insurrections amongst us.”[1] While its context largely pointed towards Native Americans, another inspiration for this grievance may have been the embodying of Loyalist regiments in 1775 and 1776. Eventually thousands of colonists joined these military units to preserve the North American portion of the British Empire. Two weeks before the enactment of the Declaration of Independence, one of these Loyalist regiments was formed under extraordinary circumstances: The King’s Royal Regiment of New York commanded by Sir John Johnson.

Ironically, the unit was founded not in the colony of New York, but rather in Québec, also commonly referred to as Canada. In the early summer of 1776, Québec Gov. Guy Carleton was completing the colony’s liberation from a Rebel army. The year before, a force under generals Richard Montgomery and Benedict Arnold had invaded Quebec, conquering the settled areas up to the walls of the City of Québec. In the spring of 1776 a British relief force arrived, which ousted the occupiers in an ensuing campaign.At the tail end of this operation, Carleton unexpectedly encountered New York resident Sir John Jonston and 200 of his refugee neighbors near Montréal.

Johnson was a large landowner in the Mohawk River area in the colony of New York, and more importantly, a notorious Loyalist. He and his weary group had just escaped a grim situation in central New York, whose Loyalist and Rebel factions were hurtling towards civil war. Soon after meeting Johnson near Montréal, Carleton wrote to Secretary of State for the Colonies, George Germain, relaying intelligence conveyed by the refugee Loyalist leader: “He represents to me that there are considerable numbers of people, in the part of the country he comes from, who remain steadily attached to His Majesty’s Government and who would take up arms in its defence had they sufficient protection . . . in the meantime they suffer all the miseries that the persecuting spirit of the rebels is able to inflict upon them.”

The specific date of the genesis of the King’s Royal Regiment of New York—the date of Carleton’s commission to Johnson—is commonly cited on the regimental muster rolls as June 19, 1776. Several months later, Johnson referred to the regiment as “a force sufficient for me to stand upon my legs and look my enemies in the face.” This was a natural reaction to the political volatility that Johnson and his Loyalist friends had experienced with their numerically-superior rebellious neighbors back in the Mohawk River area of New York. There is much more fascinating information about the formation of the Regiment in the linked article, which can be downloaded as a free PDF. 

From Wikipedia article on the Regiment:  The regiment served with distinction throughout the war, launching raids and relief missions into the Province of New York. In the summer of 1777, the regiment was present at the siege of Fort Stanwix during the expedition of Brigadier General Barry St. Leger, and saw action at the Battle of Oriskany. Along with their Iroquois (Haudenosaunee)allies and other provincial regiments such as Butler's Rangers, the regiment took part in a series of raids, mostly in the  large-scale raid on the Schoharie and Mohawk valleys that culminated in the Battle of Klock's Field.

The regiment eventually comprised two battalions. The first battalion was disbanded in 1783 and the second in 1784. Members of the regiment were granted land and settled along the St. Laurence River and the north shore of  Lake Ontario.

The earlier uniform of the regiment is uncertain (and, of course, ALL of the options may have been worn by various individuals!). For sure they wore green coats; the British plan was for most loyalists units to have green coats, mostly with white facings, and brown leather gaiters. The source I used indicated buff belts, so that's how they appear here.

Wikipedia says green faced red, with buff vests and pants (and they are so illustrated in the PDF from the JAR as well); their-enactment unit below has them in green faced dark blue. Circa 1779, like most Loyalist units they transitioned to Red coats, in this case faced with dark blue. The figures are by Perry with a recycled King's color from a British regiment by Adolfo Ramos. 

Properly, the unit should be wearing caps as do these Canadian re-enactors. There is much more information about "The King's Royal Yorkers" on their website.

Kings Orange Rangers, American Revolutionary War

The King’s Orange Rangers regiment was formed in late 1776 by William Bayard of New York and commanded by his son, Lieutenant Colonel John Bayard. 

The regiment was plagued by problems throughout its existence including an outbreak of smallpox, lack of morale and discipline, infighting between officers, and even a shipwreck. The regiment was moved from the British encampment in the Manhattan area in the fall of 1778 to Halifax, Nova Scotia; this was likely a strategic move to combat internal conflicts and desertions within the regiment. 

Raid on Liverpool (Nova Scotia, 1780)

The most dramatic privateer raid occurred on September 13, 1780. Two American privateers, the Surprize under Cpt. Benjamin Cole, and the Delight, under Cpt. Lane, unloaded nearly 70 men at Ballast Cove shortly after midnight. By 4am they had captured the fort and taken Howard, two other officers, and all but six of the KOR garrison as prisoners. Perkins called out the militia, engineered the capture of Cole, and negotiated with Lane for the recovery of the fort and the release of the prisoners. Within a few hours "every thing [was] restored to its former Situation without any Blood Shed." Liverpool was not bothered by privateers for the remainder of the war. Most of Howard's company was ordered back to Halifax in mid-1781, but owing to appeals by the town's leaders, a detachment of 20 men under Lt. McLeod remained for the duration. 

[this, the preceding, and the following from Wikipedia article on the unit]

Port Williams (1781)

At Port Williams, Nova Scotia, the threat of American privateer attacks had subsided. In the spring of 1781, Major Samuel Bayard was ordered to take a detachment of Rangers overland from Halifax to Port Hughes in Nova Scotia to overawe local Planters who were planning to erect a Liberty Pole and thereby break with the King. There they fixed bayonets and "with bright weapons glittering, colours flying and drums beating, they marched up Church Street and back to Town Plot, where the barracks stood." This show of force brought the locals back in line. 

The King's Orange Rangers were to be stationed in Nova Scotia for the remainder of the war, at which time the members dispersed and were resettled. Only a few individuals chose to go to the land that had been assigned to the regiment in New Brunswick at the end of the war.

Obviously, I chose this unit for its interesting uniform (which was only issued in 1780)!

The flag is speculative and modified from that of another unit. 

The figures are by Perry. The history of the unit is a reminder that, by it's conclusion, the American Revolutionary War had become a worldwide conflict, involving North America, the Caribbean, India, and more, with the British fighting not only the Americans, but the French, Spanish, and Dutch, plus of course drawing a large number of contracted soldiers from various minor German states. 

This unit has at least one Canadian re-enactment group - lots of photos on their FB page.

Some more Canadian re-enactors, probably from a different group, at the citadel in Halifax, Nova Scotia. 

Hessian Grenadiers #2, American Revolutionary War

 This is one of the combined Grenadier battalions of the Hessian troops sent to America. 

For my convenience rather than any historical composition, 3 figures are from each of my four Hessian Fusilier regiments. 

They have "borrowed" a white "Leibfahne" from one of their component regiments, very much contrary to regulations!

These are Perry figures, with the flag courtesy of Adolfo Ramos. 

Note the orange cloth "bag" with white stripes on the three men for Fusilier Regiment Von Lossberg, in contrast to the black and brass of the Fusiliers - the only hessian regiment with different colors for the Fusilier and Grenadier miters of the same regiment. 

Hessian Fusilier Regiment Von Ditfourth - American Revolutionary War

This Hessian Fusilier regiment traces its origins back to 1702.

It had "sulfur yellow" facings and cloth backing on their miters.

It fought at White Plains, Rhode Island, and Charleston. 

These are Perry figures once again.

The flag is from Flags of War. 

It became a Musketeer regiment in 1782.

Hessian Artillery and General Officers, American Revolutionary War

Each Hessian Infantry regiment had 2 light 3pounder cannon attached to it. 

Amazingly, the carriages were painted white, with the spokes and metal work painted red (Hessian colors); quite a striking combination!

Reminds me of an early 20th century Carnival wagon!

The guns were served by members of the Feldartillerie Corps. They wore dark blue jackets with crimson cuffs, lapels, and turnbacks, with paille vests and breeches. In dress, the men's hats were trimmed with white lace, and the officer's hats were trimmed with gold lace.

Perry makes 3 German officers for the AWI, representing Generals Knypausen, Riedesel (a Brunswicker), and Stirn. 

I have painted the portly gentleman on the right as Stirn, wearing a kore or less standard Hessian General's uniform of this time.  He was a Hessian Brigade commander during the Revolutionary Wart. 

In the center is Knyphausen, who I have painted in the uniform of his Regiment, with black facings. He lead the attack by Hessian forces at Brandywine. 

The final figure is von Riedesel, painted in the uniform of a Brunswick general. He and his Brunswickers were a major portion of the troops serving under General Burgoyne in the ill-fated Saratoga campaign. 

Indians #3 Mohawk and Seneca tribes

This group I have designated as from the Mohawk tribe, or in their own language, Kanien’kehá:ka (People of the Flint"). The Easternmost of the Iroquois (Haudenosaunee)  tribes, they were traditionally referred to as "Keepers of the Eastern Door" of the Confederacy. 

 The Iroquois tried to remain neutral during the Revolutionary War, but the war ultimately wound up splitting the Confederacy as much as it di the Europeans; The Oneida and Tuscarora supported the Americans, and the other four tribes the British. 

A key figure of the Mohawks during this time, was Joseph Brant. whose Indian name was Thayendanegea. He formed a good relationship with the British, and especially Sir William Johnson, who was the British superintendent of the Indians of North America. In 1759, Johnson married Brant's sister, Molly. Johnson selected Brant and several other Mohawks to attend Moor’s Charity School for Indians, a school which would later develop into Dartmouth College. At school, Brant converted to the Anglican faith and learned to read and write English. While Brant’s education at Moor’s gave him the skills which made him prosperous, most students at Moor’s were not nearly as successful as Brant. The school’s administrators and employees used their power to force students who were not of top caliber into exploitive manual labor.

After receiving his education, Brant accompanied Johnson during the French and Indian War. After the war concluded, Brant stayed with his brother in law and assisted in running the British “Indian Department.” During this time, he traveled throughout the Iroquois land, mainly as a missionary. Throughout his travels, Brant learned to speak at least three languages of the different Iroquois tribes and likely spoke all six tribal languages. These early missionary years established Brant as a trusted and respected leader of both natives and settlers.

This second group I have designated as being from the Seneca tribe (Onondowagah in their language, "Great Hill People"). They were the Westernmost of the Iroquois tribes, the "Keepers of the Western Door", and the largest of the Six Nations. 

Returning to the story of Joseph Brant, in 1775 he Six Nations met to discuss their role in the burgeoning War for independence. While many advocated for neutrality, almost prophetically, Brant predicted that independence for the colonists meant that the natives across the North American continent would lose their land. Brant’s argument, along with Johnson’s influence, succeeded in convincing four of the six nations to fight for the British cause, the Mohawks, Onondagas, Cayugas, and the Senecas.

In November 1775, Brant traveled to England to discuss native roles in the War along with land disputes. Brant returned to America in July of 1776 and participated in the British campaign to retake New York.  It is likely he served with General Hugh Percy during the British push through Jamaica Pass, which was a key phase of the Battle of Long Island.  Brant and Percy quickly formed a lifelong friendship. Percy would be the only white man which Brant would remain close with after the war. Following the New York campaign, Brant returned to the Six Nations, and rallied the tribes for war against the American colonists.

Throughout 1777 and 1778, Brant’s forces were exclusively involved in the Mohawk Valley. Brant’s army participated at the Battle of Oriskany, in attacks on Cobleskill, and in raids on German Flatts. While Brant’s forces were on a raid, continental troops attacked Brant’s Onoquaga base. The continentals razed the city, leaving buildings burned, cattle dead, and crops reaped. Brant, as a response, led the attack which became known as the Cherry Valley Massacre. During the attack, Seneca forces sought out innocents killing at least thirty civilians. This action gave Brant a reputation for brutality and the nickname “Monster Brant;” however, Brant, although active in the valley, was not present at the Cherry Valley Massacre, primary sources from British leaders and Brant showing that he instead attempted to contain the Seneca’s’ violence.

  By 1779, the British  granted him the rank of “Captain of the Northern Confederated Indians” and promised provisions for his men but no pay for the native troops. Because of his new salary and wartimes despoiling, Brant became moderately wealthy. This wealth caused jealousy among rival chiefs and even his unpaid volunteers. When a commission to make Brant a colonel came, British colonial officers did not tell Brant in order to preserve his negotiating power with other tribes. In late 1779, the Sullivan Campaign devastated Mohawk lands, forcing Brant and the Iroquois out of New York and pushing them back to Fort Niagara.

In 1781, Brant was sent west to the Ohio Country. During this campaign, Brant was seriously injured in the leg and was forced to recover at Fort Detroit. During this time he tried to keep western tribes loyal to the British, even after the catastrophic defeat of the British at Yorktown. 

The 1783 Treaty of Paris did not acknowledge the Six Tribes or any indigenous groups independence. The British had failed to accomplish the promise which prompted many native tribes to join their cause, the protection of indigenous land. Brant would spend the rest of his life fighting for the land rights of his people and other disaffected indigenous tribes in America. His first attempt at protecting the land was forming the Western Confederacy, a group of thirty native nations which agreed to fight for the Fort Stanwix Treaty line. Brant sought British support in 1785, and while the British compensated Mohawk losses in the war and gave Brant a pension, they refused to join in support of the thirty tribes. Brant and Washington both made attempts at peace. Brant sought a peace treaty but failed. Washington tried to create a reservation for the Mohawks and give Brant a large pension, but Brant refused. The American forces overwhelmed the Western Confederacy resulting in the thirty tribes’ alliance disintegrating.

Hessian Fusilier Regiment Erbprinz - American Revolutionary War

 

Just as the Hessians of the time of the American Revolutionary War army copied many features of Prussian uniforms of the time, they raised regiments of Fusiliers as well as Musketeers. There was even less difference between these units and their Musketeer brethren than in the Prussian Army (where they were chiefly new units raised from recently captured territories, such as Silesia). These men were felt to be less robust than the Brandenburg and Pomeranians that made up the units of the old army, and thus were more lightly equipped. To make up for their smaller stature, Frederick gave them headgear based on a cut down version of the Prussian Grenadier miter. After the Revolutionary era, Prussian Fusiliers would begin evolving into actual light infantry ...sans the miters. 

The origins of  Fusilier Regiment Erbprinz date back to 1680; interestingly, in 1780 it was converted to a Musketeer regiment, and was renamed Prince Freidrich in 1783. 

Th pink I used is probably a more bold hue than used at the time, although contemporary illustrations do show a more intense hue than than rather pale version seen in armies of the Napoleonic era. 

In any event, there's no doubt about the impressive appearance of even the Fusiler miters!

Evidently captured miters were highly prized by patriot soldiers! These are Perry figures, with the flag being from Flags of War.

The Erbprinz regiment was among the first Hessian contingent to arrive in North America, at New York in August of 1776. and fought at the Battles of Long Island and White Plains later that year. Other major actions were Fort Washington and Yorktown.