King's Royal Regiment of New York

King's Royal Regiment of New York
Active1776–1784
Country Great Britain
Allegiance British Army
BranchBritish provincial unit
TypeAuxiliaries
Light infantry
Line infantry
RoleManeuver warfare
Military intelligence
Unconventional warfare
Sizetwo battalions (250)
Nickname(s)Johnson's Royal Regiment of New York, King's Royal Regiment, King's Royal Yorkers, Royal Greens
EngagementsAmerican Revolutionary War
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Private, Johnson's Royal Regiment of New York, 1776, by Charles M. Lefferts.

The King's Royal Regiment of New York, also known as Johnson's Royal Regiment of New York, King's Royal Regiment, King's Royal Yorkers, and Royal Greens, were one of the first Loyalist regiments, raised on June 19, 1776, in British Canada, during the American Revolutionary War.

The King's Royal Regiment of New York was formed by exiled Loyalist leader, Sir John Johnson, from American refugees, fleeing rebel persecution,[1] the regiment served with distinction throughout the war, launching raids and relief missions into the Mohawk Valley of New York.

The regiment was instrumental in the siege of Fort Stanwix, during the expedition of Colonel Barry St. Leger, down the Mohawk River Valley, in the summer of 1777,[citation needed] and saw action, that same year, in the Saratoga Campaign, at the Battle of Oriskany, Carleton' s Raid, in 1778, and the devastating raid on the Schoharie Valley, in 1780. Along with American Indian allies and fellow provincial regiments, such as Butler's Rangers, the regiment fought a series of low-level raiding campaigns, through the Mohawk Valley. This region was a major agricultural area of New York, and these raids were intended to interdict the supply of foodstuffs to General George Washington's army while pressuring the Revolution's political leaders in the region, who were actively persecuting Loyalist residents as traitors aiding and supplying British troops.[citation needed]

The regiment eventually comprised two battalions. Following the war, the first battalion was disbanded in 1783 and the second battalion in 1784. Members of the regiment relocated to the British province of Quebec. They were granted land along the St. Lawrence River valley and Bay of Quinte, today within the province of Ontario in Canada.