Prince of Wales' American Regiment

Prince of Wales' American Regiment
Prince of Wales' American Volunteers
Prince of Wales' Royal American Volunteers
Active1777-1783
Country Great Britain
Allegiance Great Britain
BranchBritish Provincial unit
TypeInfantry
EngagementsRidgefield, Rhode Island, Charleston, Hanging Rock, Cowpens, Fort Granby
Commanders
Notable
commanders

The Prince of Wales' American Regiment was a volunteer regiment of Loyalists in the American Revolution organized in 1776 and 1777 by Montfort Browne, former governor of the Bahamas.[2][3] Recruits were largely from among Connecticut Loyalists.[4][5]

The regiment was initially based in the New York City area [6] and saw early action in 1777 at the Battle of Ridgefield, in which the British sought to destroy American military supplies stored at Danbury, Connecticut.[7][8][9] The regiment later participated in the Battle of Rhode Island in 1778.[10][11]

When the British refocused their efforts on a southern strategy, the regiment was moved to South Carolina, where it participated in the Siege of Charleston in 1780.[12][13]

The regiment saw its heaviest action at the Battle of Hanging Rock, in which the regiment, under the command of Major John Carden, contributed substantially to repulsing a surprise attack by the Continental Army under the command of General Thomas Sumter.[14][15] Although the battle was a tactical victory, the Prince of Wales' American Regiment suffered heavy casualties.[16][17] In addition, Major Carden was disgraced for resigning his command in the heat of battle.[18] Portions of the regiment later served at the Battle of Cowpens[19][20] and the Siege of Fort Granby.[21][22]

The regiment remained in South Carolina until late 1782, when it returned to New York.[23] The regiment was disbanded on October 10, 1783.[24][25] Over 150 members of the regiment, along with family and servants, resettled in New Brunswick, Canada.[26][27] The community of Prince of Wales, New Brunswick was named for the regiment by Lieutenant Colonel Gabriel DeVeber, who settled there with his family.[28]

  1. ^ John Carden, American Battlefield Trust webpage. Accessed June 19, 2020.
  2. ^ McCain, Diana Ross (November 12, 1997). "Tories Hung Out In Colonial Middletown". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  3. ^ A History of the Prince Of Wales' American Regiment - Part 1 of 7 webpage. Accessed May 15, 2020.
  4. ^ Fabel, R.F.A. (Autumn 1992). "Montfort Browne's Corps: The Prince of Wales American Volunteers". Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research. 70 (283): 158–160. JSTOR 44224742.
  5. ^ McCain, Diana Ross (November 12, 1997). "Tories Hung Out In Colonial Middletown". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  6. ^ Siebert, Wilbur H. (January 1931). "Loyalist Troops of New England". The New England Quarterly. 4 (1): 132–133. doi:10.2307/359219. JSTOR 359219.
  7. ^ Fabel, R.F.A. (Autumn 1992). "Montfort Browne's Corps: The Prince of Wales American Volunteers". Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research. 70 (283): 160–162. JSTOR 44224742.
  8. ^ A History of the Prince Of Wales' American Regiment - Part 2 of 7, Baptism at Danbury webpage. Accessed May 15, 2020.
  9. ^ Abbott, Tim (April 28, 2008), Walking the Berkshires: Tryon's Danbury Raid webpage. Accessed May 15, 2020.
  10. ^ Fabel, R.F.A. (Autumn 1992). "Montfort Browne's Corps: The Prince of Wales American Volunteers". Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research. 70 (283): 164–165. JSTOR 44224742.
  11. ^ Siebert, Wilbur H. (January 1931). "Loyalist Troops of New England". The New England Quarterly. 4 (1): 133. doi:10.2307/359219. JSTOR 359219.
  12. ^ Fabel, R.F.A. (Autumn 1992). "Montfort Browne's Corps: The Prince of Wales American Volunteers". Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research. 70 (283): 165–166. JSTOR 44224742.
  13. ^ Siebert, Wilbur H. (1916). "The Refugee Loyalists of Connecticut" (PDF). Transactions of the Royal Society of Canada, 3d Series. X: 84.
  14. ^ Fabel, R.F.A. (Autumn 1992). "Montfort Browne's Corps: The Prince of Wales American Volunteers". Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research. 70 (283): 166–168. JSTOR 44224742.
  15. ^ A History of the Prince Of Wales' American Regiment - Part 4 of 7, Hanging Rock webpage. Accessed May 15, 2020.
  16. ^ Fabel, R.F.A. (Autumn 1992). "Montfort Browne's Corps: The Prince of Wales American Volunteers". Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research. 70 (283): 167–168. JSTOR 44224742.
  17. ^ Hanging Rock, American Battlefield Trust webpage. Accessed May 15, 2020.
  18. ^ Chesney, Alexander (October 30, 1921). "The Journal of Alexander Chesney, a South Carolina Loyalist in the Revolution and After". The Ohio State University Bulletin. 26 (4): 90.
  19. ^ Gilbert, Ed; Gilbert, Catherine (2016). Cowpens 1781: Turning Point of the American Revolution. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 31. ISBN 978-1472822383.
  20. ^ The American Revolution in South Carolina: Cowpens webpage. Accessed June 19, 2020.
  21. ^ Fabel, R.F.A. (Autumn 1992). "Montfort Browne's Corps: The Prince of Wales American Volunteers". Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research. 70 (283): 171. JSTOR 44224742.
  22. ^ The American Revolution in South Carolina: Fort Granby webpage. Accessed June 19, 2020.
  23. ^ Fabel, R.F.A. (Autumn 1992). "Montfort Browne's Corps: The Prince of Wales American Volunteers". Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research. 70 (283): 171. JSTOR 44224742.
  24. ^ Siebert, Wilbur H. (January 1931). "Loyalist Troops of New England". The New England Quarterly. 4 (1): 145. doi:10.2307/359219. JSTOR 359219.
  25. ^ A History of the Prince Of Wales' American Regiment - Part 7 of 7, Final Days webpage. Accessed May 15, 2020.
  26. ^ Siebert, Wilbur H. (January 1931). "Loyalist Troops of New England". The New England Quarterly. 4 (1): 145–146. doi:10.2307/359219. JSTOR 359219.
  27. ^ A History of the Prince Of Wales' American Regiment - Part 7 of 7, Final Days webpage. Accessed May 15, 2020.
  28. ^ Point of Interest, Prince of Wales American Regiment, University of New Brunswick webpage. Accessed May 15, 2020.