84th Regiment of Foot (Royal Highland Emigrants)

84th Regiment of Foot (Royal Highland Emigrants)
Active	1775-1784
Country	United Kingdom
Allegiance	Loyalist (American Revolution)
Branch	Army
Type	Line Infantry
Role	Infantry
Size	Regiment of two battalions
Nickname(s)	Royal Highland Emigrants (1st Battalion), Young Highlanders (2nd Battalion)
Motto(s)	Quicquid aut facere aut patri
Colors	dark blue facings; the buttonhole lace was white, with red outer/blue middle/red inner worms; the colours were made up when the regiment was intended to be designated "77th Foot" and bore that number (the regimental colour still survives and, until recently at least, was in a private collection in Scotland).
Engagements	First Battalion: Moore's Creek Bridge, Fort St. John's, Quebec City, Upper New York Raid of 1777, Lake Champlain Raids of 1778, Mohawk Valley Raids of 1780-1782. Second Battalion: Charlestown, Long Island, Newport, Fort Howe, Penobscot River, Cape Sable, Bay of Fundy, Mohawk Valley, Hampton Roads of 1780, Charlestown, Tompkin's Bridge, Motte's House, Eutaw Springs, Wiggin's Hill, Fair Lawn, Wimboo Creek, Combahee Ferry
Commanders
First Colonel of the Regiment	Lt-Gen. Sir Henry Clinton
Second (and final) Colonel of the Regiment	Gen. Sir Guy (Carleton)
Notable commanders	Allan Maclean (1st Battalion), John Small (2nd Battalion)

For other units with the same regimental number, see 84th Regiment of Foot (disambiguation)

The 84th Regiment of Foot (Royal Highland Emigrants) was a British regiment in the American Revolution that was raised to protect Nova Scotia and Quebec from the frequent land and sea attacks. The 84th Regiment was also involved in fighting in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Maine.

The Regiment had two Battalions that operated independently of each other and saw little action together. The First Battalion acted primarily to defend Quebec from rebel forces, with some members seeing action in the Siege of Fort St. Jean in Quebec and the Battle of Quebec (1775).

The Second Battalion trained and operated as marines and primarily served to defend Nova Scotia from American Privateers, participating in defeating the Rebel American Penobscot Expedition in Maine. While other companies of the Second Battalion fought in the Battle of Eutaw Springs in South Carolina Battle of Fort Motte, Battle of the Combahee River, and The Battle of Fair Lawn, Siege of Ninety-Six. There were also battles fought in and North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.

After the war many from the Second Battalion of the 84th Regiment settled in the Douglas Township, Nova Scotia (a region in present day Hants County).

The 2nd Battalion was raised in the Maritimes, New York and the Carolinas. It was placed under the command of the Gaelic speaking Major John Small of Perthshire who had formerly served in the 42nd Regiment (Black Watch). The 2nd Battalion of the 84th was made up of veterans of the 42nd, 77th and 78th Highlanders who had settled in America after the Seven Years (French and Indian) War. It was also composed of American Loyalists and recent Immigrants.

Recruitment

The 84th Regiment of Foot (Royal Highland Emigrants) began as a American Loyalist regiment of the "Provincial Establishment" (military units made up of Colonial citizens of the British Empire), raised during the American Revolution. The two main recruiters were Col. Maclean and Major John Small,

In June 1775, the first officers were commissioned at Boston, and they traveled about to raise their men in different places. In 1775 alone, the officers recruited men in Boston, New York City, the Mohawk Valley, Canada, Nova Scotia, the Island of Saint Johns (PEI), Newfoundland, and North Carolina. These officers then raised men in and around Boston, New York, the Mohawk Valley, Canada, Nova Scotia, the Island of Saint Johns, Colony of Newfoundland, and North Carolina. Most of the recruits from the coast were sent to the Second Battalion, while the majority of the Carolinian recruits were never able to join the regiment, being scattered at the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge in February 1776.

The Regiment was raised in 1775 by Lieutenant Colonel Allan Maclean, who was empowered to "enlist for His Majesty's Service, in any of His Provinces of North America, such Highlanders or such other Loyal Subjects..."

However only two were initially authorized owing to the difficulty of recruiting, originally in New York where Maclean was warned on arrival not to disembark in his uniform for fear of attack. Gage signed provisional commissions for the two majors, sixteen captains, fourteen lieutenants, and six ensigns between 12 and 14 June 1775. More men than this were actually recruited, according to available records. In addition, a full complement of senior officers was authorized.

Recruiting preference was to be given to veterans of the 42nd Regiment of Foot (Black Watch), 77th Regiment of Foot (Montgomerie's Highlanders), and 78th Regiment of Foot (Fraser's Highlanders), which had served as Scottish regiments during the Seven Years' War. Many former members had settled in the North American colonies.

Lieutenant Colonel Allan Maclean

When Col. Maclean landed in America, he discovered that Major John Small]], originally of the 42nd and later the 21st Regiment of Foot, had begun raising a regiment to be known as the "Young Royal Highlanders". This nascent battalion was, instead, integrated as the second battalion of the Royal Highland Emigrants under Small as Major in command. Officers were commissioned in Boston.

In January 1779, all battalions of the regiment were moved from the Provincial to the Regular Establishment as the 84th Regiment of Foot. They served as part of the Regular Establishment until the end of the war. in 1784, the 84th was disbanded, and its men were offered land grants. The First battalion settled mainly in Ontario while the Second mainly in Nova Scotia. A few took passage, instead, to Britain.

This unit, the "old 84th", was completely disbanded and has no direct descendants in the military of the modern United Kingdom. Later regiments to bear this number (84th (York and Lancaster) Regiment of Foot) have no historical nor traditional connection to it. However, the Canadian Army considers the 84th to be continued in the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders.

Major John Small

Major John Small was engaged to establish the Royal Highland Emmigrants on 13 June 1775. About a week later, he was a central figure in the first major battle of the American Revolution, the Battle of Bunker Hill in Boston. John Small was instrumental in assisting John Trumbull with his famous painting Battle of Bunker Hill.

Flora MacDonald

In 1750, at the age of 28, Flora MacDonald (Scottish Jacobite) she married Captain Allan MacDonald of Kingsburgh, and in 1773 together they emigrated to North Carolina. During the American War of Independence he served the British government and was taken prisoner.

In 1774, Allan and Flora crossed the Atlantic and purchased a plantation in Anson, now Montgomery County in an area surrounded by relations and friends. When the American Revolution broke out, Allan remained loyal to King George and raised a regiment of Highlanders. Flora actively participated in recruiting the men, displaying once more resolute courage.

Legend has it that she exhorted the Loyalist force at Cross Creek, North Carolina (present-day Fayetteville) that included her husband, Alan, as it headed off to its eventual defeat at the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge in February, 1776.

The Loyalists were defeated at Moore's Creek and Allan was captured. His plantation was ravaged and Flora spent two miserable years in hiding. Allan was exchanged in 1777, and Flora was brought out of North Carolina, having lost all her possessions. They lived in New York and then moved to Nova Scotia, where Allan served with the Royal Highland Emigrants for five years.

Flora only stayed in Nova Scotia for one year at Fort Edward, Winsor. Weakened by sickness, she could bear the cold winters no longer and returned to Skye where she lived with her daughter at Dunvegan Castle. Four of her sons and a son-in-law fought for King George. In 1784, Allan followed her. She died on Skye in 1790.

In 1779 Flora returned home to Scotland in a merchant ship. During the passage, the ship was attacked by a privateer. She refused to leave the deck during the attack and was wounded in the arm.

Military Operations

The First and Second Battalions operated independently of each other and saw little action together. The First Battalion acted primarily to defend Quebec from rebel forces, with some members seeing action in the Siege of Fort St. Jean and the Battle of Quebec. Later in the war, they took part in raids upon Lake Champlain in 1778 and into the Mohawk Valley in 1780, 1781, and 1782.

The Second Battalion trained and operated as marines and primarily served either in Nova Scotia or the Southern maritime colonies, in which they took part in campaigns against Charleston, 1780-1782, and scattered activity in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. The light infantry company of the Second Battalion saw extensive activity in Georgia. Two companies of the Second Battalion were sent to Jamaica for garrison duty in 1782. The rest of the battalion returned to New York in April 1782.

Uniform and Equipment

The original uniform of the first battalion was the green Provincial uniform, consisting of a long, green coat, tri-cornered black hat, breeches, and gray hose. They were armed with surplus King's Long Land Muskets from the Seven Years' War. In the second quarter of 1777, they received kilts, belted plaids (or perhaps both) in the government sett and wore these with their green Provincial coats (which were shortened) until these wore out, at which time they were replaced with the red coats of regulars. The Second Battalion did not do as well, having to provide for their own uniforms until the local governor was formally ordered to clothe and arm them in the autumn of 1776.

Upon their incorporation into the Regular Establishment, their uniform was standardized to the short Highland style coat with dark blue facings and white turnbacks. The regimental lace is presumed to be white tape with one blue worm centered between two red, but this description is based on a later 84th regiment's practices, as no contemporary descriptions of the regimental lace have been discovered. Buttons had one of three variations, all of which incorporated "84th" with the customary Highland embellishment. Men were issued plaids or kilts of government sett. In addition, each man was issued two pairs of trews, one white and one blue. Companies in the south were issued brown trousers instead of white or blue. Officers' uniforms used gold lace and buttons. In winter, it was common for men to wear both trousers and plaids simultaneously. Members stationed in Canada were issued a wool waistcoat, a blanket coat, overshoes, a watch cape, mittens, ice creepers, and snow shoes.

Of particular note, General Gage specified that the new military unit would be "cloathed Armed and accoutred in like manner with His Majesty's Royal Highland Regiment", indicating that they would wear the Highland Scots military uniform, unlike the more conventional uniforms worn by other Provincial units,

...authorized red coats faced blue, and gold lace and accoutrements. The kilts and plaids were to be of government tartan — the drab dark blue and green worn by the Black Watch — which the King had chosen for all his Highland regiments. However, the sporrans would be of racoon skin, which Allan knew could be bought for a song in the colonies, rather than the more costly badger pelt normally used. Allan arranged for Cox, Mair, and Cox to supply the uniforms, and he ordered his banners from a London firm. These colours were of lustrous, thick silk, the same design as the flags of the 60th Regiment of the Seven Years' War era. Allan ignored the regulations of 1768 since the Royal Highland Emigrants would not be a numbered regular regiment, but a Provincial Corps of the British Army. The earlier regulations permitted a riband bearing the regiment's name, rather than a number in the centre. When he sailed, Allan took only his regimentals and the colours. The rest of the uniforms would be shipped when he learned where he would be posted.

Disbanded

Following the end of the American Revolution (1783), the 2nd Battalion was disbanded at Windsor, Nova Scotia, on October 10th, 1783. Major Small was given the Township of Douglas in Hants County for his men.

References

• Katcher, Philip, Encyclopaedia of British, Provincial, and German Army Units 1775-1783, 1973, ISBN 0811705420

External links

• reenactment group in Maryland, USA
• Entry on regiments.org
• brief history of the regiment