King's American Regiment

King's American Regiment was a Loyalist infantry regiment raised during the American Revolutionary War to fight alongside Great Britain against the United States and allied forces. Formed in Province of New York and recruited from displaced American Loyalists, the unit served in major campaigns in the New York and New Jersey campaign, the Hudson Highlands, and Nova Scotia before disbandment after the Treaty of Paris. The regiment's service intersected with campaigns led by figures associated with the British Army, Continental Army, Royal Navy, and irregular Loyalist corps.

Formation and Recruitment

The regiment was raised in 1776 under a commission issued by the British Army and the Board of Ordnance with recruiting efforts centered in New York City, Long Island, and refugee populations evacuated to British North America. Early recruitment drew on former members of provincial units, militia loyal to King George III, and veterans from frontier skirmishes such as those involving Robert Rogers and rangers associated with the French and Indian War. Recruiting officers appealed to displaced United Empire Loyalists and refugees from Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts Bay Colony communities, offering land grants in Nova Scotia and military pay under regulations promulgated by the War Office.

Organization and Uniforms

Organizationally, the regiment followed British provincial establishment patterns, organized into companies and battalions commanded by captains and lieutenants commissioned through the British Army system. The structure mirrored other Loyalist units such as the Queen's Rangers and British Legion, integrating light infantry and line tactics influenced by frontier ranger experience and regular army drill from institutions like the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich traditions. Uniforms combined provincial practicality with British infantry accoutrements: scarlet facings, regimental buttons, and accouterments similar to those sanctioned by the Paymaster General and clothing regulations instituted by the Board of Ordnance. Company colours and unit insignia reflected loyalty to King George III and were recorded in correspondence with the Commander-in-Chief, North America.

Military Engagements and Campaigns

The regiment participated in the New York and New Jersey campaign operations, including garrisoning posts along the Hudson River and participating in actions linked to the Sullivan Expedition aftermath and skirmishes near Westchester County. It saw service alongside regular British formations in operations around Staten Island, Brooklyn (Kings County), and during the occupation of New York City. Detached companies took part in coastal operations and raids coordinated with the Royal Navy along the Delaware River and the Chesapeake Bay theater, and later deployments included convoys and garrison duties in Nova Scotia and the Maritime Provinces following evacuation of New York City. The regiment engaged Continental units and militia from Connecticut, Massachusetts Bay Colony, and New Jersey in skirmishes that formed part of larger campaigns led by commanders from the British Army and opposed by leaders of the Continental Army.

Commanders and Notable Personnel

Command commissions and leadership included officers with ties to provincial and regular units; among them were frontier leaders who had served in ranger contingents and officers commissioned by the War Office. Notable figures connected by service, correspondence, or campaign association include Robert Rogers, officers from the Queen's Rangers, and staff who liaised with commanders such as Sir William Howe and Sir Henry Clinton. The regiment's ranks also included United Empire Loyalists who later resettled in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, figures recorded in Loyalist claim petitions submitted to the Commissioners for Claims and memorials to King George III.

Disbandment and Legacy

Following the Treaty of Paris and the evacuation of British forces, the regiment was disbanded and many members received resettlement assistance as part of Loyalist emigrant schemes to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and other British North American posts. Veterans and officers pursued petitions to the Loyalist Claims process and integrated into colonial administrations, land settlements, and militia establishments in the Maritime Provinces. The regiment's records and muster rolls contributed to genealogical and archival holdings in Library and Archives Canada, provincial archives in Nova Scotia Archives, and manuscript collections held by institutions such as the Bodleian Library and local historical societies documenting the Loyalist diaspora and its role in shaping postwar British North America.

Category:Loyalist military units and formations of the American Revolutionary War