©2004 Nova Scotia Coy 84th RHE's; Maynot Be Reproduced
~ 84th RoF ROYAL HIGHLAND EMIGRANTS ~
A Brief History
"You are hereby empowered, with the officers under your command, by beat of drum or otherwise to enlist for His Majesty's service in any of His provinces in North America such Highlanders, or such other loyal subjects, as you may be able to procure..."
The Royal Highland Emigrants (the 84th Regt. Of Foot)
Shortly before the war, Sir William Johnson encouraged Scottish and Irish émigrés to settle on his lands. This was an attempt to balance the scales against his neighbors (predominately rebellion inclined Palatinates). The 84th recruited from these men, and others like them in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Carolinas. Many were veterans of the 42nd, 77th, and 78th regiments.
The concept for raising a corps of disbanded veteran Highland ex-soldiers in America was conceived simultaneously by two men in 1775.
In America, half-pay Captain Alexander MacDonald enlisted the help of his long-time friend John Small, a captain in the 21st Regiment, who had strong political connections. Small succeeded in securing unofficial authority in Boston to raise a corps of Highlanders named "The Young Royal Highlanders" by General Gage, with himself as lieutenant colonel and MacDonald as major.
At the same time in Britain, Lieutenant Colonel Allan MacLean received the King's approval to recruit all Highlanders in America and to form them into a regiment called "The Royal Highland Emigrants." With royal permission granted to MacLean, Small's regiment was amalgamated into the Royal Highland Emigrants.
The First Battalion primarily consisted of men recruited in the interior of America, and served in Canada. The First Battalion served in the defense of Fort St. Johns, and at Quebec. The First was active throughout the war in the Northern theater; they manned posts from Quebec to Mackinac, and participated in several of the raids on the valleys of New York.
The Second Battalion was made up of men from the maritimes, and was initially garrisoned in Nova Scotia. They performed duty as marines aboard ship there, operating in the Maritimes and the Maine coastal region. Elements of the Second were present at Newport, RI in 1776, and were part of the assault on Charleston, SC. They saw further action, in Georgia, at the battle of Eutaw Springs, SC, and some did duty in Jamaica.
After the war, members of the First Battalion settled in Upper Canada
(Ontario), while members of the Second Battalion populated Nova Scotia.
The Royal Highland Emigrants (84th Regiment of Foot) was the first Highland regiment raised in North America and the first to be embodied in Canada. It was to become the founding father of all of the brave Canadian Highland regiments to follow. The 84th had a hard birth but became one of the most hard working regiments in America. It served and fought from the Great Lakes to Nova Scotia and from the North Atlantic to Florida. The men of the 84th served their King proudly and were instrumental in preserving Canada as the independent nation it is today.
~ 84th Regiment of Foot Battles, 1775-1784 ~
1st Battalion (Royal Highland Emigrants)
Fort St. Johns, PQ, 1775
Quebec City, PQ, 1775-76
Moore's Creek Bridge, NC. 1776
Upper New York Raid, 1777
Lake Champlain Raids, NY. 1778
Mohawk Valley Raid, NY. 1780
Mohawk Valley Raid, NY. 1781
Mohawk Valley Raid, NY. 1782
2d Battalion (Young Royal Highlanders)
Breed's Hill, MS. 1775
Charlestown, SC. 1776
Newcastle Jane, N. Atlantic. 1776
Long Island, NY. 1776
Newport, RI. 1776-78
Fort Howe, St. John, NB. 1777
Cooch's Bridge, DL. 1777
Philadelphia Campaign, PA. 1777-78
Brandywine Creek, PA. 1777
Germantown, PA, 1777
Monmouth, PA, 1778
Penobscot River, MA. 1778
Cape Sable, NS, 1778
Penebscot River, MA. 1779
Bay of Fundy, NS, (privateers), 1779
Mohawk Valley, NY. 1780
Hampton Roads, VA. 1780
Charlestown, SC. 1780
Motte's House, SC. 1781
Eutaw Springs, SC. 1781
Wiggin's Hill, GA. 1781
Fair Lawn, SC. 1781
Wimboo Creek, NC. 1781
Lower Bridge, NC. 1781
Combahee Ferry, SC. 1782
The 5th Company 1st Battalion
The following is from a manuscript written & researched by Col. Kim Stacy, and is copyright of Col. Stacy and the NA84RA & maynot be reproduced. It is presented here solely for educational purposes & does not imply permission of use otherwise.
The new year [1779] found the Royal Highland Emigrants on the Regular Army establishment with the new regimental number of 84 in the Line. The Regiment was in small detachments along the St. Lawrence River. The 5th Company under the command of Captain Alexander Fraser, was stationed at Carleton Island. On September 1st, 1779, Fraser led a scouting party of thirty-five Indians led by Little David and ten hand picked men from the 84th, into the Mohawk Valley. Later that fall, he led a small party of ten men and two Indian guides towards Johnstown.
Guy Johnson & Karonghyontye (Capt. David Hill)
oil on canvas by Benjamin West 1776
Recent research brought to our attention indicates that the Little David mentioned above is actually either Little Beard or Karonghyontye (Captain David Hill). Both of these men were Senecas, and being this they were "Western Indians",and not that freindly with whites, British, and especially the Mohawks! It was all that Joseph Brant and John Butler could do to get them to come to Oriskiny.
Capt. David Hill was part of a group of Mohawks from the Ft. Hunter area. He was one of Brants' Captains and was active in the Valley throughout the war. The Ft. Hunter Mohawks had moved to Carlton Is. to escape the rebel abuse in the Valley.
Special thanks to Captain Pipe for bringing this information to our attention.
~ Command Structure -- 5th Coy 1st Bn ~
Year of Return / Year of Commission / Name / Comments
Captains:
1780 1775 Alexander Fraser, retires unfit Oct. 1781.
1781 1780 Alexander Fletcher, Ens. 1775, Lt. 1777?, Cpt-Lt. 1779, vice Fraser.
Lieutenants:
1777 1775 Neil MacLean Sr., POW 1776.
1780 1775 Hector MacLean, did not join until after 1778, oldest Lt. in army.
Ensigns:
1780 1775 Sir Hector MacLean, POW St. John, leave 1777-83, promoted in 100th Regt. 1784, brother-in-law to Ltc., oldest Ens in the Army.
1777 1776 David Smith, Lt. 1778.
~ Officers Rolls ~
The Officers Rolls are a compilation of all known returns as well as notations from Regimental documents. The years of prior service are included when known. The number of years is before they joined the 84th Regiment. The date in the comments section after a regimental number is the year that that officer went on the Half Pay List.
First Battalion
Name / Highest Rank / Date of Commission / Years of prior service / Comments
Fraser, Alexander Cpt. 14 Jun 1775 19 Lt. 78th Regt. 1757.
Fletcher, Alex. Cpt. 10 May 1780 Cpt.-Lt. 14 Jun 1775
MacLean, Neil, Sr. Lt. 14 Jun 1775 Killean. Cpt.-Lt. 21 Jun '77. Ex-47th Regt.
MacLean, Neil Cpt. 14 Jun 1775 POW Pt. Levy trying to get to Quebec.
MacLean, Hector Lt. 14 Jun 1775 POW Carolina '76, escapes.
MacLean, Hector Ens. 14 Jun 1775 POW Carolina '76.
Smith, David Lt. 25 Dec 1776 Dismissed from service. To Bengal Army.
©2004 Nova Scotia Coy 84th RHE's; Maynot Be Reproduced