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100th Regiment of Foot (Prince Regent's County of Dublin Regiment)
Encyclopedia
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. After a few weeks, Lieutenant Colonel John Murray was appointed to command; he was to remain in this post for most of the regiment's active service.
The 100th were transferred to Nova Scotia in 1805, with 271 men being lost when the troopship Aeneas
Aeneas (troopship)
The Aeneas was a wooden sailing ship named after the Trojan hero of the Iliad.She was owned by the British government and used to transport troops to garrisons across the British Empire during the Napoleonic Wars...
was wrecked off Newfoundland. They were then stationed in Canada proper. In 1807, Colonel Isaac Brock
Isaac Brock
Major-General Sir Isaac Brock KB was a British Army officer and administrator. Brock was assigned to Canada in 1802. Despite facing desertions and near-mutinies, he commanded his regiment in Upper Canada successfully for many years...
, then serving on the staff in North America, reported favourably on the regiment while they were serving as garrison for Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
, and commented, "The men were principally raised in the north of Ireland, and are nearly all Protestants; they are robust, active, and good looking."
During the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
the regiment served on the Canadian frontier, first seeing action at the Battle of Sackett's Harbour in May 1813, and then at the Capture of Fort Niagara
Capture of Fort Niagara
The Capture of Fort Niagara took place late in 1813, during the War of 1812 between Great Britain and the United States. The understrength American garrison was taken by surprise, and the fort was captured in a night assault by a select force of British regular infantry.-Background:Fort Niagara was...
in December. From there, they were engaged on raids to Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
and Black Rock in late December.
In July 1814, they saw action at the Battle of Chippawa
Battle of Chippawa
The Battle of Chippawa was a victory for the United States Army in the War of 1812, during an invasion of Upper Canada along the Niagara River on July 5, 1814.-Background:...
(or Street's Creek), where the regiment took heavy losses, reduced to "one Captain & 3 subalterns doing duty, with 250 effective men". They then served at the Siege of Fort Erie
Siege of Fort Erie
The Siege of Fort Erie was one of the last and most protracted engagements between British and American forces during the Niagara campaign of the American War of 1812...
in the closing months of the year. For their services in the defence of Canada, they were awarded the battle honour Niagara.
In 1816 the regiment was renumbered the 99th Foot, then withdrawn to England in 1818 to be disbanded at Chatham. As the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
ended, England was faced with thousands of returning soldiers. Rather than having them all return to England and Ireland, many of soldiers of the 100th Foot were offered and accepted land-grants in Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
. The largest settlement from the 100th Foot was in Richmond, Ontario
Richmond, Ontario
Richmond is a Canadian village. Founded in 1818, it spans the Jock River, a tributary of the Rideau River. Like many communities in eastern Ontario, Richmond houses several unique populations. Some residents have historic and economic roots in the immediate area. Richmond operates as a small core...
the predecessor to Ottawa, Ontario.
A later 100th Foot, the 100th (Prince of Wales's Royal Canadians) Regiment of Foot was raised in Canada in 1858 and declared the successor to this regiment in 1875; it was amalgamated into The Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians) in 1881. It was disbanded in 1922.