.gif)
James Grant (general)
Encyclopedia
James Grant, Laird of Ballindalloch (1720–1806) was a major general in the British Army
during the American War of Independence. He served as Governor of East Florida
from 1763 to 1771.
in Banffshire in the Northeast of Scotland
. He began his military career by purchasing a commission as captain in the Royal Scots on October 24, 1744. The regiment
was shipped to the Continent
and Grant fought with them in the Battle of Fontenoy (1745).
(Montgomerie's Highlanders), fighting in the French and Indian War
. In 1758, he led part of the regiment in an expedition led by General John Forbes
. On this expedition, he became acquainted with others who would also play larger parts in the American Revolutionary War: George Washington
, Francis Marion
, and Hugh Mercer
, among others. He also gained a contempt for the colonial or militia
troops that would colour his later views.
In September, Grant was assigned to lead an advance part of around 800 men to determine the French
strength at Fort Duquesne
. The force was mainly made up of militia, but he took along a number of officers from the regulars, since he had little respect for the colonial troops. He then decided to split his force hoping to encourage a French attack that he could surprise and overwhelm. Having no wilderness experience, he was ambushed himself by Indians and French on September 14, 1758. At this engagement, the Battle of Fort Duquesne
, the British force was repelled with 342 men killed, wounded or captured. The prisoners consisted of Major Grant and 18 of his men. He was paroled soon after, and tried to blame his defeat on the failure of the colonial militia to follow orders.
In 1761, he commanded an expedition against the Cherokee
during the Anglo-Cherokee War
.
After being briefly stationed at Fort Ticonderoga
, his regiment was moved to the Caribbean
Theatre of the Seven Years' War
. They fought at the Siege of Havana, held by Spanish
forces, which ended in the surrender of the city. When the war was over, the regiment was disbanded in America in 1763.
, Britain gained control of Florida from the Spanish. They divided it into two colonies, and James Grant was named governor of East Florida
in 1764. He move to his capital at St. Augustine
, established the Florida-Georgia border, stopped Indian raids with the Treaty of Fort Picolata, and encouraged new settlement in his colony.
Grant's ventures were ultimately profitable, but most attempts failed to produce results. He encouraged new agriculture, setting up trade in cotton
, indigo
, timber, and cochineal
. He personally gained and developed several plantations as grants. Then, in 1771, illness forced him to return to England. Patrick Tonyn replaced him as governor. Grant appointed Dr. David Yeats, the Secretary of the Colony, to manage his plantations in his absence. Yeats' letters to Grant concerning the properties have long interested Florida colonial historians.
Back home in Scotland, Grant was elected to Parliament
as an MP for Tain Burghs
. In the period leading up to the American Revolutionary War
, he became one of the most outspoken of the anti-American members. In a speech early in 1775, he remarked that the colonists "...could not fight...", and declared that he could "go from one end of America to other and geld all the males."
, he urged General Gage
to move the troops to New York City
, to have room to manoeuvre. His advice was ignored at the time, and he remained as a supernumerary until December, when he was made colonel and commander of the 55th Regiment of Foot
. He would hold that command until 1791.
His prediction that Boston was an untenable position was proved correct the following spring, and, on March 17, 1776, he accompanied the general withdrawal to Halifax
, Nova Scotia
. By the summer of 1776, General William Howe
had replaced Gage as commander, and took Grant's advice about New York. Grant was given the provisional rank of major-general, and played several key parts in Howe's movements. Fortunately for the Americans, Howe refused advice from Grant, who proposed burning Boston, Marblehead, New York, and Philadelphia.
, Grant had become Howe's primary planning officer. He developed two plans, each of which was designed to both gain control of territory and to deal a serious or fatal blow to the American army
. These resulted in the Battle of Brooklyn
, and Battle of White Plains
. Both of these were British victories, as was the overall campaign, but General Washington
avoided the death blow each time.
In the Battle of Long Island
on August 26 and 27, Major General Grant led the division that landed on the left wing. He was to engage the American right and divert attention from Howe's flanking manoeuvre with the main body. An advance unit of his troops engaged the Americans at the Red Lion Inn
, which was the first engagement of the battle. Grant completed his mission, and severely defeated the American General William Alexander's division.
After the event, Grant was unfairly criticised by some for allowing the escape of most of this force. It is true that he had almost 7,000 men in ten regiments opposing Alexander's 2,100 Continentals, but there are two factors that mitigate this criticism. First, he stopped according to the plan, awaiting Howe's attack on the American rear, rather that attack to Americans dug in on the heights. Second, he was running low on ammunition, since the boats and logistic support were busy ferrying and supplying the Hessian units on the right and the main body that was landing at Gravesend.
Grant quick-marched his battalion to the battle of White Plains
, but he arrived too late. In 1777, Grant devised the battle plans for the battle of Brandywine Creek.
, on 20 May 1778.
Finally, Grant was shipped off to the West Indies. On October 27, 1778, he led a successful expeditionary force to capture the French West Indian island of St. Lucia
. A superior French garrison, surrendered on 28 December, at the Battle of La Vigie.
, and Commanding General of the Army in Scotland. In 1791, he was transferred from the 55th to the 11th Foot. In 1796, he was appointed a full General, and retired from active military services. In 1802, he retired to his estate on the Avon
and Spey
rivers as the Laird of Ballindalloch
, after relinquishing his seat in Parliament. In 1805, he retired from the British army. He died at 86, April 13, 1806. His estate went to his grandnephew, George Macpherson.
His papers are at the National Archives of Scotland
, and have been copied for the Library of Congress
.
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
during the American War of Independence. He served as Governor of East Florida
East Florida
East Florida was a colony of Great Britain from 1763–1783 and of Spain from 1783–1822. East Florida was established by the British colonial government in 1763; as its name implies it consisted of the eastern part of the region of Florida, with West Florida comprising the western parts. Its capital...
from 1763 to 1771.
Early career
Grant was born on the family estate of BallindallochBallindalloch
Ballindalloch is a small village on the River Spey in Scotland.It is known for its whisky distilleries and for Ballindalloch Castle.-See also:*Glenfarclas Single Malt*Tomintoul...
in Banffshire in the Northeast of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. He began his military career by purchasing a commission as captain in the Royal Scots on October 24, 1744. The regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
was shipped to the Continent
Continental Europe
Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands....
and Grant fought with them in the Battle of Fontenoy (1745).
Seven Years War
By 1757, Grant was a major of the 77th Regiment of Foot77th Regiment of Foot (Montgomerie's Highlanders)
The 77th Regiment of Foot was a Highland Scots Regiment raised under Major Archibald Montgomerie, son of the Earl of Eglinton. It was originally raised as the "First Highland Battalion" in 1757, around Stirling, Scotland, with thirteen companies...
(Montgomerie's Highlanders), fighting in the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
. In 1758, he led part of the regiment in an expedition led by General John Forbes
John Forbes (General)
John Forbes was a British general in the French and Indian War. He is best known for leading the Forbes Expedition that captured the French outpost at Fort Duquesne and for naming the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania after British Secretary of State William Pitt the Elder.-Early life:Forbes was...
. On this expedition, he became acquainted with others who would also play larger parts in the American Revolutionary War: George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
, Francis Marion
Francis Marion
Francis Marion was a military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War. Acting with Continental Army and South Carolina militia commissions, he was a persistent adversary of the British in their occupation of South Carolina in 1780 and 1781, even after the Continental Army was driven...
, and Hugh Mercer
Hugh Mercer
Hugh Mercer was a soldier and physician. He initially served with British forces during the Seven Years War but later became a brigadier general in the Continental Army and a close friend to George Washington...
, among others. He also gained a contempt for the colonial or militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
troops that would colour his later views.
In September, Grant was assigned to lead an advance part of around 800 men to determine the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
strength at Fort Duquesne
Fort Duquesne
Fort Duquesne was a fort established by the French in 1754, at the junction of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers in what is now downtown Pittsburgh in the state of Pennsylvania....
. The force was mainly made up of militia, but he took along a number of officers from the regulars, since he had little respect for the colonial troops. He then decided to split his force hoping to encourage a French attack that he could surprise and overwhelm. Having no wilderness experience, he was ambushed himself by Indians and French on September 14, 1758. At this engagement, the Battle of Fort Duquesne
Battle of Fort Duquesne
The Battle of Fort Duquesne was a British assault on the eponymous French fort that was repulsed with heavy losses on 14 September 1758, during the French and Indian War....
, the British force was repelled with 342 men killed, wounded or captured. The prisoners consisted of Major Grant and 18 of his men. He was paroled soon after, and tried to blame his defeat on the failure of the colonial militia to follow orders.
In 1761, he commanded an expedition against the Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
during the Anglo-Cherokee War
Anglo-Cherokee War
The Anglo-Cherokee War , also known as the Cherokee War, the Cherokee Uprising, the Cherokee Rebellion, was a conflict between British forces in North America and Cherokee Indians during the French and Indian War...
.
After being briefly stationed at Fort Ticonderoga
Fort Ticonderoga
Fort Ticonderoga, formerly Fort Carillon, is a large 18th-century fort built by the Canadians and the French at a narrows near the south end of Lake Champlain in upstate New York in the United States...
, his regiment was moved to the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
Theatre of the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
. They fought at the Siege of Havana, held by Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
forces, which ended in the surrender of the city. When the war was over, the regiment was disbanded in America in 1763.
Governor of Florida
With the Treaty of Paris (1763)Treaty of Paris (1763)
The Treaty of Paris, often called the Peace of Paris, or the Treaty of 1763, was signed on 10 February 1763, by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement. It ended the French and Indian War/Seven Years' War...
, Britain gained control of Florida from the Spanish. They divided it into two colonies, and James Grant was named governor of East Florida
East Florida
East Florida was a colony of Great Britain from 1763–1783 and of Spain from 1783–1822. East Florida was established by the British colonial government in 1763; as its name implies it consisted of the eastern part of the region of Florida, with West Florida comprising the western parts. Its capital...
in 1764. He move to his capital at St. Augustine
St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine is a city in the northeast section of Florida and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United...
, established the Florida-Georgia border, stopped Indian raids with the Treaty of Fort Picolata, and encouraged new settlement in his colony.
Grant's ventures were ultimately profitable, but most attempts failed to produce results. He encouraged new agriculture, setting up trade in cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
, indigo
Indigo
Indigo is a color named after the purple dye derived from the plant Indigofera tinctoria and related species. The color is placed on the electromagnetic spectrum between about 420 and 450 nm in wavelength, placing it between blue and violet...
, timber, and cochineal
Cochineal
The cochineal is a scale insect in the suborder Sternorrhyncha, from which the crimson-colour dye carmine is derived. A primarily sessile parasite native to tropical and subtropical South America and Mexico, this insect lives on cacti from the genus Opuntia, feeding on plant moisture and...
. He personally gained and developed several plantations as grants. Then, in 1771, illness forced him to return to England. Patrick Tonyn replaced him as governor. Grant appointed Dr. David Yeats, the Secretary of the Colony, to manage his plantations in his absence. Yeats' letters to Grant concerning the properties have long interested Florida colonial historians.
Back home in Scotland, Grant was elected to Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
as an MP for Tain Burghs
Tain Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)
Tain Burghs, was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832, sometimes known as Northern Burghs. It was represented by one Member of Parliament .The first election in Tain Burghs was in 1708...
. In the period leading up to the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, he became one of the most outspoken of the anti-American members. In a speech early in 1775, he remarked that the colonists "...could not fight...", and declared that he could "go from one end of America to other and geld all the males."
American War of Independence
By the summer of 1775, he was returned to active service, and Colonel Grant was ordered to America. He arrived in Boston on July 30. In the aftermath of the Battle of Bunker HillBattle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775, mostly on and around Breed's Hill, during the Siege of Boston early in the American Revolutionary War...
, he urged General Gage
Thomas Gage
Thomas Gage was a British general, best known for his many years of service in North America, including his role as military commander in the early days of the American War of Independence....
to move the troops to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, to have room to manoeuvre. His advice was ignored at the time, and he remained as a supernumerary until December, when he was made colonel and commander of the 55th Regiment of Foot
55th Regiment of Foot
The 55th Regiment of Foot was a British Army infantry regiment which existed from 1755 to 1881. After 1782 it had a county designation added, becoming known as the 55th Regiment of Foot. or simply the Westmorland Regiment...
. He would hold that command until 1791.
His prediction that Boston was an untenable position was proved correct the following spring, and, on March 17, 1776, he accompanied the general withdrawal to Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
. By the summer of 1776, General William Howe
William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe
William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe, KB, PC was a British army officer who rose to become Commander-in-Chief of British forces during the American War of Independence...
had replaced Gage as commander, and took Grant's advice about New York. Grant was given the provisional rank of major-general, and played several key parts in Howe's movements. Fortunately for the Americans, Howe refused advice from Grant, who proposed burning Boston, Marblehead, New York, and Philadelphia.
Battle for New York
As the New York Campaign sought to give the British control of New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Grant had become Howe's primary planning officer. He developed two plans, each of which was designed to both gain control of territory and to deal a serious or fatal blow to the American army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
. These resulted in the Battle of Brooklyn
Battle of Long Island
The Battle of Long Island, also known as the Battle of Brooklyn or the Battle of Brooklyn Heights, fought on August 27, 1776, was the first major battle in the American Revolutionary War following the United States Declaration of Independence, the largest battle of the entire conflict, and the...
, and Battle of White Plains
Battle of White Plains
The Battle of White Plains was a battle in the New York and New Jersey campaign of the American Revolutionary War fought on October 28, 1776, near White Plains, New York. Following the retreat of George Washington's Continental Army northward from New York City, British General William Howe landed...
. Both of these were British victories, as was the overall campaign, but General Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
avoided the death blow each time.
In the Battle of Long Island
Battle of Long Island
The Battle of Long Island, also known as the Battle of Brooklyn or the Battle of Brooklyn Heights, fought on August 27, 1776, was the first major battle in the American Revolutionary War following the United States Declaration of Independence, the largest battle of the entire conflict, and the...
on August 26 and 27, Major General Grant led the division that landed on the left wing. He was to engage the American right and divert attention from Howe's flanking manoeuvre with the main body. An advance unit of his troops engaged the Americans at the Red Lion Inn
Red Lion Inn (Brooklyn)
The Red Lion Inn was a tavern in Colonial New York located on Long Island in what is today the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The inn named in honor of King Henry V for the tavern he rested in after the Battle of Agincourt, was at the junction of three country roads: the Narrows Road which led...
, which was the first engagement of the battle. Grant completed his mission, and severely defeated the American General William Alexander's division.
After the event, Grant was unfairly criticised by some for allowing the escape of most of this force. It is true that he had almost 7,000 men in ten regiments opposing Alexander's 2,100 Continentals, but there are two factors that mitigate this criticism. First, he stopped according to the plan, awaiting Howe's attack on the American rear, rather that attack to Americans dug in on the heights. Second, he was running low on ammunition, since the boats and logistic support were busy ferrying and supplying the Hessian units on the right and the main body that was landing at Gravesend.
Grant quick-marched his battalion to the battle of White Plains
Battle of White Plains
The Battle of White Plains was a battle in the New York and New Jersey campaign of the American Revolutionary War fought on October 28, 1776, near White Plains, New York. Following the retreat of George Washington's Continental Army northward from New York City, British General William Howe landed...
, but he arrived too late. In 1777, Grant devised the battle plans for the battle of Brandywine Creek.
Philadelphia and the West Indies
He was unsuccessful in trapping Lafayette, at the Battle of Barren HillBattle of Barren Hill
The Battle of Barren Hill was a minor engagement during the American Revolution. On May 20, 1778, a British force attempted to encircle a smaller Continental force under the Marquis de Lafayette...
, on 20 May 1778.
Finally, Grant was shipped off to the West Indies. On October 27, 1778, he led a successful expeditionary force to capture the French West Indian island of St. Lucia
Battle of St. Lucia
The Battle of St. Lucia or the Battle of the Cul de Sac was a naval battle fought off the island of St. Lucia in the West Indies during the American War of Independence on 15 December 1778, between the British Royal Navy and the French Navy.-Background:...
. A superior French garrison, surrendered on 28 December, at the Battle of La Vigie.
Later career
In 1780, he was defeated in parliamentary elections. In 1782, he was appointed a Lieutenant General. In 1787, he was re-elected to Parliament. In 1789, he was appointed Governor of Stirling CastleStirling Castle
Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles, both historically and architecturally, in Scotland. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological formation. It is surrounded on three sides by steep...
, and Commanding General of the Army in Scotland. In 1791, he was transferred from the 55th to the 11th Foot. In 1796, he was appointed a full General, and retired from active military services. In 1802, he retired to his estate on the Avon
Avon Water
Avon Water, also known locally as the River Avon, is a 24-mile-long river in Scotland, and a tributary of the River Clyde.The Avon Water rises in the hills on the boundary between East Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire, close to the head of the Irvine Water...
and Spey
River Spey
The River Spey is a river in the northeast of Scotland, the second longest and the fastest-flowing river in Scotland...
rivers as the Laird of Ballindalloch
Ballindalloch
Ballindalloch is a small village on the River Spey in Scotland.It is known for its whisky distilleries and for Ballindalloch Castle.-See also:*Glenfarclas Single Malt*Tomintoul...
, after relinquishing his seat in Parliament. In 1805, he retired from the British army. He died at 86, April 13, 1806. His estate went to his grandnephew, George Macpherson.
His papers are at the National Archives of Scotland
National Archives of Scotland
Based in Edinburgh, the National Archives of Scotland are the national archives of Scotland. The NAS claims to have one of the most varied collection of archives in Europe...
, and have been copied for the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
.
Further reading
- Paul David Nelson; General James Grant, Scottish Soldier and Royal Governor of East Florida; 1993, University Press of Florida, ISBN 0-8130-1175-2.