Volunteers of Ireland
Encyclopedia
The Volunteers of Ireland (aka 2nd American Regiment and the 105th Regiment of Foot) was a British provincial military unit during the American Revolutionary War
which was added to the British regular army.
It was formed by Francis Rawdon-Hastings
, an Irish lord who had joined the British army and risen through the officer ranks, Rawdon had been given permission to form a British regiment from Irishmen serving in other provincial units in the Thirteen Colonies
.
The unit was raised in Philadelphia in the fall of 1777 and went to New York
with the army in April 1778. It was sent to Charleston
in December 1779 as part of a force to augment the attack on that port city. The regiment was placed on the American establishment as the 2nd American Regiment on May 2, 1779. Following Charleston, the regiment helped win the Battle of Camden
(1780), where Sergeant Thomas Hudson received a decoration for heroism; one of only two decorations for heroism given throughout the war for the British Army. The regiment was the primary unit in the Battle of Hobkirk's Hill
, as well as the relief of Fort 96. It remained in South Carolina, until news of the surrender of General Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown was received. It was removed from South Carolina, and taken by ship to New York. The unit was put on the British establishment as the 105th Regiment of Foot on December 25, 1782.
The soldiers of the Volunteers of Ireland were mustered out in New York City, and taken by ship to Nova Scotia. This was in response to the policy of resettlement for British colonists displaced from their lands during the war. Coupled with the fact the vast majority of soldiers were Irish, and England had no desire to return Irish emigrants back to England or Ireland, as it needed new settlers in Canada. It was also much cheaper to move them to Canada than to bring them to England. The regiment was placed in a cadre status, and officially "moved" to England
in April 1783.
Today one can find communities with the name "Rawdon" established by former soldiers of the regiment, and named after their commanding officer.
The regiment should not be confused with the contemporaneous Irish Volunteers
, an autonomous militia that supported the Irish Patriot Party
in the 1770s and 1780s.
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...
which was added to the British regular army.
It was formed by Francis Rawdon-Hastings
Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings
Francis Edward Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings KG PC , styled The Honourable Francis Rawdon from birth until 1762 and as The Lord Rawdon between 1762 and 1783 and known as The Earl of Moira between 1793 and 1816, was an Irish-British politician and military officer who served as...
, an Irish lord who had joined the British army and risen through the officer ranks, Rawdon had been given permission to form a British regiment from Irishmen serving in other provincial units in the Thirteen Colonies
Thirteen Colonies
The Thirteen Colonies were English and later British colonies established on the Atlantic coast of North America between 1607 and 1733. They declared their independence in the American Revolution and formed the United States of America...
.
The unit was raised in Philadelphia in the fall of 1777 and went to New York
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...
with the army in April 1778. It was sent to Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
in December 1779 as part of a force to augment the attack on that port city. The regiment was placed on the American establishment as the 2nd American Regiment on May 2, 1779. Following Charleston, the regiment helped win the Battle of Camden
Battle of Camden
The Battle of Camden was a major victory for the British in the Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War...
(1780), where Sergeant Thomas Hudson received a decoration for heroism; one of only two decorations for heroism given throughout the war for the British Army. The regiment was the primary unit in the Battle of Hobkirk's Hill
Battle of Hobkirk's Hill
The Battle of Hobkirk's Hill was a battle of the American Revolutionary War fought on April 25, 1781, near Camden, South Carolina...
, as well as the relief of Fort 96. It remained in South Carolina, until news of the surrender of General Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown was received. It was removed from South Carolina, and taken by ship to New York. The unit was put on the British establishment as the 105th Regiment of Foot on December 25, 1782.
The soldiers of the Volunteers of Ireland were mustered out in New York City, and taken by ship to Nova Scotia. This was in response to the policy of resettlement for British colonists displaced from their lands during the war. Coupled with the fact the vast majority of soldiers were Irish, and England had no desire to return Irish emigrants back to England or Ireland, as it needed new settlers in Canada. It was also much cheaper to move them to Canada than to bring them to England. The regiment was placed in a cadre status, and officially "moved" to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in April 1783.
Today one can find communities with the name "Rawdon" established by former soldiers of the regiment, and named after their commanding officer.
The regiment should not be confused with the contemporaneous Irish Volunteers
Irish Volunteers (18th century)
The Irish Volunteers were a militia in late 18th century Ireland. The Volunteers were founded in Belfast in 1778 to defend Ireland from the threat of foreign invasion when regular British soldiers were withdrawn from Ireland to fight across the globe during the American War of Independence...
, an autonomous militia that supported the Irish Patriot Party
Irish Patriot Party
The Irish Patriot Party was the name of a number of different political groupings in Ireland throughout the 18th century. They were primarily supportive of Whig concepts of personal liberty combined with an Irish identity that rejected full independence, but advocated strong self-government within...
in the 1770s and 1780s.