Scots Guards: Encyclopedia II - Scots Guards - Seeing the New World

Scots Guards - Seeing the New World

In 1776, the American colonists, in Philadelphia, declared their independence from Great Britain during the American War of Independence. In response, fifteen men from each company of the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards, Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards and the 3rd Regiment of Foot Guards, formed a composite battalion of Foot Guards to be sent to North America. The composite battalion was subsequently split into two battalions, with both battalions seeing action at the Battle of Brooklyn and the Battle of White Plains that same year. The following year, in September, the composite Foot Guards took part in the Battle of Brandywine. The British and their Allies, the Hessians, were slightly outnumbered by the Americans, though the British and Hessians did triumph, with both sides sufferering large casualties. Later that year, both composite battalions took part in the Battle of Germantown which also ended in a British victory.

In 1781, the two composite Foot Guard battalions took part in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. The force was commanded by General Charles Cornwallis and comprised of 1,900 troops while their American opponents numbered 4,400. The Foot Guards were in the thick of it for much of the battle with exceptional professionalism. During the course of the battle, the Foot Guards were involved in a very bitter struggle with American Dragoons after being the subject of an attack by the Dragoons from the rear. The Americans also launched a counter-attack and chaos ensued. General Cornwallis made the difficult decision to fire grapeshot into the intermingling masses of the British and American troops. While the British troops took heavy casualties from the grapeshot, the Americans were forced to withdraw. The Foot Guards suffered quite heavily, losing many men killed and wounded, their commanding officer, Brigadier Charles O'Hara of the Coldstream Guards being severely wounded.

The composite Foot Guards, due to the casualties that the Guards had suffered, was reduced to a single composite battalion. Later in 1781, the composite Foot Guards took part in its last engagement, at the Battle of Yorktown, which began when Yorktown was besieged by the Americans. The British defended their positions with great courage into October, but the British commander, General Cornwallis, on the 19th October, marched out, along with his army, of Yorktown to surrender to the Americans. The Foot Guards would not depart America until 1782, finally returning home to Great Britain in 1783. The composite Foot Guards were disbanded that same year and the men were returned to their previous regiments.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Seeing the New World", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki