The Royal Manchester Volunteers was established in 1794 and on 1 April 1794 it was taken on to the establishment of the British Army as the 104th Regiment of Foot. On 21 August 1794 General Musgrave inspected the regiment. The regiment received its colours in St Anne's Square, after which it marched to Liverpool to embark for Ireland.
The inspections at Belfast in May 1795 and Dublin in August revealed that the regiment was in a poor state. In 1795 the regiment was to be posted to the
Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
to take part in a
British invasion of Saint-Domingue. The invasion had already suffered heavy losses to
yellow fever
Yellow fever is a viral disease of typically short duration. In most cases, symptoms include fever, chills, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle pains – particularly in the back – and headaches. Symptoms typically improve within five days. In ...
. On hearing of the plan, soldiers of the 104th Foot rioted in Dublin. The regiment was disbanded late in 1795. Some of its members were discharged and others probably went to older regiments. The colours went to the Manchester Town Hall. The expedition eventually ended in failure, defeated by the forces of the Haitian general
Toussaint Louverture
François-Dominique Toussaint Louverture (; also known as Toussaint L'Ouverture or Toussaint Bréda; 20 May 1743 – 7 April 1803) was a Haitian general and the most prominent leader of the Haitian Revolution. During his life, Louverture ...
.
[C.L.R. James, ''Black Jacobins'' (1938).]
Citations
References
*
*
Infantry regiments of the British Army
Military units and formations established in 1794
Military units and formations disestablished in 1795
{{UK-mil-unit-stub