The 79th Regiment of Foot (Royal Liverpool Volunteers) was an infantry regiment of the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

, also known as the Liverpool Blues, which served in the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

during the

American War of Independence The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. In common with other volunteer regiments formed elsewhere in Britain during the conflict, the 79th was raised at the expense of the port of

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

, with the town's

corporation A corporation is an organization—usually a group of people or a company—authorized by the state to act as a single entity (a legal entity recognized by private and public law "born out of statute"; a legal person in legal context) and r ...

contributing £2000. On the 79th's creation in 1778, Major Pole assumed command as its lieutenant-colonel. The regiment arrived in Jamaica in March 1779 and had detachments assigned the role of

marines Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...

. In February 1780, the regiment took part in an expedition against the Spanish colony of

Nicaragua Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the cou ...

, ferried by young Captain

Horatio Nelson Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte (29 September 1758 – 21 October 1805) was a British flag officer in the Royal Navy. His inspirational leadership, grasp of strategy, and unconventional tactics brought abo ...

. An evacuation was carried out later in the year because of disease which had become rife in the inhospitable climate, decimating the expedition. In 1781,

Banastre Tarleton Sir Banastre Tarleton, 1st Baronet, GCB (21 August 175415 January 1833) was a British general and politician. He is best known as the lieutenant colonel leading the British Legion at the end of the American Revolution. He later served in Portug ...

became the lieutenant-colonel of the Liverpool Volunteers, though remained in command of the 5th American Regiment (British Legion). An infamous cavalry officer during the American Revolution, Tarleton was the son of a former Mayor of Liverpool. The regiment returned to Liverpool in early 1784 and disbanded after the war ended. On 4 February 1784, a contingent of seven officers received the freedom of the borough while the regiment's colours were laid up at

Liverpool Town Hall Liverpool Town Hall stands in High Street at its junction with Dale Street, Castle Street, and Water Street in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed build ...

.Touzeau, James (1910), ''The Rise and Progress of Liverpool from 1551-1835'', p.582

References

Infantry regiments of the British Army Military units and formations in Liverpool Military units and formations in Lancashire Military units and formations established in 1778 Military units and formations disestablished in 1784 Regiments of the British Army in the American Revolutionary War 1778 establishments in Great Britain 1784 disestablishments in Great Britain {{UK-mil-unit-stub