The Royal Fencible American Regiment of Foot (or RFA) was a
Loyalist
Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cro ...
battalion of infantry raised in 1775 to defend British interests in the colony of
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland".
Most of the population are native Eng ...
. The RFA was commanded by Lt. Col.
Joseph Goreham
Joseph Gorham (sometimes recorded as Goreham, 1725–1790) was an American colonial military officer during King George's War and later a British army commander during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War. He is best know ...
throughout its existence. The most notable achievement of the RFA (and its only combat as a regiment) was the successful defense of
Fort Cumberland during the Eddy Rebellion in November, 1776, which prevented the revolution in the other American colonies from moving into Nova Scotia.
Formation
Goreham was a prominent landowner in Nova Scotia in 1775, as well as a former officer of
Gorham's Rangers
Gorham's Rangers was one of the most famous and effective ranger units raised in colonial North America. Formed by John Gorham, the unit served as the prototype for many subsequent ranger forces, including the better known Rogers' Rangers. The ...
during the
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the ...
. Noting the growing tensions in New England and especially Boston between the government and the patriot movement, he wrote the following to Gov.
Francis Legge
Francis Legge (c.1719-15 May 1783), was a British military officer and colonial official in Nova Scotia during the 18th century. He served as Governor of Nova Scotia from 1772 to 1776. During the American Revolution, Legge raised the Royal Nov ...
:
Proposed to raise a Battalion of Light infantry or Royal Fensible Americans, To consist of Five Companies.
1 Lieut. Col. Commandant and Captain,
4 Captains,
1 Capt. Lieut.,
4 Lieutenants,
5 2d Lieutenants or Ensigns,
15 Serjeants,
15 Corporals,
5 Drummers,
300 Privates,
1 Adjutant,
1 Surgeon,
1 Surgeon's Mate.
That they be clothed and armed as Light Troops and put on the same Establishment of Pay as the late 80th, Gage's Light Infantry and his
His or HIS may refer to:
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* Hangzhou International School, in ...
Corps to be employed on the like Services.
"
Fencible
The Fencibles (from the word ''defencible'') were British regiments raised in the United Kingdom, Isle of Man and in the colonies for defence against the threat of invasion during the Seven Years' War, the American War of Independence, the Frenc ...
" troops differed from
militia
A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...
in that they were full-time soldiers and were paid; however they differed from
regulars in that they were exempt from overseas service. They were, in effect, a full-time secondary defense force (defensive = fencible). As a former
Ranger
A Ranger is typically someone in a military/paramilitary or law enforcement role specializing in patrolling a given territory, called “ranging”. The term most often refers to:
* Park ranger or forest ranger, a person charged with protecting and ...
, Goreham proposed that his regiment serve as
light infantry
Light infantry refers to certain types of lightly equipped infantry throughout history. They have a more mobile or fluid function than other types of infantry, such as heavy infantry or line infantry. Historically, light infantry often fought ...
. In the event they served as garrison troops for the regiment's existence.
Goreham's proposal was accepted in April 1775, and recruiting began in
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
,
Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
and in and around
Halifax; the Boston men were shipped to Halifax in October. At that time the approximately 200 men of the RFA comprised a large portion of the total British forces available in Nova Scotia. This situation changed briefly when
Gen. Howe's army arrived in Halifax from Boston in April, 1776, but this army left again for New York in June. Meanwhile, rumours of rebellion stirring in the
Cumberland
Cumberland ( ) is a historic county in the far North West England. It covers part of the Lake District as well as the north Pennines and Solway Firth coast. Cumberland had an administrative function from the 12th century until 1974. From 19 ...
region arrived in Halifax, prompting the authorities to dispatch Goreham's regiment to Fort Cumberland in late May, first overland to
Windsor
Windsor may refer to:
Places Australia
* Windsor, New South Wales
** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area
* Windsor, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland
**Shire of Windsor, a former local government authority around Wi ...
and then by ship via
Minas Basin
, image = Lookout On Way to Cape Split - 25006718579.jpg
, alt =
, caption = Looking east across the Southern Bight of Minas Basin from The Lookoff
, image_bathymetry =
, alt_bathymetry =
, ca ...
and
Chignecto Bay
Chignecto Bay (french: Baie de Chignectou) is an inlet of the Bay of Fundy located between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and separated from the waters of the Northumberland Strait by the Isthmus of Chignecto. It is a u ...
.
Fort Cumberland (originally built by the French as
Fort Beauséjour
Fort Beauséjour (), renamed Fort Cumberland in 1755, is a large, five-bastioned fort on the Isthmus of Chignecto in eastern Canada, a neck of land connecting the present-day province of New Brunswick with that of Nova Scotia. The site was strateg ...
in 1750) was in an advanced state of disrepair by 1776. Goreham set his men to reconstruction, both the buildings and the earthworks, but work went slowly due to the shortage of supplies and equipment, and lack of assistance from the local population, who were mostly pro-patriot.
[Piers, p 154] With winter approaching, Goreham had his men put more effort into the accommodations than the fortifications. In spite of this, the fort would be a hard nut to crack by any rebel force without artillery.
Battle of Fort Cumberland
The fort was strategically important to the British as it guarded the overland route to peninsular Nova Scotia and also the upper reaches of the
Bay of Fundy
The Bay of Fundy (french: Baie de Fundy) is a bay between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, with a small portion touching the U.S. state of Maine. It is an arm of the Gulf of Maine. Its extremely high tidal range is the hi ...
. The rebel forces, led by Colonel
Jonathan Eddy
Jonathan Eddy (–1804) was a British-American soldier, who fought for the British in the French and Indian War and for the Americans in the American Revolution. After the French and Indian War, he settled in Nova Scotia as a New England Planter, ...
, planned to capture the fort, seizing its artillery and stores, as a first step in an overland march via
Fort Edward in Windsor to Halifax, raising rebel sympathizers along the way. As there were some sympathizers in the colony, the plan was feasible.
Goreham had deployed an outpost of 14 Fencibles under command of Lt. John Walker, a long time friend of Goreham, to Chipoudy (now
Shepody, New Brunswick Shepody (formerly Chipoudy) is a small community in Southeastern New Brunswick on Route 114. It was founded as an Acadian village in 1698 and destroyed in 1755. The current settlement has a population of approximately 20, and is located just off t ...
) in September, about 20 miles (30 km) northwest of the fort, to warn of any approach by rebel forces from New England. On the evening of Oct. 29 Eddy's arriving force of about 150 men overwhelmed the outpost, with one officer of the RFA, 2nd Lt. Solomon King, killed, and the rest taken prisoner. Lt. Walker was wounded. Eddy's men suffered no casualties. Goreham finally became aware of the rebel presence on November 4 when a boat carrying a relief party and supplies for the outpost returned early with the news. By this point Eddy's force had effectively cut all overland communications from the fort, making it impossible to send reports of the invasion to Halifax.
Meanwhile, winter supplies, plus arms and ammunition, for the garrison had arrived on the
sloop
A sloop is a sailboat with a single mast typically having only one headsail in front of the mast and one mainsail aft of (behind) the mast. Such an arrangement is called a fore-and-aft rig, and can be rigged as a Bermuda rig with triangular sa ...
''Polly'', escorted by the
frigate
A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat.
The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...
''HMS Juno'', on October 31; ''Juno'' departed for Halifax on November 3. ''Polly'' was brought up a creek near the fort and unloading began with the ship lying in the mud at low tides.
Eddy's army staged its next coup on the night of Nov. 6/7 when a party of 30 men, led by Zebulon Roe, set out to capture the ''Polly''. After a difficult approach march over the tidal flats, with the tide rising, Roe's men took the RFA party aboard by surprise and captured the sloop without firing a shot. Waiting for the rising tide, Roe's men captured a work team and several officers coming to the ship. Finally as the fog lifted around 7am, the rebels were able to sail and tow ''Polly'' out of the creek, followed by cannon fire from the fort, which fell short. In all, Goreham lost 49 officers and men captured. Added to the men lost at the outpost, the RFA garrison was down 25% of its strength, plus most of the ''Pollys provisions.
On Nov. 9
Michael Francklin
Michael Francklin or Franklin (6 December 1733 – 8 November 1782) served as Nova Scotia's Lieutenant Governor from 1766 to 1772. He is buried in the crypt of St. Paul's Church (Halifax).
Early life and immigration
Born in Poole, Engla ...
, the former lieutenant-governor, got word of the invasion from residents around the Minas Basin; he passed these reports to Halifax where planning got underway to relieve the fort. Meanwhile, Eddy presented an ultimatum that Goreham surrender the fort on Nov. 10; Goreham replied with a demand that Eddy surrender instead. His bluff having failed, Eddy began planning for battle.
Although the RFA was down to a strength of 172 all ranks, plus some armed civilians,
it's unlikely that Eddy was able to persuade more than about 80 of his men to actually participate in any of the following attacks, so numbers were very much on Goreham's side. The first attack began at 4 AM on November 13. A
Maliseet
The Wəlastəkwewiyik, or Maliseet (, also spelled Malecite), are an Algonquian-speaking First Nation of the Wabanaki Confederacy. They are the indigenous people of the Wolastoq ( Saint John River) valley and its tributaries. Their territory ...
warrior of Eddy's force managed to slip inside the fort, but was wounded by an RFA officer before he could open the main gate, foiling Eddy's plan. After about two hours Eddy disengaged. The warrior, who escaped, was the only casualty on either side. The second attack began in the early morning of November 22. This time the rebels set fire to several buildings to the north of the fort. With a brisk wind blowing from that direction, it was hoped that the fire would spread to the fort, and it very nearly did so. Only desperate but effective fire-fighting by the garrison prevented disaster, and Eddy's men somehow failed to exploit their opportunity. Again there were no fatal casualties on either side. Finally on the morning of Nov. 27 the rebels tried to seize several dozen head of cattle from the marsh below the fort. This attempt was intercepted by two parties of picked men from the Fencibles. In the running fight that followed, several of Eddy's men were killed; the RFA lost one man, Peter Calahan, died of wounds and two others wounded.
Later that morning the entire situation changed with the arrival of the
sloop
A sloop is a sailboat with a single mast typically having only one headsail in front of the mast and one mainsail aft of (behind) the mast. Such an arrangement is called a fore-and-aft rig, and can be rigged as a Bermuda rig with triangular sa ...
, including a company of
Royal Marines
The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...
under Cpt. Branson plus Maj. Thomas Batt and Cpt.
Gilfred Studholme Gilfred Studholme (1740–1792) was a British military officer who commanded forces on the Saint John River, Nova Scotia during the American Revolution. He was commissioned in the Loyal Nova Scotia Volunteers at the outbreak of the war and later ...
of the RFA, who had been on duty at Fort Edward. Before dawn on November 29 Maj. Batt led a mixed force of Marines and 74 men of the Fencibles, led by Cpt. Studholme, in a sortie from the fort against the rebel positions on Camp Hill. Somehow Eddy had not noticed the arrival of ''Vulture'' and the rebels were taken by surprise. When the alarm was finally sounded, the Fencibles "gave a loud Huzzah and ran like lions" towards Eddy's headquarters, according to Batt's report to Goreham. Eddy was nearly captured and rebel resistance was broken. The homes of many rebels and sympathizers were burned. The RFA lost one man, Michael Dickie, killed, one died of wounds, and three wounded; one Marine was wounded, and at least three of Eddy's men were killed, with several others taken prisoner. Batt was later commended by
King George for his conduct.
Later service
Most of the RFA remained at Fort Cumberland for the duration of the war. In September 1777 a company under command of Studholme was part of an expeditionary force to the
Saint John River. Sent in response to
a rebel expedition to the area, they captured some New England rebels and drove others up the river to secure that part of Nova Scotia (now
New Brunswick
New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
). Men of the RFA, under Studholme's direction, constructed
Fort Howe
Fort Howe (1777 — present historic site) was a British fort built in Saint John, New Brunswick during the American Revolution. It was erected shortly after the American siege in 1777 to protect the city from further American raids. The 18th ...
near the river mouth, and garrisoned it until the end of the war.
In 1777 Goreham had a major dispute with Batt, probably due to Goreham's terms of amnesty granted to the rebels on December 1, 1776, which were also disapproved of by some parties in Halifax.
The regiment was disbanded on October 10, 1783, at Halifax and Fort Howe. Officers and men received land grants, plus tools and provisions, if they chose. Studholme was appointed agent for these arrangements. Fourteen other ranks took up grants in Remsheg (today
Wallace, NS) while 57 officers and other ranks are listed as having settled in New Brunswick.
Uniforms
For nearly two years after its formation, the men of the RFA mostly wore civilian clothing, essentially, whatever they were wearing when enlisted. This caused them great hardship in winter, and Goreham permitted them to wear blankets or rugs ''in lieu'' of greatcoats when on sentry at Fort Cumberland. They would have looked very much like their rebel opponents during the siege. Their first uniforms arrived in early 1777, green coats faced white, with white smallclothes, in common with most other Loyalist corps of the American command at that time. Officers wore silver lace. By 1780 the regiment was wearing red coats faced black, probably with white lace for other ranks.
In popular culture
*
Thomas H. Raddall's novel ''His Majesty's Yankees'' (Doubleday, New York, 1942) is centered around the Siege of Fort Cumberland.
See also
*
List of British fencible regiments
This is a list of British fencible regiments. The ''fencibles'' (from the word ') were British Army regiments raised in Great Britain and in the colonies for defence against the threat of invasion during the Seven Years' War, the American War of ...
*
Nova Scotia Fencibles
The Nova Scotia Fencibles were a military regiment raised in Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1803. The unit had red uniforms with yellow facings.
History
The Nova Scotia Fencibles were the only regiment stationed in Newfoundland in 1812.
Although p ...
References
Bibliography
*Piers, Harry; "The Fortieth Regiment, Raised at Annapolis Royal in 1717; and Five Regiments Subsequently Raised in Nova Scotia"; ''Collections of the Nova Scotia Historical Society'', vol. XXI, Halifax, NS, 1927, pp 152–58.
*Clarke, Ernest; ''The Siege of Fort Cumberland, 1776''; McGill-Queen's University Press, Montreal & Kingston, 1995.
*Chartrand, René; ''American Loyalist Troops 1775-84''; illust. by Gerry & Samuel Embleton; Osprey Publishing Ltd., Oxford, UK, 2008. {{ISBN, 978-1-84603-314-8
External links
''On-Line Institute for Advanced Loyalist Studies''Various articles, period papers and other records of the RFA.
Volunteers throughout western Nova Scotia re-create the RFA, circa 1780.
Military regiments raised in Nova Scotia
Military units and formations established in 1776
Loyalist military units in the American Revolution
Military units and formations of Nova Scotia