The King's Rangers, also known as the King's American Rangers, 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 Cr ...

provincial ranger unit that specialized in close combat, irregular warfare, raiding, reconnaissance, and tracking. It raised in

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

for service during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

Formation

After Colonel Robert Rogers left the

Queen's Rangers The Queen's Rangers, also known as the Queen's American Rangers, and later Simcoe's Rangers, were a Loyalists fighting in the American Revolution, Loyalist military unit of the American Revolutionary War that specialized in cavalry tactics, clo ...

in 1777 he went to Nova Scotia. He obtained approval from General Sir Henry Clinton to raise the King's Rangers in 1779. The formation of the Rangers was authorized to contain two battalions, each divided into 10 companies.

Early actions

By September 1779 recruitment for the unit was underway and the Rangers were stationed at Fort St. Johns on the

Richelieu River The Richelieu River () is a river of Quebec, Canada, and a major right-bank tributary of the St. Lawrence River. It rises at Lake Champlain, from which it flows northward through Quebec and empties into the St. Lawrence. It was formerly kno ...

. Robert Rogers assumed command of the unit with his brother, James Rogers, commanding the second battalion of the Rangers. Despite Robert nominally being in command of the Rangers, he was inefficient and the burden of recruitment often fell to his brother. Despite recruitment issues being faced by the Rangers, the second battalion was active in scouting and recruiting along the frontiers of

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

Lake Champlain Lake Champlain ( ; , ) is a natural freshwater lake in North America. It mostly lies between the U.S. states of New York (state), New York and Vermont, but also extends north into the Canadian province of Quebec. The cities of Burlington, Ve ...

and the area that was to later become

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...

. They also engaged in the taking of Patriot

prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...

. A year after the formation of the Rangers the area in which they were able to recruit from was extended with the permission of General Sir Frederick Haldimand. Due to the relatively small size of the Rangers, Haldimand restricted their operational capabilities to conducting reconnaissance for other corps, constructing fortifications, executing general garrison duties, assisting refugees in

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

, aiding the escape of Loyalist families, and guarding prisoners of war.

Later engagements

In February 1781, a number of soldiers from the Rangers were involved in the capture of Patriot leader

Peleg Wadsworth Peleg Wadsworth (May 6, 1748 – November 12, 1829) was an American Patriot officer during the American Revolutionary War and a Congressman from Massachusetts representing the District of Maine. He was also grandfather of noted American ...

. The Rangers were disbanded in 1783, having seen little to no action during the conflict.

Disbandment

After the Revolutionary War, some officers and men of the Rangers were granted tracts of land for farming in Queens County and Kings County,

Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island is an island Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. While it is the smallest province by land area and population, it is the most densely populated. The island has several nicknames: "Garden of the Gulf", ...

, British Canada. The Rangers were reactivated during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

and a large training camp was built in what is now the village of Pownal, complete with barracks, a field hospital and musketry range (of which the butts can still be seen on the shore of Pownal Bay).

Notable officers

*Colonel Robert Rogers *Lieutenant Colonel James Rogers *Captain-Lieutenant James Breakenridge *Captain-Lieutenant Azariah Pritchard *Captain-Lieutenant Henry Ruiter

References

*Katcher, Philip, ''Encyclopaedia of British, Provincial, and German Army Units 1775-1783'', 1973, {{ISBN, 0-8117-0542-0

External links

Index to King’s American Rangers History - The On-Line Institute for Advanced Loyalist StudiesRecreated Regiment: (Reenactors in New England)
Loyalist military units in the American Revolution Military units and formations of Nova Scotia Military units and formations established in 1779 Military units and formations disestablished in 1783 Province of Quebec (1763–1791) British American Army Rangers