Loyal American Regiment

The Loyal American Regiment was raised in mid-March 1777 by wealthy loyalist Beverley Robinson. Robinson, a childhood friend of George Washington, commanded the regiment until it was disbanded at the end of the war in 1783. Several of Beverley Robinson's sons were officers in the regiment, including Frederick Philipse Robinson. A number of the enlisted men in the Loyal Americans were tenant farmers who worked Robinson's estate in the Philipse Patent then in lower Dutchess and Westchester counties of the Province of New York.

The Loyal American Regiment served in many war-time engagements, often at detachment strength. The Loyal Americans spent many months of the war in the Province of New York at Kingsbridge defending British-occupied New York City. The Loyal Americans are best known for being the first British regiment to enter Fort Montgomery in the Hudson Highlands when it was captured during the Battle of Fort Montgomery on October 6, 1777. A detachment of the regiment was captured in July 1779 when the fort at Stony Point was taken in the Battle of Stony Point by the Continental Army.

Between September 4-14, 1781, under the command of Lieut. Colonel Beverly Robinson Jr., the Loyal American Regiment participated in the British raid on New London, Connecticut commanded by American traitor Brigadier General Benedict Arnold. On September 6, the regiment landed about four miles south of New London. With four companies of the 38th Regiment of Foot, it assaulted and captured Fort 'Nonsense' on Town Hill. Later, it took part in the occupation of the town, where it searched for and burned military and public stores.

When the war was over, Loyalists were unwelcome in the former colonies. From New York City, Britain transported thousands of Loyalists to Nova Scotia throughout the early fall of 1783. In all about 33,000 were settled in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick (separated from Nova Scotia in 1784), Prince Edward Island, and Quebec (including areas that were eventually separated to form Upper Canada, eventually renamed Ontario). Many members of the Loyal American Regiment settled there; some were among the first colonists of the newly formed province of New Brunswick.

Reenactors have recreated Robinson's unit wearing green coats, the standard issue for loyalist soldiers at the beginning of the war.

• Thomas Henry Barclay
• Sir Frederick Philipse Robinson

• Military history of Nova Scotia
• Nova Scotia in the American Revolution

• The Loyal American Regiment
• Index to Loyal American Regiment History - The On-Line Institute for Advanced Loyalist Studies