A demographic overview of the officers and men of the 18th Foot from 1767 through 1776. Presented at the Company of Military Historians General Meeting in Dulles, VA, April 2016

1. Steven M. Baule
smbaule@gmail.com

5. • 18th (Royal Irish) Regiment of Foot (Irish
Establishment – Nine Companies), April 1767
• 31 Officers, 18 Sergeants, 9 Drummers, 2 Fifers, 270
Rank & File (330 total)
• 18th (Royal Irish) Regiment of Foot (Irish
Establishment – Nine Companies), May 1, 1767
• 32 Officers, 18 Sergeants, 9 Drummers, 2 Fifers, 423
Rank & File (484; arrived with 501, two
supernumerary privates in most companies)

6. Col. Lt.C Maj. Gren. I.H. H. A. J.S. G.S
.
Shee Total
English 17 20 21 17 24 18 22 21 17 177
Scotch 2 4 3 5 3 15
Irish 15 10 8 11 6 9 10 11 12 92
Foreign 2 1 1 4
Totals 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 288

7. Average Age
Officer 27.4 years old
Soldier 26.4 years old
Grenadier 28.3 years old
Average Years of Service
Officers 9 years
Soldiers 7.2 years
Grenadiers 9.4 years
Height of the Men
Average of whole 5’7.7”
Average of Battalion Men 5’7.3”
Average of Grenadiers 5’10.4”

8. Average Age
Officer 29.1 years old
Soldier 25.3 years old
Grenadier 25.5 years old
Average Years of Service
Officers 11 years
Soldiers 3.4 years
Grenadiers 3 years
Height of the Men
Average of whole 5’6.8”
Average of Battalion Men 5’6.5”
Average of Grenadiers 5’9.5”
Average of Light Company 5’6.5”

9.  Lost five officers including James Taylor Trevor, a
young ensign who purchased out of the regiment in
order to avoid overseas service
 William Conolly became the newest officer to embark
being commissioned in the 18th on April 4, 1767
 Evidence of a commission broker being involved
 49 Men were drafted from the 50th Foot at Cork on
May 1, 1767
 Recruiting parties were out when the 18th was
inspected in April 1767

10.  18th (Royal Irish) Regiment of Foot (American
Establishment – Ten Companies), April 1771
 35 Officers, 18 Sergeants, 10 Drummers, 2 Fifers, 420
Rank & File (485 Total)
 When the King authorized larger establishments for
Regiments in America in August 1775, the 18th & 59th
Regiments were excluded from that expansion
 18th (Royal Irish) Regiment of Foot (British
Establishment – Ten Companies), November 1778
 35 Officers, 30 Sergeants, 20 Drummers, 2 Fifers, 740
Rank & File (827 Total)

11.  Embarked from Cork in May 1767
 Arrived Philadelphia in July 1767
 Originally posted to the North Liberty Barracks in
Philadelphia
 Seven Companies were sent to western posts in Spring
1768
 Two to Fort Pitt
 Five to Fort Chartres
 Two remained at Philadelphia
 Additional Company sent to Illinois in 1769

12.  Companies in Illinois split between Ft. Chartes,
Cahokia, and Kaskaskia
 Additional Company raised in 1770
 Became the Light Company in 1771
 Eight companies were at Philadelphia by late 1772
 Two companies remained at Kaskaskia (Ft. Gage)
 Three companies to Boston in October 1774
 Five companies to NYC in October 1774 (replacing
RWFs)
 June 1775 saw NYC companies to Boston

13.  Grenadiers fought at Lexington, Concord & Bunker Hill
 Eight companies drafted in December 1775
 Two companies in Illinois ordered to Detroit in May 1776
 Drafted in July 1776
 Remaining troops stopped at Ft. Niagara on way to England
 Regiment rebuilt at Dover Castle 1776-1778
 At Coxheath Camp 1778; Warley Camp 1779; Finchley, 1780
 Ordered to London to help put down Gordon Riots
 Ordered to Channel Islands in 1781
 Embarked to Gibraltar in 1783. Remained there 13 years.
 Embarked to Toulon in 1796 to support French Royalists

15. In short Sir, all here are in Confusion;
many of the Principal Families are
moving into the Country with their
valuable effects, nothing is to be heard
in Town but the clashing of arms &
beating of Drums.
B.C. Payne to Sebright, New York 5 May 1775

16.  67 Officers
 756 Individual Other Ranks
 501 Arrived on July 11, 1767
 At least 48 were drafted into the 18th while in N. America
 161 Died outside of hostile action
 5 Killed in Action plus 2 Killed by Natives
 161 Deserted / At least 16 returned from Desertion
 201 Discharged
 16 Officers Retired
 157 Drafted in America to other regiments
 120 Returned to England with the Royal Irish

17.  At least three men served as sergeant major
 61 served as sergeants; 45 promoted (22 while in N.Amer.; 23 after
returning to England)
 2 privates and 2 drummers promoted directly to sergeant
 86 served as corporals; 68 promoted ; 22 reduced
 27 served as drummers or fifers; 16 promoted; 11 reduced from
drummer
 709 entered as privates

18. Brogden had a small family to support and was often in debt to Cpt. Payne
who paid off his other creditors. He appears to have been fond of drink as
well. He was the company paymaster sergeant and appears to have used
those funds inappropriately at times. According to Cpt. Mawby, he tried
to press him to lend money to him right before he deserted. He was "over
his head and Ears in debt to everyone round the Barrack.“
Listed as deserted June 5, 1775
Appointed 30 June 1775 as adjutant to Col. Alex. McDougall's 1st Regiment
of New York in NYC. He went to Canada with the regiment and served
until March 1776. In April 1776 he was appointed Lt. & Adj. of Col John
Nicholson's NY Continental Regiment. He served in the northern theater
until March 1777 when his regiment was disbanded.

19.  Most of the regiment’s arms were issued in 1765 while in
Ireland with iron ramrods. They should have been
marked Dublin Castle on the locks and engraved on the
neck like this example from the 55th Foot in the
Princeton Battlefield Museum.
 The arms for the Light Company were sent to
Philadelphia in 1772
 Light Company was actually armed from the provincial
stores at Ft. Pitt
 Spare arms were made inoperable and captured in May
1775 in NYC
 I am unaware of any extant Royal Irish firelocks from the
period.

20. Tower Issue

21.  The grenadiers did carry their hangers in America
 We know this from several sources including the pension materials of Sylvanus
Wood and various court martial testimony
 Sylvanus Wood, a minuteman from Woburn, Massachusetts, claimed to have
taken advantage of the situation. In his pension declaration, Wood snuck up on
Lee (not a particularly tough task to sneak up on a deaf man) and relieved him
of his weapon. Wood then marched Lee back to Lexington following the
British column. In Wood’s own account, Lee was standing sentinel in Concord
when captured. Lee was carrying a musket and bayonet along with a “cutlash
and Brass fender” and two cartridge pouches. One over the shoulder with 22
rounds and one “box round the waist with 18 rounds.”
 J. C. Dann, The Revolution Remembered: Eyewitness accounts of the War of
Independence, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1980, 6-8.

22. Men of the grenadier company
appear to have been issued in
April 1765 after the regiment’s
review at Dublin Castle on April 11,
1767. New swords were issued in
1776.
Wednesday January 25th 1775
GO. Boston
The Grenadier Waist-Belts to be
repaired as soon as possible, so
that they will be able to carry their
Hangers. All the Shoemakers,
when off duty, to be employed at
them till they are finished.

23.  Lee was the 18th Foot’s master tailor
 Member of the Grenadier Company since arriving in
America
 Known to be hard of hearing
 Was listed as captured and killed in various returns
and reports. Occasionally listed as being in the 10th
Foot; listed as an officer in several secondary sources
 Actually drafted into the 10th in December 1775
 Mary Piper on July 11, 1776 in Concord; had five
children, three boys and two girls
 Lee died on August 6, 1790 in Concord.

24.  By 1772, the men of the regiment were wearing cut
down hats.
 Grenadier Nicholas Gaffney testified “that his hat was
Cut, and two tassels put to it, a Tape band round the
Mould of the Hat, white Looping and a black Tape that
goes round both the [brim] and the mould of the Hat.”
 WO 71/79, p. 320.

25.  Nicholas Gaffney, a grenadier,
complained about having to pay
stoppages for a hat that didn’t
meet the standards of the King’s
Warrant in 1771
 While the regiment was
stationed in Illinois, the men
appear to have cut their hats
down as round hats.
 Headgear of the 18th (Royal Irish)
Regiment of Foot, 49 (4), 182

27.  Grenadiers were issued new helmets in 1774. It is clear from
regimental orders the previous caps had been poorly cared
for.
Regimental Order: November 10th, 1774 The Grenadiers to get
the Lining of their new Caps repaired that was so shamefully
abused, and never again presume to make any Alteration of
any Appointment whatever without the Orders and
Approbations of their Commanding Officer. The Non-
Commissioned Officers of that Company will be answerable
for the obedience of this Order and see that the Men take the
greatest care of them in their Rooms when off duty.
 NAM Orderly Book, 18th (Royal Irish) Regiment of Foot

28.  By 1774, it appears the 18th were issued new hats of a
pattern conforming to the 1768 Warrant

29.  First casualty due to hostile action
 Samuel Woodhead taken by Potawatamies while out
hunting alone against orders near Ft. Chartres in May
1771
 What was believed to be his skeleton found the
following spring.
 Later listed as killed 25 March 1771
 What was believed to have been his body was found in
the spring of 1772
 Arrived in Philadelphia as a private in Major Folliot’s
Company; same company became Capt. Evan’s Coy.

30.  Grenadier John Knight, killed by eleven Potawatamies
within 100 yards of the post, while plowing a field for
Cpt. Shee with another soldier
 Near Cahokia, March 1772
 In theory the natives knew he was British because he
was working on a Catholic feast day

31. View of the Charles River, 1775, Lt. Richard Williams, 23rd Foot Boston
Public Library

32.  4 Good Shirts, 4 pr. of Stockings & 2 pr. of Shoes, 1 pr. Leather
breeches, 1 pr. drawers
Ft. Pitt, 9 Aug. 1772
 37th Foot’s Standing Orders
The necessary's every soldier is expected to have constantly are as
follows: four ruffled shirts, one black stock, four pairs of good white
thread stockings
 Simes, Military Medley, 1768, 6
3 shirts, 3 pr. of stockings, 2 pr. of shoes, 1 pr. red skirt breeches, 1 pr.
drawers
 Return of Necessaries Wanting to Complete Cpt. Johnsons Co 9 April 1772, Rockford
Plantation MSS

33.  Leather breeches were most likely a compromise at Ft.
Pitt since the officers complained that they were
spending their personal fortunes keeping their men
clothed.
 The ease of obtaining buckskin in the west clearly
impacted the regiment to use a material that was able
to hold up to the abuse of the frontier.
 It isn’t clear if the companies in Illinois or Philadelphia
were issued similar clothing.

34.  Cloth trousers of some type also appear to have been
issued
 Moccasins were purchased by some of the regiment
prior to traveling down river from Ft. Pitt
 November 5, 1774, Leggings and mittens were issued
for each man; Six watchcoats were to be made for each
company

35. The men will immediately set about cleaning their
Firelocks and Bayonets, polishing their Pouches, Badges
and Buckles and washing their Waist Belts, Shoulder Belts
and Slings, so that their Arms and Accoutrements may be
in the best Order possible for Landing; at which time no
Excuse will be taken for the smallest Neglect of any Article
whatever.

36. Boston Bay.
The serjeants of the different companies to taker care that
each man has a clean shirt, and a pair of White thread
stockings in readiness for landing in. The men’s best half
Gaters to be well blacked and polished.
After orders: The Cloathing and Hats of the three
Companies to be unpacked at 8 o’clock to Morrow morning,
and delivered to the Men, who are to brush and clean them
fit for landing at a Moment’s Warning. The men to be very
careful in cocking and brushing their hats.
A review of arms and accoutrements this evening at 4
o’clock when the Commanding Officer expects everything
to be in the best order agreeable to the orders of
yesterday.

37. The Men to brush and clean their Coats and Hats
immediately, and then lay them carefully by in their Berths,
so that they cannot be dirtied aboard ship.

38.  Received on March 9, 1771; potentially from another regiment
 He worked as a tailor
 Dabbadee was called to testify as a witness for the defense of Private
John Green in a general court martial held at NYC in May 1774
 He was unable to travel from Philadelphia to NYC due to the surgeon
not allowing him
 Dabbadee received 400 lashes for being very drunk and dirty when
parading for church
 Dabbadee deserted on 4 June 1774

39. October 27th 1774
As the Men are not to land for some time the Serjeants
will take the new Cloathing and Hats of the different
companies and pack them up till further Orders. The
Commanding Officer expects that now the ship is come
to anchor, that all Men of the different Companies will
clean themselves and appear as decent as their old
Jackets and hats will permit.

40. A review of Arms, Accoutrements and Necessaries to
take place to Morrow at 10 o’clock. The Men to have their
Knapsacks with proper slings to them and be in the best
Marching Order.

43.  The 18th Foot definitely had a band of music
 It appears occasionally in the historical record;
performed at UofPA’s commencement in 1768 & 1773
 “Old Davey” is mentioned as the bandmaster, but no
matching soldier appears in the rolls. It is quite
possible the band master was a civilian who
accompanied the regiment

44.  Of the 37 soldiers who served as drummers or fifers in
the 18th (Royal Irish) Regiment of Foot between its
being drafted in America in December 1775 and its
participation at Warley Camp in the summer of 1779,
only 12 were enlisted directly as drummers. None were
enlisted directly as fifers. In fact, the three men who
served as grenadier fifers during that nearly four year
period, were all veterans of North American service.
One, John Allen [Allen] was probably the son of a
sergeant in the regiment. The other two were soldiers
of at least a dozen year’s service by 1779.

45.  Enlisted in 1764
 Private in I. Hamilton’s Coy, 1767
 Promoted to drummer, 5 Feb. 1769 while in Illinois
 Reduced to private on 5 March 1772
 Promoted to fifer on 8 October 1774
 Court martialed on 11 Feb 1775 for being “very drunk on the street and abusing
his regimental after Tattoo”; sentenced to 100 lashes; all remitted
 Returned to England (not drafted)
 Served in several companies as a drummer; Reduced to private in 1784
 Remained with 18th through 1787
 Transferred to the 41st Foot in 1787
 Discharged at Hilsea Barracks as “afflicted with the scurvy” on 24 March 1789
 Enlisted in Cpt. Malcom’s Ind. Coy of Invalids at Sheerness; discharged two
months later

46.  c 1765
 c 1770

48.  c 1767

49.  c 1785
 Surgeon’s Mate in 18th
 Purchases an ensigncy
 Resigned in 1774
 Joined PA Militia
 Adjutant General under Washington

50.  c 1825