British Forces, North America | |
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Active | 1814–1815 |
Country | ![]() |
Allegiance | ![]() |
Branch | British army |
Type | Army |
Size | 5,933 effectives out of a headcount of 6,660 soldiers (25 December 1814) [1] 8,000 participants on 8 January 1815 6,334 effectives (25 January 1815) [2] |
Engagements | Battle of New Orleans |
Commanders | |
Commander-in-chief (23 December 1814 – 24 December 1814) | Major General John Keane |
Commander-in-chief (25 December 1814 – 8 January 1815) | Major General Edward Pakenham |
Commander-in-chief (8 January 1815 - 13 February 1815 ) | Major General John Lambert |
The following units of the British Armed Forces participated in the Battle of New Orleans on 8 January 1815. The American order of battle is shown separately.
Source: [lower-alpha 1]
Brigade | Unit | Comments |
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1st Brigade, Major General John Keane - wounded 8 January 1815 [4] | * 1st Battalion, 93rd Regiment of Foot | 907 men as at 25 November 1814. [9] [10] Effective strength of 850 out of a headcount of 862 as at 25 December. [1] Casualties 23 to 31 December: 2 killed, 6 wounded. Casualties 1 to 5 January: 9 killed; 11 wounded. 775 ORs on 8 January according to Major Pringle's letter. [11] Casualties 8 January: 63 killed; 101 wounded. [4] Effective strength of 331 out of a headcount of 673 as at 25 January 1815, 78 deaths since the prior monthly return. [2] [lower-alpha 3] |
* 1 battalion of the 1st West India Regiment. | Effective strength of 755 out of a headcount of 809 as at 25 December. [1] Casualties 25 to 31 December: 1 killed. Casualties 8 January: 5 killed; 23 wounded; 1 missing. [4] Morrell estimated a strength of 700 men. [lower-alpha 4] Effective strength of 675 out of a headcount of 787 as at 25 January 1815, 22 deaths since the prior month. [2] | |
* 1 battalion of the 5th West India Regiment. | 643 men as at 25 November 1814. [10] Effective strength of 570 out of a headcount of 585 as at 25 December. [1] Casualties 25 to 31 December: 1 killed, 2 wounded. Casualties 25 to 31 December: 4 killed, 2 wounded. Casualties 8 January: 1 wounded. [4] Effective strength of 439 out of a headcount of 569 as at 25 January 1815, 19 deaths since the prior month. [2] | |
2nd Brigade, Colonel Arthur Brooke | * 1 battalion of the 4th Regiment of Foot. | 893 men as at 25 November 1814. [10] Effective strength of 802 out of a headcount of 916 as at 25 December. [1] Casualties 23 to 24 December: 5 killed; 15 wounded. Casualties 25 to 31 December: 4 wounded. 747 ORs on 8 January according to Major Pringle's letter. [11] Casualties 8 January: 42 killed; 254 wounded; 55 missing. [4] Effective strength of 512 out of a headcount of 793 as at 25 January 1815, 56 deaths since the prior monthly return. [2] |
* 1 battalion of the 44th Regiment of Foot. | 647 men as at 25 November 1814. [10] Effective strength of 552 out of a headcount of 692 as at 25 December. [1] Casualties 25 to 31 December: 2 wounded; 1 missing. Casualties 1 to 5 January: 2 killed; 3 wounded. 427 ORs on 8 January according to Major Pringle's letter. [11] Casualties 8 January: 35 killed; 163 wounded; 80 missing. [4] Effective strength of 286 out of a headcount of 565 as at 25 January 1815, 46 deaths since the prior month. [2] | |
* 1 battalion of the 21st Regiment of Foot | 995 men as at 25 November 1814. [10] Effective strength of 873 out of a headcount of 1010 as at 25 December. [1] Casualties 23 to 24 December: 3 killed; 11 wounded; 8 missing. Casualties 25 to 31 December: 1 killed, 1 wounded. Casualties 1 to 5 January: 1 killed; 5 wounded. 800 ORs on 8 January according to Major Pringle's letter. [11] Casualties 8 January: 70 killed; 155 wounded; 236 missing. [4] Effective strength of 482 out of a headcount of 709 as at 25 January 1815, 75 deaths since the prior month. [2] | |
* 12 man detachment of the 1st battalion of the 62nd Regiment of Foot | Effective strength of 12 out of a headcount of 12 as at 25 December. [1] Effective strength of 12 out of a headcount of 12 as at 25 January 1815. [2] | |
Advance Brigade, Colonel William Thornton - wounded 'severely (not dangerously)' [4] | * 1 battalion of the 85th Regiment of Foot who participated in the attack on the west bank of the Mississippi. [14] [15] | 456 men as at 25 November 1814. [10] Effective strength of 345 out of a headcount of 471 as at 25 December. [1] Casualties 23 to 24 December: 13 killed; 69 wounded; 19 missing. Casualties 25 to 31 December: 4 killed; 13 wounded. Casualties 1 to 5 January: 2 killed; 6 wounded. 298 ORs on 8 January according to Major Pringle's letter. [11] Casualties 8 January: 2 killed; 41 wounded; 1 missing. Casualties 9 to 26 January: 1 wounded. [4] Effective strength of 265 out of a headcount of 430 as at 25 January 1815, 25 deaths since the prior monthly return. [2] |
* 5 companies of the 3rd battalion from 95th Regiment of Foot. | They disembarked at Bayou Catalan on 22 December 1814, having departed Plymouth, Devon on 18 September 1814. [16] [17] Effective strength of 317 out of a headcount of 395 as at 25 December. [1] Casualties 23 to 24 December: 23 killed; 62 wounded; 42 missing. Casualties 1 to 5 January: 1 killed. 296 ORs on 8 January according to Major Pringle's letter. [11] Casualties 8 January: 11 killed; 101 wounded. [4] Effective strength of 200 out of a headcount of 345 as at 25 January 1815, 32 deaths since the prior monthly return. [2] | |
Sailors and Marines | See further down | |
Reinforcements from Europe [lower-alpha 5] [lower-alpha 6] - Both battalions commanded by Major General John Lambert | * 1 battalion of the 7th Regiment of Foot. | Effective strength of 887 out of a headcount of 887 whilst at sea as at 25 October 1814. [20] 800 men as at 5 January 1815. [21] 750 ORs on 8 January according to Major Pringle's letter. [11] Casualties 8 January: 49 killed; 53 wounded. [4] Effective strength of 681 out of a headcount of 812 as at 25 January 1815, 58 deaths since the prior month. [2] |
* 1 battalion of the 43rd Regiment of Foot | Effective strength of 991 out of a headcount of 991 whilst at sea as at 25 October 1814. [20] 900 men as at 5 January 1815. [21] 820 ORs on 8 January according to Major Pringle's letter. [11] Casualties 8 January: 11 killed; 163 wounded; 44 missing. Casualties 9 to 26 January: 1 killed; 5 wounded. [4] Effective strength of 785 out of a headcount of 907 as at 25 January 1815, 13 deaths since the prior month. [2] | |
* Dismounted troopers of the 14th Light Dragoons. | 160 men as at 25 November 1814. [10] [22] Soon joined by a second squadron, the unit having a strength of 295 as at 8 January 1815. [23] Effective strength of 261 out of a headcount of 277 as at 25 January 1815. [2] No casualties during battle, but 2 officers and 37 troopers in a boat were captured on 25 January 1815. [4] Effective strength of 214 out of a headcount of 275 as at 25 February 1815. [24] | |
Service | Composition | Comments |
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| Three companies of Royal Artillery each commanded by Captain John Michell, Captain Lewis Carmichael and Captain Adam Crawford, redeployed from the Chesapeake (320 men). [25] Now joined by a fourth company commanded by Major Alexander Munro [26] of 115 men [27] and a rocket detachment of 40 men commanded by Captain Henry Lane. [25] [22] Colonel Alexander Dickson accompanied these reinforcements. [27] | Effective strength of 381 gunners & 216 drivers out of a headcount of 649 as at 25 November 1814. [28] Effective strength of 610 out of a headcount of 646 as at 25 December. [1] Casualties 23 to 24 December: 2 ORs killed; 1 Officer, 7 ORs wounded. Casualties 25 to 31 December: 4 ORs killed; 1 Officer, 5 ORs wounded. Casualties 1 to 5 January: 1 Officer 1 NCOs & 9 ORs killed; 12 ORs wounded. Casualties 8 January: 5 ORs killed; 10 ORs wounded. [4] Effective strength of 581 out of a headcount of 625 as at 25 January 1815, 19 deaths since the prior month. [2] |
* Royal Engineers | Effective strength of 101 out of a headcount of 109 as at 25 December. [1] Company of sappers [29] with a strength of nearly 100 men, [30] confirmed as 98 men on 8 January. [23] | Casualties 23 to 24 December: 1 OR missing. Casualties 25 to 31 December: 1 OR wounded. Casualties 1 to 5 January: 1 Officer killed. Casualties 8 January: 3 ORs wounded. [4] Effective strength of 94 out of a headcount of 109 as at 25 January 1815, zero deaths since the prior month. [2] |
Royal Staff Corps detachment of 57 men as at 8 January [23] on shore, no source material to indicate whether they participated in the battle. | Effective strength of 57 out of a headcount of 57 whilst at sea as at 25 October 1814. [20] Effective strength of 29 out of a headcount of 57 as at 25 January 1815, zero deaths since the prior month. [2] | |
Composition | Comments |
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| Naval Brigade of 100 sailors from the fleet, in combat, commanded by Rowland Money of HMS Trave, [31] who participated in the attack on the west bank of the Mississippi. [14] [32] [15] Casualties 8 January: Royal Navy casualties were two dead, Captain Rowland Money and 18 seamen wounded. [4] |
* Royal Marines - Infantry | Composite battalion of 100 marines from the fleet, in combat, commanded by Brevet Major Thomas Adair, who led the attack by the Royal Marines [33] on the west bank of the Mississippi at New Orleans. [14] [32] [15] Casualties 8 January: Royal Marine casualties were two dead, with three officers, one sergeant, and 12 other ranks wounded. [4] |
* Royal Marines - Gunners | Royal Marine Artillery rocket detachment from the marine battalion (elsewhere), commanded by Lieutenant John Lawrence. The Marine Artillery numbered 1 officer and 26 gunners. [34] Their penultimate engagement was the Battle of New Orleans. [35] |
- Brevet Major Edward Nicolls accompanied by less than 100 Seminole, Creek, and Choctaw warriors. [36] Among them were the Hitchiti Indian chief Kinache. [37]
Notes
Citations
The 85th regiment, with a division of seaman under Captain Money, and a division of marines under Major Adair, the whole amounting to about six hundred men.
whilst one hundred sailors, under Captain Money, of the Royal Navy... threatened the enemy's left, supported by the division of the 85th Regiment under Captain Schaw... I deployed the column... under Major Deshon.. and about one hundred men of the royal marines under Major Adair.
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