The current television series about the American War of Independence caused me to look through my notes on the military in North America about this time and came on the following about how a regiment was founded.

Most British regiments were formed by the local belted earl or lord of the manor and were often funded by them as well. This was often to meet imminent danger or threat from foreign forces from invasion. However, the 60th Foot was formed, albeit by the Earl of Louden, in different circumstances. The Seven Years War between Britain and France (1756-63) had been preceded by a year or two in our colonies with a series of skirmishes between the French aided by their Red Indian allies and our forces in the Thirteen States. There had been sporadic fighting in the region of the Great Lakes where the French had built several forts to protect their expeditions hunting for furs.

So, in June 1755, a British force numbering some 2000 was tasked with the capture of Fort Duquesne, a French post on the Ohio River. Most of the troops were British regulars, but there was also a strong contingent of colonial militia under the command of a Virginian gentleman named George Washington. They advanced towards the Fort in the usual style of the day with drums beating, colours flying and conspicuous in their red jackets. They were sitting targets as they marched along the narrow track and were ambushed by the opposition who had concealed themselves in the dense forest. The column broke and fled for there was nothing in the Infantry Training Manual, or in their experience, to deal with these circumstances. And so it was that 1000 men, 500 horses together with all the guns and stores were lost. All in all it was a devastating blow to British morale and confirmed to the native Indians they were supporting the best side.

It was this debacle that resulted in the formation of the 60th Regiment of Foot, ‘The Royal Americans’. The Earl was determined to change the traditional methods and tactics of battle and to fight like with like. The 60th would abandon the traditional redcoats with lace and gold trimmings and wear backwoods dress and use backwoods methods and would be chiefly employed in bush warfare. To do this there had to be a radical change in outlook and thinking. They broke with tradition and abandoned the premise that troops were just unreasoning cannon fodder and slavishly obedient. The officers cultivated the intelligence of each individual member of the regiment, for they often had to break into small squads or units and it was imperative that NCOs and riflemen used their initiative and resourcefulness.

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