Loyalists in the Revolutionary War

[MacBean]

Just a question from a non-American, but Ron you said Makes sense since they were Americans fighting with the British.

Were they Americans at that stage of that civil war , or were they still colonials?

The battles in South Carolina are indeed often referred to as a civil war in that both sides were mostly colonials.

As a point of interest, archeologists working in Valley Forge near my house have recently unearthed some buttons from the War of Independence with USA clearly stamped on the buttons, as per Washington's directives. I believe that this is the first use of the term USA. I wouldn't say from my reading that we thought of ourselves as British at all. The population was already of quite mixed origin.

[Bugbear]

The battles in South Carolina are indeed often referred to as a civil war in that both sides were mostly colonials.

As a point of interest, archeologists working in Valley Forge near my house have recently unearthed some buttons from the War of Independence with USA clearly stamped on the buttons, as per Washington's directives. I believe that this is the first use of the term USA. I wouldn't say from my reading that we thought of ourselves as British at all. The population was already of quite mixed origin.

That's very interesting. I am sure the Scots were calling the colonies over here "America" at the time in question because I have seen it in primary sources. Todd pointed it out in one of my threads here on the forum, if I remember correctly.
I know Burns wrote of George Washington, but I don't recall if he used "America" specifically.

[Nick the DSM]

America was used, that's what they called the continent.

Using the Latin American revolutions as an example, they prided themselves as "Americanos". American back then really didn't mean what it does today, yes it did mean you lived in American continent but not an American citizen. They were colonist/subjects that lived in America.

[dfmacliam]

Of course Joseph Brant the Mohawk chief for whom our county is named was himself a loyalist during the revolution.

and that is who I am related to, on the Loyalist side.....and on the Colonist side.. which a Scot lineage belongs....Col. George Claghorn...the builder of the USS Constitution

[Bugbear]

Follow up: Quick search turned up, Robert Burns's, "Ballad On The American War,"; he also calls it the American war in his letters. Just interesting to see what some of the Scots called it and us.
That's really all I can contribute.

[MacBean]

http://www.worldburnsclub.com/expert...erican_war.htm

That's pretty much unreadable without the annotations.

[Sir William]

It's very fashionable in my neck of the woods, to use the post-nominal letters "UE" after ones name if they happen Loyalist descendant. There's many of them around here along the St. Lawrence River!

Sara

I have a fascination with the American Loyalists but have not found any family connection, though I did find a possible relative, but not in direct line, who was a Loyalist. Hopefully, I can confirm it some day.

[macwilkin]

The battles in South Carolina are indeed often referred to as a civil war in that both sides were mostly colonials.

As a point of interest, archeologists working in Valley Forge near my house have recently unearthed some buttons from the War of Independence with USA clearly stamped on the buttons, as per Washington's directives. I believe that this is the first use of the term USA. I wouldn't say from my reading that we thought of ourselves as British at all. The population was already of quite mixed origin.

It wasn't quite that cut & dried though. Throughout the colonial period, colonial Americans did think of themselves as British subjects; indeed, one of the major reasons why they resisted the various acts & decrees of Parliament because they believed they were being denied their rights as subjects of the crown. Many moderates, such as John Dickinson of Pennsylvania, and even Ben Franklin at first, sought a reconciliation with Britain and appealed to George III to intervene. Even our first flag, the "Grand Union" flag, displayed our continued & common "British" heritage by displaying the Union flag along with the red and white stripes used by various "patriot" groups.

It was only after 1776 and the publication of "Common Sense" that more Americans began to embrace a distinct identity that would become the USA.

T.

[Bugbear]

http://www.worldburnsclub.com/expert...erican_war.htm

That's pretty much unreadable without the annotations.

Much better than the footnotes I was reading. Thanks for posting that, MacBean, I was struggling with it.
I don't belong in the Burns group.

[Orvis]

In addition to what Sir William wrote, I must add that the loyalist regiment The Queen's Rangers (raised by Colonel Robert Rogers, of French and Indian War fame - Rogers' Rangers, and now the Queen's York Rangers in the Canadian Armed Forces) had a Highland company, complete with piper, in government sett kilts or plaids. The QR also had a hussar company dressed like Hungarian horsemen.

The King's Royal Regiment of New York was raised by Sir John Johnson in 1776; its early uniforms were green faced with blue lapels, cuffs and collar, while its later uniforms were red with blue facings. After the war, the KRRNY was settled along the St. Lawrence River in Royal Townships, along with other loyalist regiments. The City of Cornwall, Ontario (originally named Johnstown) was originally settled by elements of the KRRNY.

The Queen's Loyal Rangers was raised in Canada from survivors of the 1777 Burgoyne campaign, and were disbanded in 1783. Presumably, they also received land grants in what is now Ontario. They wore green coats as part of their uniform.

The foregoing is from Philip R.N. Katcher's King George's Army 1775-1783: A Handbook of British, American and German Regiments, Reading (England): Osprey Publishing, 1973.