Gooch's American Regiment
Formed from colonists recruited in British North America, the regiment, consisting of four battalions, sailed to Jamaica before proceeding to the Viceroyalty of New Granada to take part in the Battle of Cartagena de Indias in 1741.During the War of Jenkins' Ear, the British military made plans to besiege and occupy the strategic port of Cartagena de Indias in the Viceroyalty of New Granada.To support the planned siege, Britain instructed their North American colonies in 1739 to raise 3,000 troops to fight alongside British forces during the attack on Cartagena.Governor Alexander Spotswood was initially appointed as colonel of the regiment, but after his death on June 7, 1740 the lieutenant governor of Virginia, Sir William Gooch, was commissioned colonel in his stead; the rest of the regiment's senior officers were from the British Army, while the junior officers were members of the colonial elite, although one lieutenant and one sergeant per company was to be British.The lack of pay and subsistence on Jamaica, forced the officers of the regiment to take personal loans at exorbitant interests from the local merchants in order to feed the men.In February 1742, the field officers of the regiment protested in a memorial to General Wentworth, who brought their complaints to the attention of Admiral Vernon, but to no avail.
Great BritainBritish ArmyMarinesbattalionsWar of Jenkins' EarBattle of Cartagena de IndiasSir William GoochThirteen ColoniesBritish North AmericaJamaicaViceroyalty of New GranadaBritish militaryCartagena de IndiasNorth American coloniesColony of Virginiaindentured servantsProvince of PennsylvaniaMassachusettsRhode IslandConnecticutNew YorkNew JerseyMarylandNorth Carolinahalf pay51st Regiments of FootAlexander Spotswoodlieutenant governor of Virginiasenior officersLawrence WashingtonGeorge Washingtonadjutantsquartermasterssurgeon's matessentinelsRoyal NavyEdward VernonscurvyLord CathcartSpanish MainThomas Wentworthoutworksinvade CubaCumberland BaySantiago de CubaPortobeloJohn William FortescuehammockswaistcoatscanvasbreechesgaitersRegiments of foot1st or The Royal Scots2nd (Queen's Royal)3rd (East Kent – The Buffs)4th (The King's Own Royal)5th (Northumberland) (Fusiliers)6th (Royal 1st Warwickshire)7th (Royal Fusiliers)8th (The King's)9th (East Norfolk)10th (North Lincoln)11th (North Devonshire)12th (East Suffolk)13th (1st Somersetshire) (Prince Albert's Light Infantry)14th (Buckinghamshire – The Prince of Wales's Own)15th (York, East Riding)16th (Bedfordshire)17th (Leicestershire)18th (The Royal Irish)19th (1st Yorkshire, North Riding – Princess of Wales's Own)20th (East Devonshire)21st (Royal Scots Fusiliers)22nd (Cheshire)23rd (Royal Welch Fusiliers)24th (2nd Warwickshire)25th (King's Own Borderers)26th (Cameronian)27th (Inniskilling)28th (North Gloucestershire)29th (Worcestershire)30th (Cambridgeshire)31st (Huntingdonshire)32nd (Cornwall) Light Infantry33rd (The Duke of Wellington's)34th (Cumberland)35th (Royal Sussex)36th (Herefordshire)37th (North Hampshire)38th (1st Staffordshire)39th (Dorsetshire)40th (2nd Somersetshire)41st (The Welsh)42nd (Oglethorpe's)42nd (The Royal Highland) (The Black Watch)43rd (Spotswood's)43rd (Monmouthshire Light Infantry)44th (East Essex)45th (Nottinghamshire Sherwood Foresters)46th (South Devonshire)47th Regiment (4th Marines)47th (Lancashire)48th (Northamptonshire)49th (Hertfordshire - Princess Charlotte of Wales's)50th (American Provincials)50th (The Queen's Own)51st Regiment of Foot (Cape Breton Regiment)51st (2nd York, West Riding, The King's Own Light Infantry)52nd (Oxfordshire Light Infantry)53rd (Shropshire)54th (West Norfolk)55th (Westmorland)56th (West Essex)57th (West Middlesex)58th (Rutlandshire)59th (2nd Nottinghamshire)60th (De Grangues's)60th (The King's Royal Rifle Corps)61st (South Gloucestershire) Regiment of Foot62nd (Royal American)62nd (1st Highland Battalion)62nd (Wiltshire)63rd (2nd Highland Battalion)63rd (West Suffolk)64th (Loudon's Highlanders)