46th Regiment of Foot

46th (South Devonshire) Regiment of Foot
Colours of the 46th Regiment
Active	1741–1881
Country	Kingdom of Great Britain (1741–1800)  United Kingdom (1801–1881)
Branch	British Army
Type	Line Infantry
Role	Light Infantry
Size	One battalion (two battalions 1800–1802)
Nickname(s)	Red Feathers, Murray's Bucks, The Surprisers, Lacodemonian's.
Colors	Light Yellow Facing, Silver Braided Lace
Engagements	Jacobite rising French and Indian War American Revolutionary War Napoleonic Wars Crimean War

The 46th (South Devonshire) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1741. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 32nd (Cornwall) Regiment of Foot to form the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in 1881.

The regiment was raised in Newcastle upon Tyne by John Price as John Price's Regiment of Foot in 1741. The regiment proceeded to Scotland and took part in the Battle of Prestonpans in September 1745 during the Jacobite rising. It was ranked as the 57th Regiment of Foot in 1747 but re-ranked as the 46th Regiment of Foot in 1751. After eight years' service in Ireland, the regiment embarked for Nova Scotia in May 1857 for service in the French and Indian War. The regiment saw action at the assault on Fort Ticonderoga in July 1758 the assault and capture of Fort Niagara in July 1759 and the assault and capture of Fort Lévis in August 1760.

The regiment then moved to the West Indies in October 1761 and took part in the capture of Martinique in January 1762, the storming of Morro Castle in July 1762 and the capture of Havana in August 1762. The regiment returned home in 1767.

The regiment arrived in North Carolina in April 1776 for service in the American Revolutionary War. It fought at the Battle of Long Island in August 1776, the Battle of White Plains in October 1776 and the Battle of Fort Washington in November 1776. It saw further action during the Philadelphia campaign at the Battle of Brandywine in September 1777 the Battle of Paoli also in September 1777 and the Battle of Germantown in October 1777. It was following the British attack on the Americans at Paoli, where the light company of the regiment took no prisoners and the Americans demanded vengeance, that the regiment decided to insert identifying red feathers in their shako helmets to prevent anyone else suffering on their account: hence the nickname the Red Feathers. The regiment went on to fight at the Battle of Monmouth in June 1778 and operations against New Bedford and Martha's Vineyard in September 1778. It sailed for the West Indies in November 1778 and took part in the attack on Saint Lucia and the Battle of Vigie in December 1778. The regiment returned to England and was renamed the 46th (South Devonshire) Regiment of Foot in 1782.