Royal Fencible American Regiment
| Royal Fencible American Regiment of Foot a.k.a. Royal Fencible Americans, RFA |
|
|---|---|
| Active | 1775 - 1783 |
| Country |
 Great Britain
|
| Allegiance | King George III |
| Branch | Provincial corps, American command |
| Type | Battalion |
| Role | Infantry |
| Size | 5 companies |
| Garrison/HQ | Fort Cumberland, July 1776 - Oct. 1783 |
| Motto(s) | PRO REGE ET LEGE (Eng.: For King and Law) |
| Engagements | Siege of Fort Cumberland; Saint John River expedition |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Joseph Goreham, Thomas Batt |
Not to be confused with Nova Scotia Fencibles
The Royal Fencible American Regiment of Foot (or RFA) was a Loyalist battalion of infantry raised in 1775 to defend British interests in the colony of Nova Scotia. The RFA was commanded by Lt. Col. Joseph Goreham throughout its existence. The most notable achievement of the RFA (and its only combat as a regiment) was the successful defense of Fort Cumberland during the Eddy Rebellion in November, 1776, which prevented the revolution in the other American colonies from moving into Nova Scotia.
Goreham was a prominent landowner in Nova Scotia in 1775, as well as a former officer of Gorham's Rangers during the French and Indian War. Noting the growing tensions in New England and especially Boston between the government and the patriot movement, he wrote the following to Gov. Francis Legge:
Proposed to raise a Battalion of Light infantry or Royal Fensible Americans, To consist of Five Companies.
1 Lieut. Col. Commandant and Captain, 4 Captains, 1 Capt. Lieut., 4 Lieutenants, 5 2d Lieutenants or Ensigns, 15 Serjeants, 15 Corporals, 5 Drummers, 300 Privates, 1 Adjutant, 1 Surgeon, 1 Surgeon's Mate.
"Fencible" troops differed from militia in that they were full-time soldiers and were paid; however they differed from regulars in that they were exempt from overseas service. They were, in effect, a full-time secondary defense force (defensive = fencible). As a former Ranger, Goreham proposed that his regiment serve as light infantry. In the event they served as garrison troops for the regiment's existence.
Goreham's proposal was accepted in April 1775, and recruiting began in Boston, Newfoundland and in and around Halifax; the Boston men were shipped to Halifax in October. At that time the approximately 200 men of the RFA comprised a large portion of the total British forces available in Nova Scotia. This situation changed briefly when Gen. Howe's army arrived in Halifax from Boston in April, 1776, but this army left again for New York in June. Meanwhile, rumours of rebellion stirring in the Cumberland region arrived in Halifax, prompting the authorities to dispatch Goreham's regiment to Fort Cumberland in late May, first overland to Windsor and then by ship via Minas Basin and Chignecto Bay.
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Wikipedia