Royal Nova Scotia Volunteer Regiment
| Loyal Regiment of Nova Scotia Volunteers (1775-1780) Royal Regiment of Nova Scotia Volunteers (1780-1783) |
|
|---|---|
| Active | 1775-1783 |
| Country |
 Great Britain
|
| Allegiance | King George III |
| Branch | British provincial corps |
| Type | infantry, (auxiliary troops) |
| Role | garrison troops |
| Size | 5 or 6 companies (battalion) |
| Garrison/HQ |
Halifax (1780-1783) Fort Sackville, Nova Scotia (1780-1783) Prince Edward Island (1782-1783) |
| Engagements | No combat experience |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Colonel Francis Legge |
Colonel Francis Legge
The Royal Nova Scotia Volunteer Regiment also, known as the Loyal Regiment of Nova Scotia Volunteers and Loyal Nova Scotia Volunteers, from 1775-1780, the Royal Regiment of Nova Scotia Volunteers, from 1780-1783, and the Royal Nova Scotia Volunteer Regiment and Nova Scotia Volunteers was a British Loyalist provincial battalion, of infantry, raised in 1775, to defend British interests, in the colony of Nova Scotia. The unit was commanded by Col. Francis Legge, until replaced by Col. John Parr in 1782. The Royal NS Volunteers had an undistinguished history through most of its existence, and never saw combat, but did play an important role in the defense of the colony of Nova Scotia, in the later years, of the American Revolution.
Francis Legge was appointed, as the royal governor, of Nova Scotia, in 1773, just as troubles were brewing, in the American colonies. Legge, "an earnest but highly prejudiced and therefore much disliked man" proposed to the Secretary of State on July 31, 1775 that he be permitted to raise a regiment of 1,000 men, to be recruited from the German, neutral and Irish settlers in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Legge had grave doubts about the loyalty of the New England Planters who made up the majority of Nova Scotia's settlers at this point. (Legge's distrust was not entirely misplaced, as the Eddy Rebellion was to prove.) He proposed the name "Royal Nova Scotia Volunteers", but this was denied and changed to "Loyal". Some time around 1780 the "Royal" designation was bestowed for the duration of the war.
Francis Legge received a dispatch, from London, dated October, 16, authorizing him to raise the Loyal Regiment of Nova Scotia Volunteers, as a fencible unit, for strictly local defense. The recruits were to be paid and equipped like regular soldiers; they would be, in effect, a full-time, home guard.
The officers of the "Royal Nova Scotia Volunteers" were mostly lawyers and other men, of the Halifax establishment and Francis Legge's political hangers-on, with little or no military experience, along with a number of subalterns, brought in from the British Fleet. The most distinguished senior officer was George Henry Monk, who became major and served for the duration.
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Wikipedia