1774-1775

Left Monkstown, Ireland on May 7, 1774 for Boston, Massachusetts Bay Colony. Their presence was necessary because of strong civil unrest in the area.

Arrived in Boston July, 1774. There the 5th was camped on the Boston Common.

April 19, 1775, the Light Infantry and Grenadier Companies participated in the march to Concord, and the resulting fighting at Lexington, Concord, and the march back to Boston. Casualties: 5 men killed, 3 officers and 15 men wounded, 1 man captured.

On June 17, 1775, after being under siege by Patriot forces for 2 months, the 5th Foot participated in the attack on Patriot fortifications on Breed's Hill. The Patriot forces were finally driven off after intense fighting. The 5th Foot was heavily engaged and suffered tremendous casualties: 22 men killed, 8 officers, 10 sergeants, 2 drummers, and 116 men wounded out of a total of 400 men engaged.

1776

After a harsh winter under siege, the entire British Garrison evacuated Boston on March 17, 1776.

After spending two months on board ship in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the 5th sailed to New York to participate in the effort to capture the city from the rebels.

Participated in the Battle of Long Island, August 27, 1776. The rebel army was routed with heavy casualties. The 5th suffered no reported losses.

Participated in the Battle of White Plains, New York October 28, 1776. After a sharp fight, the rebels were again routed. Loss of 2 killed and 1 wounded, its commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Walcott.

Participated in the capture of Fort Washington, New York, November 16, 1776. Thousands of Patriot troops were captured after a short fight. The 5th had no reported losses.

Participated in the capture of Fort Lee, New Jersey, November 20, 1776. The Patriots abandoned the fort before the British arrived, but many supplies and some stragglers were captured. The 5th had no reported losses.

1777

Spent a cold, difficult winter of 1776-1777 quartered near New York City. Skirmishes with the rebels were common.

Part of Howe's campaign to capture Philadelphia, the 5th was engaged at the Battle of Brandywine Creek, Pennsylvania, August 25, 1777. The 5th was part of the force that broke the Continental ArmyĚs center at ChadĚs Ford, capturing 5 cannon. Casualties: 1 officer, 1 sergeant, and 12 men wounded.

On the morning of October 4, 1777, the British Army was taken by surprise by a Continental Attack at Germantown, PA. The 5th helped repel the Patriots after heavy, confused fighting. Casualties: 1 drummer and 9 men killed, 4 officers, 5 sergeants, and 37 men wounded. Lieutenant-Colonel Walcott later died of his wounds received at Germantown.

1778-1783

The British Army spent the winter of 1777-78 relatively comfortably in Philadelphia, occasionally skirmishing with the enemy.

French entrance into the war necessitated the evacuation of Philadelphia in the spring and a retreat to New York City.

On the difficult retreat through New Jersey, on June 28, 1778 the British Army was attacked at Monmouth Court House. The 5th was involved in the heavy, but inconclusive, fighting. Casualties: 1 officer and several men killed, an unknown amount of wounded.

While in New York, the 5th participated in several raids and skirmishes, including a raid on Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey. The rebels had been using the harbor for privateering, and this raid succeeded in destroying many buildings and boats.

Embarked from New York on November 3, 1778 for the French West Indies.

December 13, 1778, landed on the island of St. Lucie. The 5th was engaged with a small force of French and captured a 4 cannon battery.

December 18, 1778, a force of 9000 French troops were landed on St. Lucie. The small British force of 1400 men occupied a hill located on the neck of a peninsula. The French were fairly raw soldiers trained to fight in the classic European style of linear battles. The French advanced on the British force several times. The British, veterans of colonial fighting, inflicted a stinging defeat on the French. The French lost 400 killed and 1100 wounded to the British losses of 10 killed and 130 wounded, which included 2 5th Foot officers. As a result of the defeat, the French force abandoned the island. After the battle, the 5th Foot took the white plumes worn by the French soldiers and placed them on their caps as a sign of honor.

After 2 years in the hot, insect-infested, disease-ridden West Indies, the 5th Foot was sent to Ireland in December 1780. The 5th Foot was still in Ireland when hostilities between Great Britain, France, Spain, the Netherlands, and the former Colonies officially ended in 1783.