Royal Marines Battalions (Napoleonic Wars)

Nicolls and his detachment: elucidate

← Previous revision Revision as of 10:29, 1 May 2026 Line 112: Line 112: After the defeat at the Battle of New Orleans, Edward Nicolls embarked {{HMS|Erebus|1807|6}} at Cat Island Roads, and disembarked at Apalachicola on 25 January 1815. Cochrane sent the transports ''Mars'' and ''Florida'', accompanied by the ''Erebus'', with gifts for the Indians and provisions for the garrison at Prospect Bluff. A draft of reinforcements and a Company of the West India Regiment were disembarked.{{sfn|Owsley|2017|p=176}} Despite having arrived on 23 January, the disembarkation was not completed until 28 January 1815.{{sfn|Owsley|2017|p=177}} After the defeat at the Battle of New Orleans, Edward Nicolls embarked {{HMS|Erebus|1807|6}} at Cat Island Roads, and disembarked at Apalachicola on 25 January 1815. Cochrane sent the transports ''Mars'' and ''Florida'', accompanied by the ''Erebus'', with gifts for the Indians and provisions for the garrison at Prospect Bluff. A draft of reinforcements and a Company of the West India Regiment were disembarked.{{sfn|Owsley|2017|p=176}} Despite having arrived on 23 January, the disembarkation was not completed until 28 January 1815.{{sfn|Owsley|2017|p=177}}

The start of 1815 was to have seen a British offensive in the south, with the Royal Marine Battalions to advance westward into Georgia, to be joined by Nicolls and his forces from the Gulf Coast.<ref name=NGE>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-616|title=War of 1812 and Georgia|encyclopedia=New Georgia Encyclopedia|last=Smith|first=Gerald Judson Jr.|date=28 August 2002|access-date=20 March 2010|archive-date=6 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121006235521/http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-616|url-status=dead}}</ref> {{efn|'Intended route of operations by the Detachment and Indians under Major Nicolls' dated 6 January 1815, fron Nicolls to Cochrane{{sfnp|Hughes|Brodine|2023|p=935}} }} These plans were overtaken by events, as peace was declared following the conclusion of the [[Treaty of Ghent]]. With the offensive cancelled, Nicolls and his men returned to Prospect Bluff in March.<ref name=Brown>{{cite book |chapter=Tales of Angola: Free Blacks, Red Stick Creeks, and International Intrigue in Spanish Southwest Florida, 1812–1821 |title=Go Sound the Trumpet: Selections in Florida's African American History |year=2005 |editor-last=Brown |editor-first=Canter Jr |editor-first2=David H. |editor-last2=Jackson Jr |publisher=University of Tampa Press |chapter-url=http://www.africanaheritage.com/BrownTalesofAngolaexcerpt.asp |location=Tampa, Florida |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070309065117/http://www.africanaheritage.com/BrownTalesofAngolaexcerpt.asp |archive-date=9 March 2007 |access-date=1 March 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref> The start of 1815 was to have seen a British offensive in the south, with the Royal Marine Battalions to advance westward into Georgia, to be joined by Nicolls and his forces from the Gulf Coast advancing northwards.<ref name=NGE>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-616|title=War of 1812 and Georgia|encyclopedia=New Georgia Encyclopedia|last=Smith|first=Gerald Judson Jr.|date=28 August 2002|access-date=20 March 2010|archive-date=6 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121006235521/http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-616|url-status=dead}}</ref> {{efn|'Intended route of operations by the Detachment and Indians under Major Nicolls' dated 6 January 1815, fron Nicolls to Cochrane{{sfnp|Hughes|Brodine|2023|p=935}} }} These plans were overtaken by events, as peace was declared following the conclusion of the [[Treaty of Ghent]]. With the offensive cancelled, Nicolls and his men returned to Prospect Bluff in March.<ref name=Brown>{{cite book |chapter=Tales of Angola: Free Blacks, Red Stick Creeks, and International Intrigue in Spanish Southwest Florida, 1812–1821 |title=Go Sound the Trumpet: Selections in Florida's African American History |year=2005 |editor-last=Brown |editor-first=Canter Jr |editor-first2=David H. |editor-last2=Jackson Jr |publisher=University of Tampa Press |chapter-url=http://www.africanaheritage.com/BrownTalesofAngolaexcerpt.asp |location=Tampa, Florida |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070309065117/http://www.africanaheritage.com/BrownTalesofAngolaexcerpt.asp |archive-date=9 March 2007 |access-date=1 March 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Of the detachment in Florida, a number of men were shipped to Portsmouth aboard {{HMS|Seahorse|1794|6}}, disembarking on 31 May 1815.<ref>{{citation |title=James Gordon, HMS Seahorse, [via] Corunna. He sailed from Havanna. |id=ADM 1/1862/102 |series=Admiralty, Navy Department: Letters from Captains, Surnames G. |publisher=The National Archives UK |date=25 May 1815 |quote=Folios 246-247: James Gordon, HMS Seahorse, Corunna. He sailed from Havanna with Rear Admiral Malcolm, HMS Royal Oak, but lost contact with him in thick fog. He has 63 Marines aboard under the command of Major Nicolls. Folio 248: enclosed with folios 246-247. Queensbury packet. A list of ships in Corunna naming HMS Seahorse..}}</ref> A larger number of men were transported aboard {{HMS|Cydnus|1813|6}} to Bermuda, where they disembarked in June 1815, to form the Staff and Supernumerary companies of the 3rd Battalion, commanded by Lieutenant Crozier and Captain Farmar respectively.{{sfnp|Taylor|2026|pp=92–93}}{{efn|By their Lordships Order they were to be borne on the books of [my Flag-] Ship as Supernumeraries while detached on shore in the performance of the duties of the naval arsenal.<ref>{{citation |title=Andrew Fitzherbert Evans, HMS Ruby, Bermuda. Asks that the decision, that the Marine Garrison is removed, be reconsidered. |id=ADM 1/1771/227 |series=Admiralty, Navy Department: Letters from Captains, Surnames E. |publisher=The National Archives UK |date=9 October 1815 |quote=The Establishment of a Garrison was originally sent out to me in my capacity as Resident Senior Officer & Superintendent of the New Works.}}</ref> }}{{efn|NB The supernumeraries Returned here are part of a Detachment - late under the Command of Major Nicolls (RM) waiting a Passage to England - Taken on the strength of the Third Battalion for Pay & Provision only.<ref>{{citation |title=Andrew Fitzherbert Evans, HMS Ruby, Bermuda. Forwards correspondence from Major Andrew Kinsman, Headquarters, Battalion of Royal and Colonial Marines, Ireland Island, Bermuda to the Admiralty. |id=ADM 1/1771/214 |series=Admiralty, Navy Department: Letters from Captains, Surnames E. |publisher=The National Archives UK |date=25 August 1815}}</ref>}} Of the detachment in Florida, a number of men were shipped to Portsmouth aboard {{HMS|Seahorse|1794|6}}, disembarking on 31 May 1815.<ref>{{citation |title=James Gordon, HMS Seahorse, [via] Corunna. He sailed from Havanna. |id=ADM 1/1862/102 |series=Admiralty, Navy Department: Letters from Captains, Surnames G. |publisher=The National Archives UK |date=25 May 1815 |quote=Folios 246-247: James Gordon, HMS Seahorse, Corunna. He sailed from Havanna with Rear Admiral Malcolm, HMS Royal Oak, but lost contact with him in thick fog. He has 63 Marines aboard under the command of Major Nicolls. Folio 248: enclosed with folios 246-247. Queensbury packet. A list of ships in Corunna naming HMS Seahorse..}}</ref> A larger number of men were transported aboard {{HMS|Cydnus|1813|6}} to Bermuda, where they disembarked in June 1815, to form the Staff and Supernumerary companies of the 3rd Battalion, commanded by Lieutenant Crozier and Captain Farmar respectively.{{sfnp|Taylor|2026|pp=92–93}}{{efn|By their Lordships Order they were to be borne on the books of [my Flag-] Ship as Supernumeraries while detached on shore in the performance of the duties of the naval arsenal.<ref>{{citation |title=Andrew Fitzherbert Evans, HMS Ruby, Bermuda. Asks that the decision, that the Marine Garrison is removed, be reconsidered. |id=ADM 1/1771/227 |series=Admiralty, Navy Department: Letters from Captains, Surnames E. |publisher=The National Archives UK |date=9 October 1815 |quote=The Establishment of a Garrison was originally sent out to me in my capacity as Resident Senior Officer & Superintendent of the New Works.}}</ref> }}{{efn|NB The supernumeraries Returned here are part of a Detachment - late under the Command of Major Nicolls (RM) waiting a Passage to England - Taken on the strength of the Third Battalion for Pay & Provision only.<ref>{{citation |title=Andrew Fitzherbert Evans, HMS Ruby, Bermuda. Forwards correspondence from Major Andrew Kinsman, Headquarters, Battalion of Royal and Colonial Marines, Ireland Island, Bermuda to the Admiralty. |id=ADM 1/1771/214 |series=Admiralty, Navy Department: Letters from Captains, Surnames E. |publisher=The National Archives UK |date=25 August 1815}}</ref>}}