The 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment was raised by the Duke of Norfolk in 1689 and was in continuous Crown service, until 2007 when it was amalgamated with two other regiments to form the current Mercian Regiment.

1750s

The 22nd first saw action in America during The French and Indian War. Briefly garrisoned in and around New York City in January 1757. The Regiment moved north to Halifax in July. Almost a year later the 22nd took part in the siege of Fortress Louisbourg. The French garrison fell on June 26th and Louisbourg stands as the 22nd's first battle honor.

Then it was "on to Quebec" with General Wolf for The Grenadier Company. Ensign Brown of the 22nd is reported to have been with Wolf when he died and although it is not documented, I like to think it was a 22nd Grenadier who fired the fatal shot into Montcalm.

1760s

In 1760 the Regiment was in Albany, New York, preparing for a little fun in the sun in the Caribbean. Ah shipwrecks, ah yellow fever. But before they went on that little expedition, two companies were detached and sent to South Carolina to help put down the Cherokee uprising. Following that assignment, the two detached companies joined the rest of the Regiment in Barbados for the British campaigns against the Spanish in the Caribbean. In 1762, with the fall of Havana, the French and Spanish sued for peace and The Seven Years War was over.

1762 also marked an important event for The Regiment as Thomas Gage became it's Colonel after the drowning of General Whitmore during the Siege of Havana.

September of 1763 found the 22nd, and five other regiments, on garrison duty in Mobile, West Florida, (Alabama). Here they skirmished with Indians and took part in a brief and aborted foray up the Mississippi River. Their mission was to relieve the forts along the river as far north as Illinois but they were ambushed at the Louisiana state line and turned back. Finally, in August 1765, orders were received that the 22nd was to return to the British Isles once again. However, before leaving, the Regimental Commanding Officer discharged all the colonists that had transferred from their North American units, and also all those men who had reached the end of their terms with the Regiment and who wished to stay in America. There are quite probably descendants of those soldiers of the 22nd now living in and around Mobile, Alabama.

The War of the Revolution Begins, 1775-76

In 1775, the Commanding Officer of the 22nd, Lt. Colonel James Abercromby, was in Boston. He had been appointed to the post of Adjutant-General of the Boston Garrison by his close friend Thomas Gage, the Commander-in -Chief of Crown Forces in America and Colonel of the 22nd Regiment. Unfortunately, on June 17th, 1775, while leading the combined Grenadier Companies of the Boston Garrison on the attack on Breeds Hill, (Bunker Hill), James Abercromby was killed. Several weeks later the 22nd landed in Boston from Ireland only to find their Commanding Officer killed, the Rebel forces preparing to put the city under siege, and their Regimental Colonel, Thomas Gage, faced with immediate recall to England.

In October, 1775, Gage was recalled and Howe took his place. In March of 1776, Howe decided to evacuate Boston and on March 15th, 1776, the 22nd left for Halifax, Nova Scotia. On June 11th, Howe's army, including the 22nd left Halifax for New York. On July 8, 1776, the 9,000 strong army landed on Staten Island, near the mouth of the Hudson River.

Battle for New York, 1776

In August, reinforcements arrived swelling the British ranks to around 30,000 men. Howe, convinced that he now had enough men to support a major land action, decided to make his move against Putnam's American force encamped in Brooklyn. Three days of skirmishing ensued until, on the 27th, the British forces were able to drive the Americans back to their original lines and encampments. Several hundred Americans were killed and more than a thousand were taken prisoner including generals Sterling and Sullivan. British casualties stood at 94 killed and 285 wounded.

On the 29th and 30th, after an abortive peace negotiation, the American Army crossed the East River, under cover of darkness, and took up positions on Manhattan Island and New York City. Howe decided to cross his troops north of the city in a flanking move rather than risk a costly street by street battle in the city. Accordingly, the 22nd crossed over to Manhattan Island at Kips Bay unopposed, and marched to New York City which, upon word of the British advance, had been hastily abandoned by the American Army. The 22nd settled down to garrison New York City, while Howe continued on to push General Washington finally all the way out of New York and into New Jersey.

On September, 20th, around midnight, a large part of New York City was set on fire and the Regiment was hastily called from their camp outside the city and sent in to help battle the blaze. Unfortunately, the fire was out of control by that time so the 22nd, along with a Naval demolition crew set about tearing down wooden structures to try and contain the fire. The 22nd also assisted in saving the residents of the burning area and as many of their possessions as possible. After the fire the Regiment helped care for the refugees.

Guarding Newport RI, 1777-79

On December 6, 1776, a force of 6000 men, including the 22nd Regiment, Left Long Island under the command of General Clinton and began to make it's way by sea transport to the Island of Newport in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. Much to the Regiment's surprise and delight they landed in the city of Newport with no opposition. The Rebel forces, on hearing that the British were coming, abandoned the city and all of it's batteries.

On Rhode Island, the 22nd was used as sort of "working Garrison". The city of Newport itself was small, so little vigilance was required to quell a potentially hostile population. However, the surrounding islands in Narragansett Bay and the shoreline of the mainland were quite frequently the subject of Rebel raids and incursions. To combat this, The Regiments in Newport were rotated from the city to surrounding camps and outposts on a regular basis.

After the defeat of Burgoyne's Army at Saratoga, the French became fully involved in the war. On July 11, 1778, Admiral Comte d'Estaing arrived off Sandy Hook, New Jersey and blockaded New York City for awhile. He then sailed to Narragansett Bay where he made contact with General Sullivan to discuss operations against the British on Newport Island. A combined land and sea attack was planned with the hope of a complete victory and capture of the British Army like that at Saratoga. Toward the middle of August, General Sullivan, according to plan, landed a force of around 4000 men on the island and marched them on the British Garrison, which now concentrated all it's resources at the city of Newport. Meanwhile, d'Estaing sailed back out to sea and poised for battle with Admiral Howe's fleet. However, before the fleets could inflict any damage on each other, a hurricane severely damaged d'Estaing's fleet and he abandoned Sullivan's force in order to make repairs in the West Indies. Suddenly having the rug pulled out from under him by the French, and finding Newport defended with determination, Sullivan raised his siege of the city on the 28th and retreated up the Island, hoping to save his army (and his neck) from the now rapidly pursuing and somewhat angry British force.

While pursuing the retreating Americans north towards Windmill Hill, The 22nd, unfortunately under the ever inept command of Brigadier General Smith, (not of the 22nd), was sent, without a vanguard or flankers, right into an American ambush. The Regiment, while leading the Corps, was marched up to a "T" intersection which was bordered by a high stone wall. Upon reaching the intersection, a regiment of Americans sprang up and delivered a devastating volley into the foreword companies of the 22nd which resulted in the almost instantaneous death of 13 officers and men, and the wounding of 52 more. Despite these losses and continuing to take the brunt of the land offensive as it progressed, reports of the 22nd showed that they were still mainly responsible for driving the Rebels off the island.

Return to New York, 1779-83

In October of 1779, the British Command decided to concentrate their forces in and around New York to guard against possible French attack. As a result, the 22nd found itself part of the British force in New York again. It spent it's time rotating from camp to camp throughout Long Island, Staten Island and New Jersey; taking part in periodic forays and excursions against Rebel forces in the surrounding countryside.

In late June,1780, the British, in a final attempt to route Washington's Army at Morristown,New Jersey, sent an expedition of 5000 troops from Staten Island. The 22nd formed the vanguard of this expedition. The British got as far as Springfield, only 10 miles from Morristown. However, at Springfield, New Jersey, they were met by thousands of local Militia, called to arms by Washington's excellent signal beacon system and were forced to retire back to Staten Island.

On October 12, 1781, the 22nd Embarked from Staten Island for Virginia to act as relief for the besieged force at Yorktown. However, on the 26th, while still at sea, word arrived that Cornwallis had surrendered, and the relief force returned to its New York garrison duties. In 1782 Gage relinquished his Colonelcy of the 22nd, and Major General Charles O'Hara (previously of the Foot Guards who passed the sword of surrender at Yorktown) took up the post. This same year the 22nd took on the name of the Cheshire Regiment.

The next year the Regiment spent in anticipation of a major attack on the Continental forces in Philadelphia. However, in the middle of 1783, it was learned that peace negotiations had finally been concluded, giving America it's independence. Thus, on November 25, 1783, the 22nd Regiment of Foot left New York with the rest of the British Army, officially ending the American Revolutionary War.

Source: First Recreated 22nd Foot Website - H. Joswick