Georgian Napoleonic Caribbean / West Indies - 1st West Indian Regiment Georgian Officer's Gilt Tunic Button, American War of 1812

Circa 19mm in diameter, slightly convex in shape and opened back with original fixed shank. Maker marked 'C Jennens, London'. Mold mark to reverse. Gilt bright. Slight rubbing to gilt on the numeral otherwise in superb condition and rare. Worn circa 1795 - 1820.

A black regiment with white officers recuited in the Carribean from local black freemen and freed North American slaves. One of twelve regiments taken on to the British Army establishment in 1798 as the 1st to 12th West India Regiments. The total force came to about 10,000 men and the individual regiments saw repeated action in the West Indies and in North America against French, Dutch and American forces. During the War of 1812, the West India Regiment participated in the Battle of New Orleans. The 1st West India Regiment had the following battle honours:

Dominica 1805
Martinique 1809
Guadeloupe 1810

Prior to the abolition of the slave trade within the British Empire in 1807, there was much debate about the legal status of the West India Regiments' soldiers, and whether they were subject to slave laws or not. But on discharge from the regiments the men were free and in some cases awarded pensions and other support.

In 1807, all serving black soldiers who had been recruited as slaves were freed under the Mutiny Act of that year. The act established that the black soldiers were freemen and should be treated like any other soldiers.

In the years after abolition, West India Regiment recruits included men liberated by the Royal Navy from illegal slave ships, as well as black soldiers captured from enemy French and Dutch colonies.

Former slave soldiers were also increasingly given the same enlistment bounty, pay and allowances as white soldiers. Significantly, they were recognised as a formal part of the British Army, unlike their counterparts in India and other British colonies.

Renfrew et al, Vol 1 pp14-15 refer.

Code: 68313