In-Letters : America and West Indies (WO 1/684) : 1780 - 1784.

War Office 1, Volume 684, consists, primarily, of letters from the Secretary of State and the Treasury to the Secretary-at-War concerning American affairs. The letters are in a rough chronological order, and in the first half of the volume they are similar in content and overlap in time with the correspondence in War Office 1, Volume 683. However, there are more letters concerning the movement of troops and supplies to Ireland, Gibraltar, and India, in Volume 684 than are found in Volume 683. Four of the many records found in this first part include: a request from General Haldimand for medicines to be sent to Quebec, 21 December 1780; clothing for the Hanoverians to sent to Gibraltar and Minorca, 17 December 1781; a letter to the Secretary-at-War that orders be issued for 800 men to embark for Jamaica, 14 November 1781; and another letter that ships carrying camp equipage sufficient for 30 battalions be sent to Quebec, Jamaica, and the Leeward Islands, 29 December 1781.

Pages 145 to 237 contain a number of documents that concern the placing of regiments on the British Establishment, several of which are Loyalist Provincial Corps. The names of the regiments and the dates of the documents are as follows: Lieutenant Colonel Pringle's Corps of Foot. Three companies raised since 20 September 1780 and serving in Newfoundland are to be put on the British Establishment and serve for the protection of the Island, 5 May 1782; British Legion to be placed on the British Establishment, 14 January 1783; Queen's Rangers to be placed on the British Establishment, 18 January 1783; King's American Regiment to be placed on the British Establishment, 21 January 1783; Royal Garrison Battalion to be placed on the British Establishment, 22 January 1783; 77th Regiment of Foot on the Irish Establishment to be placed on the British Establishment, 21 November 1782; 36th Regiment of Foot on the Irish Establishment to be placed on the British Establishment, 21 November 1782; 68th Regiment of Foot on the Irish Establishment to be placed on the British Establishment, 23 December 1782.

Pages 377 to 416 contain disembarkation returns that are dated between October and December of 1783. The Returns include: the number of officers, non-commissioned officers, private soldiers, women, and children for each regiment; names of officers absent with dates and location; names of officers on duty with location; names of vessels with the numbers of each rank by vessel; and date and place of disembarkation. The first return is for the 1st Regiment of Foot and is dated 16 November 1783 at Cork, Ireland.

Other documents of interest that should be noted include: several memorials from Loyalists to the British Government requesting compensation for their losses in the American Revolution. One memorial is from John Calef, late of Ipswich in Massachusetts Bay, who provides documentation that describes in detail his services in the war and his losses, 23 April 1784; a letter to Lord North from Sir Guy Carleton stating that Major-General Campbell has accepted the command in Nova Scotia, and also recommends Brigadier-General Musgrave, Brigadier-General Fox, and Brigadier-General McArthur as officers to be considered for Major-General Campbell's staff; Estimate of the Charge of Defraying the Civil Establishment of the Province of New Brunswick in America from 24 June 1784-24 June 1785. A similar document for Cape Breton follows the estimate for New Brunswick.