A new finding aid is now available, “Researching Members of the British Regular Military During the American Revolution.” Many British soldiers came to North America as combatants in the American Revolution, participated in the war for years, with some returning to Europe while others remained and settled post-war in the British colonies.
A basic timeline for a British soldier of the American Revolution could include birth; enlistment; regimental history (if they stayed in one military group or moved between multiple units); service during the war (posts, battles, taken prisoner, wounds); discharge; and resettlement or retirement.
The finding aid includes a list of recommended primary sources (such as muster rolls), online resources, and secondary sources.
Note: “Regular” soldiers in the British Army who were dispatched from Great Britain are usually not considered loyalists, unless they had already retired from the British Army before the outbreak of the American Revolution and had settled in the Thirteen Colonies.
Detail from L'Entré triumphale de troupes royales a Nouvelle Yorck Der Einzug der Koniglichen Volcker in Neu Yorck / (by Franz Xaver Habermann, c. 1778?, Library of Congress)