71st Regiment of Foot, Fraser's Highlanders

71st Regiment Of Foot, Fraser's Highlanders

The 71st Regiment of Foot was a regiment of infantry raised in 1775, during the American Revolution. The unit served in both the Northern and Southern Campaigns, and participated in many major battles including the Battle of Long Island (1776), the Battle of Brandywine (1777), Capture of Savannah (1778), Battle of Briar Creek (1779), the Siege of Savannah (1779), the Siege of Charleston (1780), the Battle of Camden (1780), Guilford Courthouse (1781), and the Battle of Yorktown (1781). The regiment was disbanded at the end of hostilities in 1783.

The regiment was unofficially known as Fraser's Highlanders and is referred to both in contemporary writings, including correspondence by regimental soldiers, and in later historical accounts. The official title of the regiment was always simply "71st Regiment of Foot". When the regiment arrived in America in the summer of 1776, the two battalions were split up to form three smaller provisional battalions of about 500 men each. The two Grenadier Companies joined the Grenadier Company of the 42nd Highlanders to form the 4th British Grenadier Battalion.