John Enys
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant Colonel John Enys (17 December 1757 – 30 July 1818) was a British Army officer who served during the American Revolution.
t. John was the youngest of six children and spent much of his childhood at Eton
. While at Eton John would contract the deadly illness of small pox but would be one of the lucky ones to recover.
commission in the 29th Regiment of Foot
on 21 April 1775, just as the American Revolutionary War
was starting in England
's North America
n colonies.
On 21 March 1776, the 29th, along with John Enys, set sail for Quebec City
to relieve the besieged city. Quebec City had been under siege by the Continental Army
all winter. Faced with a reinforced British Army
the Americans retreated towards Montreal
. John would see his first action on 8 June 1776 at the Battle of Trois-Rivières
in which the Americans were defeated by Gen. Guy Carleton's
British Forces.
John was also present with Gen. Carlton's naval squadron on Lake Champlain
at the Battle of Valcour Island
on 11 October 1776, as Benedict Arnold
's American naval squadron was defeated. But the time that it took to prepare and fight the battle had cost the British any chance of further advance that year. John and the rest of the 29th were sent to Montreal for winter quarters.
The campaign of 1777, led by Lt. General John Burgoyne
, saw John Enys and the 8 battalion companies of the 29th Regt. left behind in Canada
.
With the defeat of Burgoynes' army at Saratoga
and loss of the 29th Regiment's light Infantry
company in October of 1777, John was promoted to Lieutenant
on 16 February 1778 and placed into a composite "Ranger" company that took over the duties normally performed by the light infantry company of the regiment.
In the Autumn of 1778, John and his Ranger company took part in a raid down the eastern side of Lake Champlain burning crops, farms and other militarily useful supplies. Known as Carleton's Raid (1778)
after its overall commander Major
Christopher Carleton
, also of the 29th Regt., who was the nephew of Guy Carlton.
In 1780, the Ranger company took part in a much larger raid along the western shore of Lake Champlain to Lake George
and as far as the Hudson River
at Fort Edward
. This raid was a part of the Burning of the Valleys that had multiple raids taking place over northern New York and Vermont during the fall of 1780.
winding down, John left on leave in July 1782 to visit his family back in Cornwall. While still on leave, John was promoted to the rank of Captain
on 25 January 1783, but was soon placed on half-pay as the army cut back it forces with the end of the American Revolution.
John and his brother Francis then spent the summer of 1783 touring Scotland
visiting castles, the Antonine Wall
and other places of interest.
1784 saw John called back to active service with the 29th Regt. which was still in Canada. Over the next 3 years, John would serve at Montreal, Kingston, Ontario
and Fort Niagara
. While at the remote outposts of Kingston and Niagara, John found little else to do except for fishing for the abundant trout
and salmon
in the lakes and streams. In October, the 29th received orders to return to England. John took this time to take another leave and tour the new nation of the United States
. John would spend 6 months touring from New England
to Virginia
before returning to active duty with the Regt. back in England.
for the outstanding recruiting done by the regiment to be at full strength. On 1 June, the 29th served as marines onboard the fleet of Admiral Richard Howe in his defeat of a French
fleet in the North Atlantic Ocean.
Major Enys was ordered to stay in England to command a large detachment of sick men in February 1795, as the 29th was ordered to the West Indies. As soon as the men were better, they were sent to the Isle of Jersey
in the English Channel
to guard against French invasion.
With the return of the bulk of the regiment from the West Indies in 1796, John was promoted to the rank of Lt. Colonel of the 29th Regt. on 6 September 1796.
In response to a French
landing in Ireland
, the 29th and its commander John Enys were sent there with the 100th Regiment of Foot
to reinforce those troops already there. Though not engaged in the battle, the 29th did take many French prisoners fleeing from the battle.
Next for Lt. Col. Enys was Holland
where a force of British and Russia
n soldiers under the command of the Duke of York
were sent to try and drive the French out of the Netherlands
in 1799. Though successful in the small battles that took place, the British and Russian troops soon left with the Netherlands still part of the French Empire.
and died on 30 July 1818.
In 1976, his journal he kept while in North America was published under the title "The American Journal of Lt. John Enys". In 2010 The National Maritime Museum Cornwall
and the Enys family unveiled a birch bark
canoe
brought back from North America by John Enys. The canoe is to be donated to the Canadian Canoe Museum
after being displayed in the main hall of National Maritime Museum Cornwall until September 2011.
Family and education
He was born on 17 December 1757, in Cornwall, England to John Enys and his wife Lucy BasseEnys family of Enys in Cornwall
The Enys family have lived at Enys, which lies on the northern outskirts of Penryn, time out of mind. The Enys Trust website says: "Robert de Enys lived there during the reign of Edward I." The 1709 edition of Camden's Magna Britannia mentioned that Enys was noted for its fine gardens.-The House...
t. John was the youngest of six children and spent much of his childhood at Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
. While at Eton John would contract the deadly illness of small pox but would be one of the lucky ones to recover.
American Revolution
As a younger son of a rich family a military career was chosen for him and his father purchased an Ensign'sEnsign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
commission in the 29th Regiment of Foot
29th Regiment of Foot
The 29th Regiment of Foot was, from 1694 to 1881, an infantry regiment of the British Army. It now forms part of the Mercian Regiment.-Formation:...
on 21 April 1775, just as the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
was starting in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
's North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n colonies.
On 21 March 1776, the 29th, along with John Enys, set sail for Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
to relieve the besieged city. Quebec City had been under siege by the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
all winter. Faced with a reinforced British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
the Americans retreated towards Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. John would see his first action on 8 June 1776 at the Battle of Trois-Rivières
Battle of Trois-Rivières
The Battle of Trois-Rivières was fought on June 8, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War. A British army under Quebec Governor Guy Carleton defeated an attempt by units from the Continental Army under the command of Brigadier General William Thompson to stop a British advance up the Saint...
in which the Americans were defeated by Gen. Guy Carleton's
Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester
Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester, KB , known between 1776 and 1786 as Sir Guy Carleton, was an Irish-British soldier and administrator...
British Forces.
John was also present with Gen. Carlton's naval squadron on Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...
at the Battle of Valcour Island
Battle of Valcour Island
The naval Battle of Valcour Island, also known as the Battle of Valcour Bay, took place on October 11, 1776, on Lake Champlain. The main action took place in Valcour Bay, a narrow strait between the New York mainland and Valcour Island...
on 11 October 1776, as Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...
's American naval squadron was defeated. But the time that it took to prepare and fight the battle had cost the British any chance of further advance that year. John and the rest of the 29th were sent to Montreal for winter quarters.
The campaign of 1777, led by Lt. General John Burgoyne
John Burgoyne
General John Burgoyne was a British army officer, politician and dramatist. He first saw action during the Seven Years' War when he participated in several battles, mostly notably during the Portugal Campaign of 1762....
, saw John Enys and the 8 battalion companies of the 29th Regt. left behind in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
With the defeat of Burgoynes' army at Saratoga
Battle of Saratoga
The Battles of Saratoga conclusively decided the fate of British General John Burgoyne's army in the American War of Independence and are generally regarded as a turning point in the war. The battles were fought eighteen days apart on the same ground, south of Saratoga, New York...
and loss of the 29th Regiment's light Infantry
Light infantry
Traditionally light infantry were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, harassing and delaying the enemy advance. Light infantry was distinct from medium, heavy or line infantry. Heavy infantry were dedicated primarily to fighting in tight...
company in October of 1777, John was promoted to Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
on 16 February 1778 and placed into a composite "Ranger" company that took over the duties normally performed by the light infantry company of the regiment.
In the Autumn of 1778, John and his Ranger company took part in a raid down the eastern side of Lake Champlain burning crops, farms and other militarily useful supplies. Known as Carleton's Raid (1778)
Carleton's Raid (1778)
Carleton's Raid was a British raid led by Major Christopher Carleton during the American War of Independence, conducted in fall 1778 from the Province of Quebec against targets in upstate New York and the Vermont Republic.-Prelude:...
after its overall commander Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Christopher Carleton
Christopher Carleton
Christopher Carleton was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England into a military family. Christopher's parents died at sea when he was only four years old and his uncles Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester the future Governor General of Canada and Commander-in-Chief, North America along with Sir...
, also of the 29th Regt., who was the nephew of Guy Carlton.
In 1780, the Ranger company took part in a much larger raid along the western shore of Lake Champlain to Lake George
Lake George (New York)
Lake George, nicknamed the Queen of American Lakes, is a long, narrow oligotrophic lake draining northwards into Lake Champlain and the St. Lawrence River Drainage basin located at the southeast base of the Adirondack Mountains in northern New York, U.S.A.. It lies within the upper region of the...
and as far as the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
at Fort Edward
Fort Edward (town), New York
Fort Edward is a town in and the county seat of Washington County, New York, United States. It is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town population was 5,892 at the 2000 census....
. This raid was a part of the Burning of the Valleys that had multiple raids taking place over northern New York and Vermont during the fall of 1780.
Post Revolutionary War
With the American RevolutionAmerican Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
winding down, John left on leave in July 1782 to visit his family back in Cornwall. While still on leave, John was promoted to the rank of Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
on 25 January 1783, but was soon placed on half-pay as the army cut back it forces with the end of the American Revolution.
John and his brother Francis then spent the summer of 1783 touring Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
visiting castles, the Antonine Wall
Antonine Wall
The Antonine Wall is a stone and turf fortification built by the Romans across what is now the Central Belt of Scotland, between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde. Representing the northernmost frontier barrier of the Roman Empire, it spanned approximately 39 miles and was about ten feet ...
and other places of interest.
1784 saw John called back to active service with the 29th Regt. which was still in Canada. Over the next 3 years, John would serve at Montreal, Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
and Fort Niagara
Fort Niagara
Fort Niagara is a fortification originally built to protect the interests of New France in North America. It is located near Youngstown, New York, on the eastern bank of the Niagara River at its mouth, on Lake Ontario.-Origin:...
. While at the remote outposts of Kingston and Niagara, John found little else to do except for fishing for the abundant trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
and salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
in the lakes and streams. In October, the 29th received orders to return to England. John took this time to take another leave and tour the new nation of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. John would spend 6 months touring from New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
to Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
before returning to active duty with the Regt. back in England.
French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars
On 1 March 1794, John was promoted to the rank of majorMajor
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
for the outstanding recruiting done by the regiment to be at full strength. On 1 June, the 29th served as marines onboard the fleet of Admiral Richard Howe in his defeat of a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
fleet in the North Atlantic Ocean.
Major Enys was ordered to stay in England to command a large detachment of sick men in February 1795, as the 29th was ordered to the West Indies. As soon as the men were better, they were sent to the Isle of Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
in the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
to guard against French invasion.
With the return of the bulk of the regiment from the West Indies in 1796, John was promoted to the rank of Lt. Colonel of the 29th Regt. on 6 September 1796.
In response to a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
landing in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, the 29th and its commander John Enys were sent there with the 100th Regiment of Foot
92nd (Gordon Highlanders) Regiment of Foot
The 92nd Regiment of Foot was a British Army infantry regiment. It was granted Royal Warrant on 10 February 1794, and first paraded on 24 June 1794, originally being numbered the 100th Regiment of Foot...
to reinforce those troops already there. Though not engaged in the battle, the 29th did take many French prisoners fleeing from the battle.
Next for Lt. Col. Enys was Holland
Anglo-Russian Invasion of Holland
The Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland refers to the campaign of 27 August to 19 November 1799 during the War of the Second Coalition, in which an expeditionary force of British and Russian troops invaded the North-Holland peninsula in the Batavian Republic...
where a force of British and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n soldiers under the command of the Duke of York
Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany
The Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany was a member of the Hanoverian and British Royal Family, the second eldest child, and second son, of King George III...
were sent to try and drive the French out of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
in 1799. Though successful in the small battles that took place, the British and Russian troops soon left with the Netherlands still part of the French Empire.
Retirement
On 20 March 1800, John Enys retired from the active life of a soldier. He was give an expensive inscribed sword from the officers of the 29th Regiment in which he had served for all of his 25 years in the Army. This was not usually the case as officers would often move from regiment to regiment to advance their military career. John never married and after retirement moved to Bath, where he often took the waters to help with his rheumatismRheumatism
Rheumatism or rheumatic disorder is a non-specific term for medical problems affecting the joints and connective tissue. The study of, and therapeutic interventions in, such disorders is called rheumatology.-Terminology:...
and died on 30 July 1818.
In 1976, his journal he kept while in North America was published under the title "The American Journal of Lt. John Enys". In 2010 The National Maritime Museum Cornwall
National Maritime Museum Cornwall
The National Maritime Museum Cornwall is located in a harbourside building at Falmouth in Cornwall. The building was designed by architect M. J...
and the Enys family unveiled a birch bark
Birch bark
Birch bark or birchbark is the bark of several Eurasian and North American birch trees of the genus Betula.The strong and water-resistant cardboard-like bark can be easily cut, bent, and sewn, which made it a valuable building, crafting, and writing material, since pre-historic times...
canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
brought back from North America by John Enys. The canoe is to be donated to the Canadian Canoe Museum
Canadian Canoe Museum
The Canadian Canoe Museum is a museum dedicated to canoes located in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. The museum's mission is to preserve and share the culture and history of the canoe.- History :...
after being displayed in the main hall of National Maritime Museum Cornwall until September 2011.
Sources
- The American Journals of Lt. John Enys, John Enys and Elizabeth Cometti (editor), Syracuse University Press 1976
- Travels Through the Interior Parts of America 1776-1781 Volumes 1 and 2, Thomas Anurey, Houghton Mifflin Company 1923
- The Worcestershire Regiment: The 29th and 36th Regiments of Foot, Richard Gale, Leo Cooper LTD. 1970
- The Burning of the Valleys, Gavin K. Watt, Dundurn Press 1997
- Carleton's Raid, Ida H. Washington and Paul A. Washington, Cherry Tree Books 1977
- http://www.nmmc.co.uk/index.php?%2Fwhatson%2Fnews%2Fone_of_the_worlds_oldest_birch_bark_canoes_discovered_in_cornwall%2F