Its proximity to the land border of the U.S. There, the unit was able to bolster the strength of British positions so close to Georgia and South Carolina. When appointed commander of the North American station, Cochrane realized the immediate need for more men, so he resurrected his Colonial Marines.Ĭochrane, creator of the Colonial Marines, also masterminded the burning of the White House.Ĭochrane raised his new Colonial Marines in Florida, which served a strategic purpose, being so close to the former colonies. For Cochrane, Britain was now fighting a world war. For that (and a host of other reasons, many of which were less than noble) the United States declared war on its old mother country. Since many of the American sailors were born in Britain, they rationalized, they could be impressed into the Royal Navy from American merchant ships. The problem was they also drew on resources that didn't belong to the Empire, namely, American sailors. Napoleon was considered by many in the British service to be an existential threat to the home islands, and as such, Britain drew on a large number of imperial troops, manpower, and resources to fight Napoleon in Europe. It was during this time Great Britain was fighting one of her greatest wars, the war against French Emperor Napoleon. Cochrane's Marines served admirably from 1808 until they were disbanded two years later. Having grown up around the tropics (and the diseases that come with the region) the men would be less prone to illness, a major problem with armed forces of the time.įor the slaves, enlistment meant instant freedom. He believed a fighting force made up of men born and raised in the islands of the Caribbean would be hardier than importing British regulars from overseas. But back when Lord Cochrane decided to resurrect his Corps of Colonial Marines, he was set on fighting the Americans on their home turf.Ĭochrane first formed his Colonial Marines in response to a lack of proper Redcoats on British-held Caribbean territories. These days when we think of Colonial Marines, we're thinking of the gung-ho Space Warriors from the movie Alien. War of 1812 re-enactors, bring the Battle of Pensacola back to life, using the British Colonial Marines.
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