Humbly sheweth,

That the South Carolina and North Carolina Royalists having claimed rank of the Regiment which your Memorialist has had the honour to command for near six years past, your Memorialist in behalf of himself and his Officers humbly begs leave to represent to your Excellency, That Sir Henry CLINTON, when commanding His Majesty's Troops at Cape Fear in North Carolina, directed His Excellency Major General TONYN to raise a Regiment of mounted Infantry, to take rank from the date of the Commissions to be delivered by him.

That in consequence of this Order, and of the assurances received from Sir Henry CLINTON, Your Memorialist, at the instance of His Excellency Major General TONYN, in June 1776 raised a Regiment under the denomination of the East Florida Rangers, and was engaged in nine different Actions, lost above three hundred Men; and received the thanks of His Majesty, and of the Commanders in Chief, their Excellency's Sir William HOWE and Sir Henry CLINTON, five different times, before either of the above Regiments was ever thought of.

That, in the year 1778, more Troops being wanted for the defence of the Frontiers of Florida against the incursions of the Rebels, your Memorialist did by his interest, and at his own expence ingage three hundred and fifty Men by Emissaries sent into South Carolina for that purpose; who, on their arrival in Florida, were formed into a Regiment by Major General PREVOST, and stiled the South Carolina Royalists; the command of which was given to Colonel INNES; and the principal part of the Officers had been either Privates or Volunteers (Major Evan McLAUREN excepted, who was before Quarter Master) in your Memorialist's Regiment.

That the Regiment your Memorialist commanded, being on constant and distant service, on the Frontiers of Florida for four Years, was never mustered (no Muster Master being in Florida) until a considerable time after its arrival in Georgia: But that in the beginning of the year 1779 Major General PREVOST received orders from His Excellency Sir Henry CLINTON, then Commander in Chief, to form them into a Regiment of Infantry, under the title of King's Rangers; and to confirm your Memorialists and their Rank of the first of June 1776, agreeable to the assurances formerly given to Major General TONYN.

And further, His Excellency Sir Henry CLINTON on his arrival in Georgia, did order the same to be recorded by Major ANDRE in the Adjutant Generals Office, of which sufficient proofs will there appear, and to which Captain PREVOST, Deputy Inspector General of Provincial Forces, and now at New York, can bear Testimony.

Your Memorialist takes the liberty of mentioning, that in consequence of the constant and distant service in which he and his Regiment have been always engaged, added to a variety of accidents and neglects, neither himself or his Officers have yet received any Commissions except those formerly delivered by Major General TONYN; although others were again ordered to be made out by His Excellency Sir Henry CLINTON in consequence of a Memorial presented to him a few days before your Excellency's arrival at New York; and which your Memorialist presumes are now signed.

Your Memorialist begs leave to mention, that he has raised since the commencement of the Rebellion, above one thousand two hundred Men; near five hundred of whom have actually been killed in the course of service.

Your Memorialist therefore hopes your Excellency will be pleased to give such order respecting the Rank of the King's Rangers, as they in justice have a right to expect, and which will obviate any disputes in future.

And your Memorialist as in duty bound will ever pray &c &c

(signed) Thos. BROWN Lt. Col. Commt.
King's Rangers

St. Augustine
   Jany. 11th 1783

Great Britain, Public Record Office, Headquarters Papers of the British Army in America, PRO 30/55/6737.

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