John Enys - American Revolution

American Revolution

As a younger son of a rich family a military career was chosen for him and his father purchased an Ensign's commission in the 29th Regiment of Foot on 21 April 1775, just as the American Revolutionary War was starting in England's North American 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 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.