American War of Independence
When the American War of Independence broke out the regiment, heavily under strength, remained in the West Indies rather than joining the army of William Howe attempting to suppress the rebellion. He served in the West Indies with credit, being promoted to Captain after taking part in the unsuccessful 1780 San Juan expedition. Despard struck up a friendship with the naval officer Horatio Nelson, who played a leading role in the San Juan campaign.
In 1782 he commanded a successful expedition to recover the British settlement of Black River on the Mosquito Coast of present-day Honduras that the Spanish had taken. In 1783 the war was brought to an end by the Peace of Paris.
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Famous quotes containing the words american, war and/or independence:
“The American West is just arriving at the threshold of its greatness and growth. Where the West of yesterday is glamorized in our fiction, the future of the American West now is both fabulous and factual.”
—Lyndon Baines Johnson (1908–1973)
“There is great fear expressed on all sides lest this war shall be made a war for the negro. I am willing that it shall be. It is a war to found an empire on the negro in slavery, and shame on us if we do not make it a war to establish the negro in freedom—against whom the whole nation, North and South, East and West, in one mighty conspiracy, has combined from the beginning.”
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“To drive men from independence to live on alms, is itself great cruelty.”
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