Swiss Mercenaries in the Service of the British Crown: The War of 1812

Authors

Ivor C.E. Luethy, University of Calgary

Keywords

Swiss mercenaries, Dutch East Indies Company, military regiments, Canada, War of 1812

Abstract

During the War of 1812, Swiss mercenaries were part of the British army which fought against the American forces. The most important figure among these soldiers in the service of the British Crown was undoubtedly Sir George Prevost, Governor-General and military commander of British North America from 1811-1815. He was a descendant of a prominent Geneva family, several members of which had attained high ranks in the British forces; Augustin Prevost, for example, Sir George's father became Major-General under General Wolfe. Augustin Prevost had also been a friend of Frederick Haldimand, Governor-General of Canada during the American Revolution.

Recommended Citation

Luethy, Ivor C.E. (1985) "Swiss Mercenaries in the Service of the British Crown: The War of 1812," Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter: Vol. 21: Iss. 1, Article 4.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/sahs_newsletter/vol21/iss1/4