Formation , founder of the regiment The regiment was raised in
Buckinghamshire by Lieutenant-Colonel
George Nugent as the
85th Regiment of Foot, in response to the threat posed by the
French Revolution, on 18 November 1793. The regiment was sent to join the
Duke of York's army in the
Netherlands in 1794 as part of the unsuccessful defence of that country against the Republican French during the
Flanders Campaign. It was posted to
Gibraltar in 1795 and returned home in 1797. It fought at the
Battle of Bladensburg, capturing two American colours, in August 1814. Under the command of Colonel
William Thornton, the regiment accompanied by detachments from the
Royal Navy and
Royal Marines, carried out a successful attack on the American positions on the west bank of the
Mississippi River during the
Battle of New Orleans in January 1815. Casualties among the regiment were: 2 dead, 1 captured and 41 wounded. On 1 July 1881 the
Childers Reforms came into effect and the regiment amalgamated with
53rd (Shropshire) Regiment of Foot to become the 2nd battalion, the
King's Shropshire Light Infantry. ==Battle honours==