Gooch's Regiment 1740-1742, America's First Marines

In 1740 the British declared war on Spain in what was to become known as The War of Jenkin's Ear and included American soldiers in the land force element of their expedition to the Caribbean. They fought as Marines at the siege of Cartagena, an occupation of a part of Cuba known as Guantanamo Bay, as well as an assault on Portobello and finally an occupation of the Island of Ruatan. They were forced to serve as sailors, replacing an ever dwindling number of seamen suffering from life in the tropics in the days before modern medicine. The Regiment was disbanded in 1742 after having suffered as much as an 80% casualty rate, mostly due to disease. They Were America's First Marines! This is a first ever comprehensive regimental history of America's First Marines. Making extensive use of primary source material as well as secondary sources and analysis, this is an account of how the regiment was organized, equipped, who served and their exploits until the regiment was disbanded. From this account we get a glimpse of how these men, and their fellow colonists saw themselves, as they formed a separate identity ... becoming "Americans".