and arrived in America
for service in the French
and Indian War (1755–
1763). In 1758, Grant par-
ticipated in a botched at-
tempt to reconnoiter
French-held Fort Du-
quesne in western Penn-
sylvania. Evenly dividing
his force of 800 men, he
maneuvered to bring the
enemy into an ambush
but was himself attacked
and captured, one of 295
casualties suffered that
day. Grant arrived in
Montreal a prisoner but
was subsequently ex-
changed in 1760 and pro-
moted to lieutenant
colonel of the 40th Regi-
ment of Foot. The follow-
ing year he ended up in
South Carolina, and there he conducted a
large-scale raid against the Cherokee Indian
villages of Oconostota. In 1764, Grant pro-
ceeded south to East Florida, a territory only
recently acquired from Spain, and replaced
Frederick Haldimand as governor. He
proved himself an affable, competent admin-
istrator of this wild and backward region, but
he perpetually squabbled with other officials.
Ill and weary of being the “commissioner of
mildew,” as he termed it, Grant returned to
England in 1771 and became lieutenant
colonel of the 40th Regiment. Two years later
he gained a seat in Parliament and was pres-
ent during the early debates on the American
Revolution. Grant, who had served in Amer-
ica and was personally acquainted with many
militia officers, simply discounted colonial
fighting abilities. At one point he allegedly
claimed that he could march from one end of
the continent to the other with only 5,000
men—a statement he later denied making.
Grant rejoined the army in December 1775
as a colonel of the 55th Regiment, and the fol-
lowing summer he arrived in New York as
part of Gen. William
Howe’s army. In the ensu-
ing campaign on Long Is-
land he commanded two
brigades and provided a
diversion in front of Gen.
George Washington’s lines
while Howe slipped other
troops around his flank.
That fall, the advance
guard of British forces
under Gen. Charles
Cornwallisclosely pur-
sued the retreating Amer-
icans into New Jersey be-
fore halting for the
winter. Cornwallis then
entrusted command of
his scattered units to
Grant and departed for
England. Grant, whose
disregard for American
soldiery was stronger
than ever, assured Col. Johann Rallat Tren-
ton that the ragged and shivering Americans
were no threat to his advanced post. How-
ever, on Christmas Eve Washington suddenly
struck back, annihilating Rall’s forces at Tren-
ton and also defeating Cornwallis at Prince-
ton. This sudden turn of events nonetheless
did little to improve Grant’s opinion of his op-
ponents. A large, heavy man with a ravenous
appetite for good food, he was content to re-
main in his headquarters all winter, dining on
goose and other delicacies.
In the summer of 1777, Howe launched his
campaign to capture Philadelphia from the
sea. After landing in Maryland, he marched
overland and defeated Washington at the Bat-
tles of Brandywine and Germantown. Grant
was present and actively engaged on both oc-
casions, performing his assigned missions
well. The British remained ensconced at
Philadelphia until the spring of 1778, when
Howe was preparing to resign as commander
in chief. However, he was alerted that a large
force of Americans under the youthful Mar-
quis de Lafayette had been detached fromGRANT, JAMES
James Grant
William L. Clements Library