 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Marcus Rainsford" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(June 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Marcus Rainsford | |
|---|---|
 Rainsford (left) | |
| Born | c. 1758[citation needed] Kildare, Dublin, Ireland |
| Died | 4 November 1817(1817-11-04) (aged 58–59) London, England |
| Resting place | St Giles in the Fields, London, England |
| Education | Trinity College Dublin TCD |
| Occupations | Soldier, author, historian |
| Known for | Author on theHaitian Revolution |
| Signature | |
 | |
CaptainMarcus Rainsford (c. 1758 – 4 November 1817)[1] was aBritish Army officer who fought in theBattle of Camden in 1780, during theAmerican Revolutionary War. He publishedAn Historical Account of the Black Empire of Hayti, London, in 1805.
Rainsford was a younger son of Edward Rainsford ofSallins,Kildare, born c. 1750.[2] He was educated atTrinity College Dublin and obtained anMA in 1773. He joined theIrish Volunteers in 1779.
He obtained a commission and saw service in the 105th regiment, commanded by Francis,lord Rawdon (afterwards second)Earl of Moira, during theAmerican War of Independence. He took part inSiege of Charleston and theBattle of Camden in 1780. He then went to Jamaica with theDuke of Cumberland's Regiment.
In 1794 he served under theDuke of York in theNetherlands, during theFlanders Campaign and was afterwards employed in raising black troops in theWest Indies.
In 1799 Rainsford visitedSt. Domingo, and had an interview withToussaint L'Ouverture. He was subsequently arrested and condemned to death as a spy, but was reprieved and eventually set at liberty. Rainsford died in November 1817 and is buried inSt Giles in the Fields, London, England.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
