Object: Camp Chest

A 1775 Officer's Camp Chest belonging to Hugh Cossart Baker of the British Army's 27th Regiment. It was made from oak, birch, cedrella, iron, steel, brass, papter, paint, and ink. It was made in England and sold in Halifax. The engraving on the front of the chest reads: "Hugh Cossart Baker. 27th Reg." 

The inside of the same officer's chest. The paper on the inside of the lid reads: "Hugh Cossart Baker" in type and "1775, Halifax" in handwriting. 

An ongoing correspondence between Major General Heath, Lieutenant General Burgoyne, General Phillips, and General Howe.

A register of the provisions for troops already in America.

In 1775, Hugh Cossart Baker, a young man from Ireland, bought a military camp chest upon arriving in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Baker joined the British 27^th Regiment of foot in 1776 and brought his camp chest with him to battles in New York, Philadelphia, Florida, and the West Indies.[1]

The chest itself was not made in Halifax. It was made and imported from England. Although because it is made out of a combination or birch, cedrella, iron, steel, brass, paper, paint and ink, there is a chance that the birch wood originally came from Halifax itself, which would make this chest a true product of colonialism: one that used resources from the Americas, was manufactured in England, then sold in the colonies for military use.

Although it was made in England, this chest is branded with the words “Halifax,” and was sold in Nova Scotia, making it representative of the location. Inside the lid of the chest is a label that reads “Hugh Cossart Baker” in type and “1775, Halifax” in handwriting.[2] That small piece of handwriting is the only evidence that this chest was bought in Halifax. What is made more obvious are the engravings on the front of the chest, which read, “Hugh Cossart Baker. 27^th Reg.” Clearly, the owner of this chest and his regiment are the most important aspects of the chest, not the location or year in which it was bought. This could be because officers often traveled with these chests as their luggage, so the origins are less important than who the chest belongs too in case it got lost.[3]

This chest was not only a personal belonging, but it was a piece of British military equipment. Having a military chest was a big responsibility. In several accounts of army supplies a “servant for the wagon with the military chest” is listed as a necessary provision.[4] There are also references to military chests in letter correspondences between Lieutenant General Burgoyne and Major General Heath in which Burgoyne recalls, “I have reason to believe there is a military chest on board the Juno for the use of these troops, I request to know whether you will permit it to be landed and delivered to Major General Phillips, parole being given that there are no letters nor other papers therein contained.”[5] When Burgoyne, Phillips, or Howe refers to a military chest it is clear that the contents are often locked and secured and viewed as valuable for not only the individual to whom it belongs, but the entire regiment. Therefore, the fact that Baker was able to keep his chest with him throughout his time in the military signals that he valued it highly and was also careful not to lose it or its contents.

Nova Scotia was a colony of mostly Loyalists, therefore they did not tend to resist British rule or taxes.[6] In fact, Nova Scotia was one of the colonies taht did not send delegates to any of the Continental Congress meetings.[7] This chest is evidence of the Loyalist support in Halifax and also the ways in which merchants benefited off of the British army and Navy regardless of whether or not they personally agreed with the Loyalists or were neutral. Because the only way for anyone to reach Halifax was by water, the colony was reliant on the Royal Navy for business as well as protection.[8] Because Nova Scotia was somewhat isolated, their economy was often boosted by British naval officers buying supplies in Halifax, such as the military chest.[9]

            It is interesting as well that Baker was from Ireland, not England. Although it is often thought that the Irish were Patriots, Hugh Cossart Baker is evidence of the opposite. Not all Irish people were revolutionaries in the American sense. Many were neutral and some, like Baker, were Loyalists. In fact, Irish soldiers, like American colonists, fought on the British side during the French and Indian War.[10] Therefore, Hugh Cossart Baker was not unique in his desire to fight for the British army during the American Revolution. Halifax made sense as a destination for an Irishman as well because of its Northern location and its constant welcoming of the British Navy and Army.

            Tracking this camp chest’s journey during the Revolutionary War tells us a lot about the trajectory of the British Army, but also the state of the colonies as the war went on. Starting in England, this chest was manufactured by the British and shipped to Nova Scotia for the purpose of being bought by a British officer. When Baker bought the chest, he was referred to as a “gentleman volunteer” and had not yet gained his status as an officer.[11] However, after fighting battles in New York, Philadelphia, and New Jersey, he became a Lieutenant and later a Captain.[12] The 27^th Regiment saw victory in the Northern colonies before moving South to Florida and even further South to the West Indies in 1781. He finally returned to Ireland two years after the end of the war in 1785.[13] Baker and his military chest traveled from the north most colony to the south most colony in the Americas. He began the war in Loyalist territory and ended the war in loyalist territory, moving through the hotbeds of Patriotism on his way South. The Colonial Williamsburg website points out that it is extremely rare to find a military chest from the Revolution, which makes sense seeing as a military chest could be easily lost in the midst of a battle especially when travelling for as long and as far as Baker did. The chest also demonstrates the importance of the British military to so many men and the pride that they felt in fighting for Britain in the colonies. The chest was a reminder that regardless of location, Baker was always a member of the 27^th British Regiment.

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