The King's Royal Regiment of New York was formed by exiled Loyalist leader, Sir John Johnson, from American refugees, fleeing rebel persecution, the regiment served with distinction throughout the war, launching raids and relief missions into the Mohawk Valley of New York. The regiment was instrumental in the siege of Fort Stanwix, during the expedition of Colonel Barry St. Leger, down the Mohawk River Valley, in the summer of 1777. Part of the British Army's strategy to defeat the Continental forces under General Washington involved invading New York from Canada along the traditional Lake Champlain and Lake George water route. For the remainder of the Revolution, the King's Royal Yorkers formed an integral part of Canada's garrison. New York City remained in British hands until the end of the war, behind the protection of its large garrison and the Royal Navy. In 1783, the 1st Battalion of the King's Royal Yorkers was disbanded and settled along the St. Lawrence Valley in the vicinity of Cornwall in modern Stormont and Dundas counties.