In July, 1779, being in garrison at the post of Stony Point on the Hudson River, the place was stormed at midnight by a strong force of the Americans under General Anthony Wayne, and after a sharp and close conflict of more than an hour, during which the young ensign was wounded in the shoulder by a musket ball, he found himself a prisoner of war.

Upon being released by order of General George Washington, said to have been a childhood friend of his father in Virginia, joined that regiment the end of November at Brooklyn, New York.

In spite of a provision in the Treaty of Paris ending the conflict requiring those whose property was attained by the Colonial government to be compensated for their losses none was ever forthcoming to the Robinsons or other heirs of the Philipse estates.

He was promoted to a company, 3 July 1794, and commanded the Grenadiers until after the capture of Guadeloupe, when, his health having suffered severely from the climate, he returned to England on sick certificate.

Some time afterwards he was appointed Inspecting Field Officer at Bedford, received the rank of Lieut.-Colonel in the Army 1 January 1800, and the command of the London Recruiting District, in February 1809.

On 21 June, the memorable battle of Vittoria took place, in which General Robinson commanded the brigade which carried the village of Gamarra-Mayor at the point of the bayonet under a heavy fire of artillery and musketry, repulsing the numerous desperate efforts of the enemy to recover it.

On 7 October following, the Major-General was at the head of the leading column at the passage of the Bidassoa; on 9 November was at the attack of Secoa and the Heights of Cibour; on 10 December, at the battle of the Nive, was again severely wounded.

In June 1814, the Duke of Wellington selected General Robinson to proceed in command of a brigade to North America, and he accordingly embarked at Bordeaux with battalions of the 27th, 39th, 76th, and 88th regiments, and arrived at Brandypots, 100 miles below Quebec, on 9 August 1814.

In September he commanded two brigades intended to attack the works of Plattsburg during the War of 1812, but after having gallantly forced the passage of the Saranac, received orders from Sir George Prevost to retire.

He afterwards became Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Tobago from 1816 to 1828, "fulfilling the duties to the entire satisfaction of the home government and the inhabitants of the colony" although from all appearances, a "flat statement in which even his own defense exposes as being uncharacteristically flawed.

Sir Frederick Philipse Robinson lived to become the oldest soldier in the British service, his first commission being of earlier date than those of the few general officers whose names preceded his in the Army List.

For the last seven years he resided at Brighton, Sussex, in the possession of good health and in the exercise of all his mental faculties, enjoying the affectionate attendance of a beloved daughter and niece, and the society of an attached circle of friends, to whom be had endeared himself by his noble and amiable qualities.