List of Continental Army units (1776)
Encyclopedia
The Continental Army
was the army raised by the Second Continental Congress
to oppose the British Army
during the American Revolutionary War
. The army went through three major establishments: the first in 1775, the second in 1776, and the third from 1777 until after the end of the war. The 1776 differed in some significant ways from both the 1775 establishment and the 1777 establishment.
. On that day, the Continental Congress assumed responsibility for militia regiments that had been raised by the colonies of New Hampshire
, Massachusetts
, Rhode Island
, and Connecticut
. These units and others authorized by Congress served in the Siege of Boston
and the invasion of Quebec
launched in September 1775. With these operations ongoing, Congress voted to authorize a second establishment of the army for 1776.
The enlistments of most soldiers in the Continental Army of 1775 expired on the last day of the year. On January 1, 1776, a new army was established. General George Washington
had submitted recommendations for reorganization to the Continental Congress almost immediately after accepting the position of Commander-in-Chief, but these took time to consider and implement. Despite attempts to broaden the recruiting base beyond New England, the 1776 army remained skewed toward the Northeast both in terms of its composition and geographical focus.
The bulk of the newly organized Main Army consisted of 27 infantry regiments, numbered in order of the seniority of the colonel of each regiment. These regiments were created by reorganizing existing units and by encouraging soldiers to reenlist for another year. Each new regiment comprised eight companies, which at full strength fielded a total of 728 men. Of these, 640 provided the firepower (privates and corporals with muskets); the remaining were officers and staff, including three field officers (a colonel, lieutenant colonel, and major), a captain for each company, a surgeon, a quartermaster, drummers, etc. Other units were also authorized.
Other infantry units
Artillery
Continental Regiments authorized by Washington on January 19, 1776 after Montgomery's defeat at the Battle of Quebec
(December 31, 1775):
Reinforcements dispatched from New York City on April 15, 1776 under Brigadier General William Thompson
Reinforcements dispatched from New York City on April 27, 1776 under Brigadier General John Sullivan
Additional units raised later in the year
Artillery units:
Rhode Island Garrison Regiments.
Two regiments of Rhode Island state troops which served with the Continental Army in 1776, but were not placed on the Continental establishment.
was created on February 27, 1776, as a military administrative district embracing New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland. When the Main Army moved from Boston to New York in April 1776 and Washington
opened his headquarters in New York City, he assumed direct command of the department. As a result the Main Army became, for the remainder of the war, the field army associated with the Middle Department. At the same time New York and the Northern Department
became practically coextensive; only the Hudson Highlands and parts of New York to the south remained in the Middle Department. These changes left Washington holding three posts at once: Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, Commanding General of the field army under his immediate command, the Main Army, and Commanding General of the Middle Department.
Infantry units
established the Southern Department on February 27, 1776. The department was the organizing unit for regiments raised in Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Georgia.
Virginia infantry
North Carolina infantry
South Carolina infantry
Cavalry units
Artillery units
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
was the army raised by the Second Continental Congress
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that started meeting on May 10, 1775, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, soon after warfare in the American Revolutionary War had begun. It succeeded the First Continental Congress, which met briefly during 1774,...
to oppose the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. The army went through three major establishments: the first in 1775, the second in 1776, and the third from 1777 until after the end of the war. The 1776 differed in some significant ways from both the 1775 establishment and the 1777 establishment.
Second establishment
The Continental Army was established by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, which is also recognized as the founding date of its successor, the United States ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. On that day, the Continental Congress assumed responsibility for militia regiments that had been raised by the colonies of New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, and Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. These units and others authorized by Congress served in the Siege of Boston
Siege of Boston
The Siege of Boston was the opening phase of the American Revolutionary War, in which New England militiamen—who later became part of the Continental Army—surrounded the town of Boston, Massachusetts, to prevent movement by the British Army garrisoned within...
and the invasion of Quebec
Invasion of Canada (1775)
The Invasion of Canada in 1775 was the first major military initiative by the newly formed Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. The objective of the campaign was to gain military control of the British Province of Quebec, and convince the French-speaking Canadiens to join the...
launched in September 1775. With these operations ongoing, Congress voted to authorize a second establishment of the army for 1776.
The enlistments of most soldiers in the Continental Army of 1775 expired on the last day of the year. On January 1, 1776, a new army was established. General George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
had submitted recommendations for reorganization to the Continental Congress almost immediately after accepting the position of Commander-in-Chief, but these took time to consider and implement. Despite attempts to broaden the recruiting base beyond New England, the 1776 army remained skewed toward the Northeast both in terms of its composition and geographical focus.
The bulk of the newly organized Main Army consisted of 27 infantry regiments, numbered in order of the seniority of the colonel of each regiment. These regiments were created by reorganizing existing units and by encouraging soldiers to reenlist for another year. Each new regiment comprised eight companies, which at full strength fielded a total of 728 men. Of these, 640 provided the firepower (privates and corporals with muskets); the remaining were officers and staff, including three field officers (a colonel, lieutenant colonel, and major), a captain for each company, a surgeon, a quartermaster, drummers, etc. Other units were also authorized.
Main Army units
Numbered infantry regiments- 1st Continental Regiment (Pennsylvania). Colonel William ThompsonWilliam Thompson (general)William Thompson was a soldier from Pennsylvania and a brigadier general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.Thompson was born in Ireland and emigrated to Carlisle, Pennsylvania...
continued from 1775; Colonel Edward HandEdward Hand-Early life and career:Hand was born in Clyduff, King's County, Ireland January 10, 1742, and was baptised in Shinrone. His father was John Hand. Among his immediate neighbours were the Kearney family, ancestors of U.S. President Barack Obamba [1]...
, March 7, 1776. - 2d Continental Regiment (New Hampshire). Colonel James ReedJames Reed (soldier)James Reed was a military officer in the French and Indian War and the American Revolution, rising to the rank of brigadier general in the latter conflict....
. (Designated the 3d New Hampshire Regiment in 1777). - 3d Continental Regiment (Massachusetts). Colonel Ebenezer LearnedEbenezer LearnedEbenezer Learned was a brigadier general in the American Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.-Early life and career:...
. (Designated the 4th Massachusetts Regiment4th Massachusetts RegimentThe 4th Massachusetts Regiment also known as 3rd Continental Regiment was raised on April 23, 1775 under Colonel Ebenezer Learned outside of Boston, Massachusetts. The regiment would see action at the Battle of Bunker Hill, New York Campaign, Battle of Trenton, Battle of Princeton, Battle of...
in 1777). - 4th Continental Regiment (Massachusetts). Colonel John NixonJohn Nixon (Massachusetts)John Nixon was an American brigadier general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.He was born in Framingham, Massachusetts on March 1, 1724 to Christopher and Mary Nixon. On February 7, 1754, John Nixon married Thankfully Berry also of Framingham...
. (Designated the 6th Massachusetts Regiment6th Massachusetts RegimentThe 6th Massachusetts Regiment also known as the 4th Continental Regiment was raised on April 23, 1775 under Colonel John Nixon outside of Boston, Massachusetts. The regiment would see action at the Battle of Bunker Hill, New York Campaign, Battle of Trenton, Battle of Princeton and the Battle of...
in 1777). - 5th Continental Regiment5th Continental RegimentThe 5th Continental Regiment was formed when the 1st New Hampshire Regiment was redesignated on 1 January 1776 as eight companies in Sullivan's Brigade in the main Continental Army. On 27 April 1776 the regiment was relieved from the brigade and assigned to the Canadian Department...
(New Hampshire). Colonel John StarkJohn StarkJohn Stark was a New Hampshire native who served as a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. He became widely known as the "Hero of Bennington" for his exemplary service at the Battle of Bennington in 1777.-Early life:John Stark was born in Londonderry, New...
. (Designated the 1st New Hampshire Regiment1st New Hampshire RegimentThe 1st New Hampshire Regiment was an infantry unit that came into existence on 22 May 1775 at the beginning of the American Revolutionary War. John Stark was the regiment's first commander. The unit fought at Chelsea Creek and Bunker Hill in 1775. On 1 January 1776, while engaged in the Siege of...
in 1777). - 6th Continental Regiment (Massachusetts). Colonel Asa Whitcomb. (Designated the 13th Massachusetts Regiment13th Massachusetts RegimentThe 13th Massachusetts Regiment was first raised on July 11, 1776 as the 6th Continental Regiment under Colonel Edward Wigglesworth and was manned with troops raised primarily from Essex, York, and Cumberland Counties. It was first known as Wigglesworth's State Regiment. An additional battalion was...
in 1777). - 7th Continental Regiment7th Continental RegimentThe 7th Continental Regiment was raised April 23, 1775 as a Massachusetts militia Regiment at Cambridge, Massachusetts under Colonel William Prescott. The regiment would join the Continental Army in June 1775. The regiment saw action during the Siege of Boston and the New York Campaign...
(Massachusetts). Colonel William PrescottWilliam PrescottWilliam Prescott was an American colonel in the Revolutionary War who commanded the rebel forces in the Battle of Bunker Hill...
). - 8th Continental Regiment (New Hampshire). Colonel Enoch PoorEnoch PoorEnoch Poor was a brigadier general in the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. He was a ship builder and merchant from Exeter, New Hampshire.-Biography:...
. (Designated the 2d New Hampshire Regiment in 1777). - 9th Continental Regiment (Rhode Island). Colonel James Mitchell VarnumJames Mitchell VarnumJames Mitchell Varnum was an American legislator, lawyer and a general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.-Early life:James Mitchell Varnum was born in Dracut, Massachusetts...
. (Designated the 1st Rhode Island Regiment1st Rhode Island RegimentThe 1st Rhode Island Regiment was a Continental Army regiment from Rhode Island during the American Revolutionary War . Like most regiments of the Continental Army, the unit went through several incarnations and name changes. It became well-known as the "Black Regiment" because, for a time, it had...
in 1777). - 10th Continental Regiment (Connecticut). Colonel Samuel Holden ParsonsSamuel Holden ParsonsSamuel Holden Parsons was an American lawyer, jurist, and military leader.Parsons was born in Lyme, Connecticut, the son of Jonathan Parsons and Phoebe Parsons...
). - 11th Continental Regiment (Rhode Island). Colonel Daniel Hitchcock. (Designated the 2d Rhode Island Regiment in 1777).
- 12th Continental Regiment12th Continental RegimentThe 12th Continental Regiment was raised April 23, 1775 as a Massachusetts militia Regiment at Cambridge, Massachusetts under Colonel Moses Little. The regiment would join the Continental Army in June 1775. The regiment saw action during the Siege of Boston, the New York Campaign and the Battle of...
(Massachusetts). Colonel Moses LittleMoses LittleMoses Little , born on May 8, 1724 in Newbury, Massachusetts. Moses Little served in the Massachusetts militia and with his company marched to the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775...
. - 13th Continental Regiment13th Continental Regiment-Summary:The 13th Continental Regiment was raised April 23, 1775 as a Massachusetts militia Regiment at Cambridge, Massachusetts under Joseph Read. The regiment would join the Continental Army in June 1775. The regiment saw action during the Siege of Boston, the New York Campaign and the Battle of...
(Massachusetts). Colonel Joseph ReadJoseph ReadJoseph Read was a soldier and a Colonel in the American Revolutionary War.-Early life:Read was born in Uxbridge, Massachusetts, the son of John and Lucy Read. He married Eunice Taft of Uxbridge on Nov 22, 1753...
. - 14th Continental Regiment14th Continental RegimentThe 14th Continental Regiment, also known as the Marblehead Regiment and Glover's Regiment, was raised as a Massachusetts militia regiment in 1775, and taken into the Continental Army establishment during the summer of 1775 as the 23rd Massachusetts Regiment. When the Continental Army was...
(Massachusetts). Colonel John Glover. - 15th Continental Regiment15th Continental RegimentThe 15th Continental Regiment was an infantry regiment of the 1776 establishment of the Continental Army.-Administrative history:The regiment was formed when the remnants of the 1st Massachusetts Regiment and Sayer's and Sullivan's companies of Scammon's Regiment were combined on 1 January 1776...
(Massachusetts). Colonel John Paterson. (Designated the 1st Massachusetts Regiment1st Massachusetts RegimentThe 1st Massachusetts Regiment was authorized on 23 April 1775 in the Massachusetts State Troops as Paterson's Regiment under Colonel John Paterson and was organized at Cambridge, colony of Massachusetts during the spring of 1775 constiting of eleven companies of volunteers from Berkshire,...
in 1777). - 16th Continental Regiment (Massachusetts). Colonel Paul Dudley SargentPaul Dudley SargentPaul Dudley Sargent was a soldier in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.-Revolutionary War Service:...
. (Designated the 8th Massachusetts Regiment8th Massachusetts RegimentThe 8th Massachusetts Regiment also known as 16th Continental Regiment was raised on April 23, 1775 under Colonel Sargent at Cambridge, Massachusetts. The regiment would see action at the Battle of Bunker Hill, New York Campaign, Battle of Trenton, Battle of Princeton and the Battle of Saratoga...
in 1777). - 17th Continental Regiment (Connecticut). Colonel Jedediah HuntingtonJedediah HuntingtonJedediah Huntington , also known as Jedidiah Huntington, was an American general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He was born in Norwich, Connecticut, the son of Jabez Huntington . The Gen. Jedidiah Huntington House in Norwichtown, Connecticut, survives and was listed...
). - 18th Continental Regiment (Massachusetts). Colonel Edmund Phinney. (Designated the 12th Massachusetts Regiment12th Massachusetts RegimentThe 12th Massachusetts Regiment, also known as 18th Continental Regiment, was raised on April 23, 1775 under Colonel Phinney outside of Boston, Massachusetts. The regiment saw action at the Battle of Bunker Hill, Battle of Valcour Island, Battle of Saratoga and the Battle of Monmouth...
in 1777). - 19th Continental Regiment (Connecticut). Colonel Charles Webb.
- 20th Continental Regiment (Connecticut). Colonel Benedict ArnoldBenedict ArnoldBenedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...
; field commander, Lieutenant Colonel John Durkee. - 21st Continental Regiment21st Continental Regiment-Summary:The 21st Continental Regiment was raised April 23, 1775 as a Massachusetts militia Regiment at Cambridge, Massachusetts under Colonel Jonathan Ward. The regiment would join the Continental Army in June 1775. The regiment saw action during the Siege of Boston, the New York Campaign and the...
(Massachusetts). Colonel Jonathan Ward. - 22d Continental Regiment (Connecticut). Colonel Samuel Wyllys.
- 23d Continental Regiment (Massachusetts). Colonel John Bailey. (Designated the 2d Massachusetts Regiment in 1777).
- 24th Continental Regiment (Massachusetts). Colonel John Greaton. (Designated the 3d Massachusetts Regiment in 1777).
- 25th Continental Regiment25th Continental RegimentThe 25th Continental Regiment was raised April 23, 1775 as a Massachusetts militia Regiment at Cambridge, Massachusetts under Colonel William Bond. The regiment would join the Continental Army in June 1775. The regiment saw action during the Siege of Boston, Invasion of Canada and the Battle of...
(Massachusetts). Colonel William Bond. - 26th Continental Regiment26th Continental RegimentThe 26th Continental Regiment was an infantry unit of the Massachusetts Line during the US Revolutionary War. The regiment was formed for one year in Massachusetts in January 1776 from the remnant of the 25th Massachusetts Bay Provincial Regiment known as Gerrish’s Regiment. The old regiment had...
(Massachusetts). Colonel Loammi BaldwinLoammi BaldwinColonel Loammi Baldwin was a noted American engineer, politician, and a soldier in the American Revolutionary War....
. (Designated the 9th Massachusetts Regiment9th Massachusetts RegimentThe 9th Massachusetts Regiment of the Continental Line was created on November 1, 1776. The unit served until January 1, 1783 when, in compliance with the general order of December 24, 1782, the unit was disbanded....
in 1777). - 27th Continental Regiment (Massachusetts). Colonel Israel Hutchinson. (Designated the 5th Massachusetts Regiment5th Massachusetts RegimentThe 5th Massachusetts Regiment also known as the 27th Continental Regiment was raised on April 23, 1775 under Colonel Mansfield outside of Boston, Massachusetts. The regiment saw action at the Battle of Bunker Hill, New York Campaign, Battle of Trenton, Battle of Princeton...
in 1777).
Other infantry units
- Commander-in-Chief's GuardCommander-in-Chief's GuardThe Commander-in-Chief's Guard, commonly known as Washington's Life Guard, was a unit of the Continental Army that protected General George Washington during the American Revolutionary War. Formed in 1776, the Guard was with Washington in all of his battles...
("Washington's Life Guard"). - Rawlings' Independent Maryland Rifle Company. Captain Moses Rawlings. (Consolidated with the Maryland and Virginia Rifle RegimentMaryland and Virginia Rifle RegimentThe Maryland and Virginia Rifle Regiment, most commonly known as Rawlings' Regiment in period documents, was organized in June 1776 as a specialized light infantry unit of riflemen in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War...
, June 14, 1776). - Williams' Independent Maryland Rifle Company. Captain Thomas Price continued from 1775; Captain Otho Holland WilliamsOtho Holland WilliamsOtho Holland Williams was a Continental Army officer from Maryland in the American Revolutionary War. He participated in many battles throughout the war in the New York, New Jersey and Southern theaters, eventually ending his career as a Brigadier General.Born in rural Prince George's County,...
, January 14, 1776. (Consolidated with the Maryland and Virginia Rifle RegimentMaryland and Virginia Rifle RegimentThe Maryland and Virginia Rifle Regiment, most commonly known as Rawlings' Regiment in period documents, was organized in June 1776 as a specialized light infantry unit of riflemen in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War...
, June 14, 1776). - Stephenson's Independent Virginia Rifle Company. Captain Hugh Stephenson. (Consolidated with the Maryland and Virginia Rifle RegimentMaryland and Virginia Rifle RegimentThe Maryland and Virginia Rifle Regiment, most commonly known as Rawlings' Regiment in period documents, was organized in June 1776 as a specialized light infantry unit of riflemen in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War...
, June 14, 1776). - Maryland and Virginia Rifle RegimentMaryland and Virginia Rifle RegimentThe Maryland and Virginia Rifle Regiment, most commonly known as Rawlings' Regiment in period documents, was organized in June 1776 as a specialized light infantry unit of riflemen in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War...
. Colonel Hugh Stephenson, Lieutenant Colonel Moses Rawlings, Major Otho Holland WilliamsOtho Holland WilliamsOtho Holland Williams was a Continental Army officer from Maryland in the American Revolutionary War. He participated in many battles throughout the war in the New York, New Jersey and Southern theaters, eventually ending his career as a Brigadier General.Born in rural Prince George's County,...
. (Formed June 14, 1776).
Artillery
- Continental Artillery Regiment (Massachusetts). Colonel Henry KnoxHenry KnoxHenry Knox was a military officer of the Continental Army and later the United States Army, and also served as the first United States Secretary of War....
.
Canadian Department units
Initial infantry units- Wooster's Provisional Regiment1st Connecticut Regiment (1775)The 1st Connecticut Regiment was raised on 27 April 1775 at Norwich, Connecticut in the Connecticut State Troops. The regiment consisted of ten companies of volunteers from New Haven and Litchfield counties of the state of Connecticut. It was adopted into the Main Continental Army on 14 June 1775...
. Brigadier General David WoosterDavid WoosterDavid Wooster was an American general who served in the French and Indian War and in the American Revolutionary War. He died of wounds sustained during the Battle of Ridgefield, Connecticut. Cities, schools, and public places were named after him...
; field commander, Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Ward. (Formed in Canada in December 1775 by consolidation of the remnants of the disbanded 4th4th Connecticut RegimentThe 4th Connecticut Regiment was raised on April 27, 1775 at Hartford, Connecticut. The regiment would see action in the Invasion of Canada. After which the regiment was disbanded on December 20, 1775 and reformed on September 16, 1776 to fight in the Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown and...
and 5th Connecticut Regiment5th Connecticut RegimentThe 5th Connecticut Regiment was raised on April 27, 1775 at Danbury, Connecticut under the command of David Waterbury. The Regiment was one of six formed by the Connecticut Legislature in response to the hostilities at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts. The Fifth would see its first action...
s (1775) with the 1st Connecticut Regiment1st Connecticut RegimentThe 1st Connecticut Regiment was a unit of the Continental Army, and was involved in the American Revolutionary War. The regiment was initially formed in 1776, and was active in various forms until 1783.-1776–1780:...
(1775); disbanded April 15, 1776). - Van Schaick's RegimentGoose Van SchaickColonel Goose Van Schaick was a Continental Army officer during the American Revolutionary War.He was born September 5, 1736, the son of Sybrant Van Schaick, mayor of Albany New York, and Alida Rosebloom. In 1758, he was a captain of a New York regiment that participated in the attack on Fort...
(New York). Colonel Goose Van SchaickGoose Van SchaickColonel Goose Van Schaick was a Continental Army officer during the American Revolutionary War.He was born September 5, 1736, the son of Sybrant Van Schaick, mayor of Albany New York, and Alida Rosebloom. In 1758, he was a captain of a New York regiment that participated in the attack on Fort...
. (Raised from the 2nd New York Regiment of 1775; designated the 1st New York Regiment1st New York RegimentThe 1st New York Regiment was authorized on 25 May 1775 and organized at New York City from 28 June to 4 August, for service with the Continental Army under the command of Colonel Alexander McDougall...
in 1777). - 2nd Pennsylvania Battalion. Colonel Arthur St. ClairArthur St. ClairArthur St. Clair was an American soldier and politician. Born in Scotland, he served in the British Army during the French and Indian War before settling in Pennsylvania, where he held local office...
. (Assigned to the Canadian Department, January 8, 1776; designated the 3rd Pennsylvania Regiment3rd Pennsylvania RegimentThe 3rd Pennsylvania Regiment was raised, on December 9, 1775, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for service with the Continental Army. The regiment would see action during the Battle of Valcour Island, Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Monmouth and the Battle of Springfield...
in 1777). - 1st Canadian Regiment1st Canadian RegimentThe 1st Canadian Regiment, was raised by James Livingston to support Colonial efforts in the American Revolutionary War during the invasion of Quebec...
. Colonel James LivingstonJames Livingston (American Revolution)Colonel James Livingston was born in the French province of Canada to New York-born parents. He was living in Quebec when the American Revolutionary War broke out...
. - 2nd Canadian Regiment2nd Canadian RegimentThe 2nd Canadian Regiment, also known as Congress' Own or Hazen's Regiment, was authorized on January 20, 1776, and raised in the province of Quebec for service with the Continental Army under the command of Colonel Moses Hazen. All or part of the regiment saw action at the Staten Island,...
. Colonel Moses HazenMoses HazenMoses Hazen was a Brigadier General in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Born in the Province of Massachusetts Bay, he saw action in the French and Indian War with Rogers' Rangers. His service included particularly brutal raids during the Expulsion of the Acadians and...
.
Continental Regiments authorized by Washington on January 19, 1776 after Montgomery's defeat at the Battle of Quebec
Battle of Quebec (1775)
The Battle of Quebec was fought on December 31, 1775 between American Continental Army forces and the British defenders of the city of Quebec, early in the American Revolutionary War. The battle was the first major defeat of the war for the Americans, and it came at a high price...
(December 31, 1775):
- Bedel's RegimentBedel's RegimentBedel's Regiment was first raised as a single company of rangers in Coos, New Hampshire on May 26, 1775 under the command of Timothy Bedel for the protection of northern New Hampshire during the early days of the American Revolutionary War...
(New Hampshire). Colonel Timothy BedelTimothy BedelTimothy Bedel was a soldier and local leader prominent in the early history of New Hampshire and Vermont.Bedel was born in Amesbury, Massachusetts...
. (Most of Bedel's command was captured at the Battle of The CedarsBattle of the CedarsThe Battle of The Cedars was a series of military confrontations early in the American Revolutionary War during the Continental Army's invasion of Quebec that had begun in September 1775. The skirmishes, which involved limited combat, occurred in May 1776 at and around The Cedars, west of...
in May 1776, and was released shortly afterwards). - Porter's RegimentPorter's RegimentThe Porter's Regiment was raised on January 19, 1776 under Colonel Porter at Northampton, Massachusetts and Pittsfield, Massachusetts for one year of service. The regiment would see action during the Invasion of Canada. The regiment was disbanded on January 1, 1777 at Morristown, New...
(Massachusetts). Colonel Elisha Porter. - Burrall's Regiment (Connecticut). Colonel Charles Burrall.
Reinforcements dispatched from New York City on April 15, 1776 under Brigadier General William Thompson
William Thompson (general)
William Thompson was a soldier from Pennsylvania and a brigadier general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.Thompson was born in Ireland and emigrated to Carlisle, Pennsylvania...
- 8th Continental Regiment (New Hampshire). Colonel Enoch PoorEnoch PoorEnoch Poor was a brigadier general in the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. He was a ship builder and merchant from Exeter, New Hampshire.-Biography:...
. - 15th Continental Regiment15th Continental RegimentThe 15th Continental Regiment was an infantry regiment of the 1776 establishment of the Continental Army.-Administrative history:The regiment was formed when the remnants of the 1st Massachusetts Regiment and Sayer's and Sullivan's companies of Scammon's Regiment were combined on 1 January 1776...
(Massachusetts). Colonel John Paterson. - 24th Continental Regiment (Massachusetts). Colonel John Greaton.
- 25th Continental Regiment25th Continental RegimentThe 25th Continental Regiment was raised April 23, 1775 as a Massachusetts militia Regiment at Cambridge, Massachusetts under Colonel William Bond. The regiment would join the Continental Army in June 1775. The regiment saw action during the Siege of Boston, Invasion of Canada and the Battle of...
(Massachusetts) Colonel William Bond.
Reinforcements dispatched from New York City on April 27, 1776 under Brigadier General John Sullivan
John Sullivan
John Sullivan was the third son of Irish immigrants, a United States general in the Revolutionary War, a delegate in the Continental Congress and a United States federal judge....
- 2nd Continental Regiment (New Hampshire). Colonel James ReedJames Reed (soldier)James Reed was a military officer in the French and Indian War and the American Revolution, rising to the rank of brigadier general in the latter conflict....
. - 5th Continental Regiment5th Continental RegimentThe 5th Continental Regiment was formed when the 1st New Hampshire Regiment was redesignated on 1 January 1776 as eight companies in Sullivan's Brigade in the main Continental Army. On 27 April 1776 the regiment was relieved from the brigade and assigned to the Canadian Department...
(New Hampshire). Colonel John StarkJohn StarkJohn Stark was a New Hampshire native who served as a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. He became widely known as the "Hero of Bennington" for his exemplary service at the Battle of Bennington in 1777.-Early life:John Stark was born in Londonderry, New...
. - 2nd New Jersey Regiment2nd New Jersey RegimentThe 2nd New Jersey Regiment was raised, on 9 October 1775, at Trenton, New Jersey, for service with the Continental Army under the command of Colonel William Maxwell...
. Colonel William Maxwell. - 4th Pennsylvania Battalion. Colonel Anthony WayneAnthony WayneAnthony Wayne was a United States Army general and statesman. Wayne adopted a military career at the outset of the American Revolutionary War, where his military exploits and fiery personality quickly earned him a promotion to the rank of brigadier general and the sobriquet of Mad Anthony.-Early...
. (Redesignated the 5th Pennsylvania Regiment5th Pennsylvania RegimentThe 5th Pennsylvania Regiment was raised December 9, 1775 at Chester, Pennsylvania for service with the Continental Army. The regiment would see action during the Battle of Valcour Island, Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Monmouth and the Battle of Springfield...
in 1777). - 6th Pennsylvania Battalion. Colonel William Irvine. (Redesignated the 7th Pennsylvania Regiment7th Pennsylvania RegimentThe 7th Pennsylvania Regiment was raised January 4, 1776 at Carlisle, Pennsylvania for service with the Continental Army. The regiment would see action during the Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Monmouth and the Battle of Springfield...
in 1777).
Additional units raised later in the year
- Dubois' Regiment (New York). Colonel Lewis Dubois. (Redesignated the 3rd New York Regiment3rd New York RegimentThe 3rd New York Regiment was authorized May 25, 1775 and organized from June 28 to August 4 from the counties of Ulster, Dutchess, Orange, and Suffolk under the command of Colonel James Clinton for five months service in Canada. The enlistments of the first establishment ended on December 31,...
in 1777). - Nicholson's Regiment (New York). Colonel John Nicholson. (Disbanded December 31, 1776).
- Warner's Regiment (Vermont). Colonel Seth WarnerSeth WarnerSeth Warner was born in Roxbury, Connecticut. In 1763, he removed with his father to Bennington in what was then known as the New Hampshire Grants. He established there as a huntsman....
. (Reraised and expanded from the Green Mountain BoysGreen Mountain BoysThe Green Mountain Boys were a militia organization first established in the 1760s in the territory between the British provinces of New York and New Hampshire, known as the New Hampshire Grants...
).
Northern Department units
- Elmore's Regiment (Connecticut). Colonel Samuel Elmore.
- 1st New York Regiment (1775–1776). Colonel Alexander McDougallAlexander McDougallAlexander McDougall was an American seaman, merchant, a Sons of Liberty leader from New York City before and during the American Revolution, and a military leader during the Revolutionary War. He served as a major general in the Continental Army, and as a delegate to the Continental Congress...
. (Reorganized February 24-May 21, 1776; assigned to the Main Army, April 24, 1776). - 2nd New York Regiment (1776). Colonel James ClintonJames ClintonJames Clinton was an American Revolutionary War soldier who obtained the rank of major general.He was born in Ulster County in the colony of New York, in a location now part of Orange County, New York...
. (Raised from the 3rd New York Regiment of 1775; designated the 4th New York Regiment4th New York RegimentThe 4th New York Regiment was authorized on May 25, 1775 and organized from June 28 to August 4 from Westchester, Dutchess, Kings, Queens, and Richmond counties for service with the Continental Army under the command of James Holmes...
in 1777). - 3rd New York Regiment (1776). Colonel Rudolphus RitzemaRudolphus RitzemaColonel Rudolphus Ritzema was an American officer in the New York Line during the American Revolutionary War, and later changed sides, serving as a lieutenant colonel in a British regiment....
. (Raised from the 4th New York Regiment of 1775; designated the 2nd New York Regiment2nd New York RegimentThe 2nd New York Regiment was authorized on May 25, 1775, and formed at Albany from June 28 to August 4 for service with the Continental Army under the command of Colonel Goose Van Schaick...
in 1777). - 4th New York Regiment (1776). Colonel Cornelius D. Wynkoop. (Consolidated with Van Schaick's Regiment to form 1st New York Regiment1st New York RegimentThe 1st New York Regiment was authorized on 25 May 1775 and organized at New York City from 28 June to 4 August, for service with the Continental Army under the command of Colonel Alexander McDougall...
in 1777). - 1st New Jersey Regiment1st New Jersey RegimentThe 1st New Jersey Regiment was the first organized militia regiment in New Jersey, formed in 1673 in Piscataway "to repel foreign Indians who come down from upper Pennsylvania and western New York to our shores and fill with fishes and clams and on the way back make a general nuisance of...
(1776). (Assigned to various departments in 1776). - 3rd New Jersey Regiment3rd New Jersey RegimentThe 3rd New Jersey Regiment was raised, on January 1, 1776, at Elizabethtown, New Jersey for service with the Continental Army. One of the captains of this regiment was Jonathan Dayton, the youngest signer of the Constitution...
(1776). (Assigned to various departments in 1776). - 1st Pennsylvania Battalion. Colonel John Philip De Haas. (Assigned to the Main Army in November; designated the 2nd Pennsylvania Regiment2nd Pennsylvania RegimentThe 2nd Pennsylvania Regiment, also known as The 1st Pennsylvania Battalion, was raised, October 12, 1775, under the command of Colonel John Bull for service with the Continental Army. The regiment saw action during the Battles of Brooklyn, Valcour Island, Trenton, the Brandywine, Germantown,...
in 1777). - Mackay's Battalion (Pennsylvania). Colonel Aeneas Mackay. (Assigned to the Main Army in November; designated the 8th Pennsylvania Regiment8th Pennsylvania RegimentThe 8th Pennsylvania Regiment was authorized by the Continental Congress on 11 July 1776 as part of the Continental Army for frontier defense in the Northern Department during the American Revolutionary War...
in 1777).
Artillery units:
- Wool's Artillery Detachment (New York). Captain Lieutenant Isaiah Wool. (Remnant of Lamb's Artillery Company of 1775; assigned to the 2d Continental Artillery Regiment in 1777).
- Bauman's Continental Artillery Company. Captain Sebastian Bauman. (Assigned to the Main Army, April 13, 1776; later part of the 2nd Continental Artillery Regiment).
- Romans' Continental Artillery Company. Captain Bernard RomansBernard RomansBernard Romans was a Dutch-born American navigator, surveyor, cartographer, naturalist, engineer, soldier, promoter and writer. His best known work, A Concise Natural History of East and West Florida, published in 1775, is a valuable source of information about the Floridas during the period of...
.
Eastern Department units
- 6th Continental Regiment (Massachusetts). Colonel Asa Whitcomb. (Assigned to the Northern Department August 8, 1776).
- 14th Continental Regiment14th Continental RegimentThe 14th Continental Regiment, also known as the Marblehead Regiment and Glover's Regiment, was raised as a Massachusetts militia regiment in 1775, and taken into the Continental Army establishment during the summer of 1775 as the 23rd Massachusetts Regiment. When the Continental Army was...
(Massachusetts). Colonel John Glover. (Stationed at BeverlyBeverly, MassachusettsBeverly is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 39,343 on , which differs by no more than several hundred from the 39,862 obtained in the 2000 census. A resort, residential and manufacturing community on the North Shore, Beverly includes Beverly Farms and Prides...
, MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
; assigned to the Main Army in New York on July 20, 1776). - 16th Continental Regiment (Massachusetts). Colonel Paul Dudley Sargent. (Assigned to the Main Army in New York on July 11, 1776).
- 18th Continental Regiment (Massachusetts). Colonel Edmund Phinney. (Assigned to the Northern Department on August 3, 1776).
- 27th Continental Regiment (Massachusetts). Colonel Israel Hutchinson. (Assigned to the Main Army in New York on July 11, 1776).
- Long's RegimentLong's RegimentLong's Regiment was raised on May 14, 1776 at New Castle, New Hampshire under Colonel Pierse Long for service with the Continental Army. The regiment was stationed at Fort Ticonderoga and Mount Independence on Lake Champlain and fought a delaying action at Fort Ann, New York on July 8, 1777 against...
(New Hampshire). Colonel Pierse LongPierse LongPierse Long was an American merchant from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He served as a colonel of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War and served as a New Hampshire delegate to the Continental Congress in 1785 and 1786....
. (Assigned to the Northern Department, November 22, 1776). - Ward's Regiment (Connecticut). Colonel Andrew Ward. (Assigned to the Main Army, August 1, 1776).
Rhode Island Garrison Regiments.
Two regiments of Rhode Island state troops which served with the Continental Army in 1776, but were not placed on the Continental establishment.
- Richmond's Regiment (Rhode Island). Colonel William Richmond. (Assigned to the Eastern Department, November 1775).
- Babcock's/Lippitt's Regiment (Rhode Island). Colonel Henry Babcock: January 15, 1776; Colonel Christopher LippittChristopher LippittChristopher Lippitt was a prominent Revolutionary War officer and founder one of the earliest textile mills in Rhode Island.-Early life:...
: May 1776. (Assigned to the Main Army, May 11, 1776).
Middle Department units
The Middle DepartmentDepartments of the Continental Army
In the American Revolutionary War units of the Continental Army were assigned to any one of seven regional or territorial departments to decentralize their command and administration. This was necessary because the regiment was the largest permanent unit in the Continental Army...
was created on February 27, 1776, as a military administrative district embracing New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland. When the Main Army moved from Boston to New York in April 1776 and Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
opened his headquarters in New York City, he assumed direct command of the department. As a result the Main Army became, for the remainder of the war, the field army associated with the Middle Department. At the same time New York and the Northern Department
Departments of the Continental Army
In the American Revolutionary War units of the Continental Army were assigned to any one of seven regional or territorial departments to decentralize their command and administration. This was necessary because the regiment was the largest permanent unit in the Continental Army...
became practically coextensive; only the Hudson Highlands and parts of New York to the south remained in the Middle Department. These changes left Washington holding three posts at once: Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, Commanding General of the field army under his immediate command, the Main Army, and Commanding General of the Middle Department.
Infantry units
- 3rd Pennsylvania Battalion. Colonel John Shee. (Assigned to the Middle Department, February 27, 1776; assigned to the Main Army, June 11, 1776; captured at Fort WashingtonFort Washington (New York)Fort Washington was a fortified position near the north end of Manhattan Island and was located at the highest point on the island. The Fort Washington Site is listed on the U.S...
, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, on November 16, 1776; reconstituted and designated the 4th Pennsylvania Regiment4th Pennsylvania RegimentThe 4th Pennsylvania Regiment was raised December 9, 1775 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for service with the Continental Army. The regiment would see action during the Canadian Campaign of 1775-76 , Garrison Duty at Ticonderoga 1776-77, Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Monmouth...
in 1777). - 5th Pennsylvania Battalion. Colonel Robert MagawRobert MagawRobert Magaw was a lawyer from Carlisle, Pennsylvania who served as a colonel in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.Robert was born in Philadelphia, PA, in 1738...
. (Assigned to the Middle Department, February 27, 1776; assigned to the Main Army, June 11, 1776; captured at Fort WashingtonFort Washington (New York)Fort Washington was a fortified position near the north end of Manhattan Island and was located at the highest point on the island. The Fort Washington Site is listed on the U.S...
, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, on November 16, 1776; reconstituted and designated the 6th Pennsylvania Regiment6th Pennsylvania RegimentThe 6th Pennsylvania Regiment was a unit of the United States of America Army, raised December 9, 1775 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for service with the Continental Army. The regiment would see action during the New York Campaign, Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Monmouth and...
in 1777). - Delaware Regiment. Colonel John HasletJohn HasletJohn Haslet was an American clergyman and soldier from Milford, in Kent County, Delaware. He was a veteran of the French and Indian War and an officer of the Continental Army in the American Revolution, serving as the first Colonel of the 1st Delaware Regiment...
: January 19, 1776; Colonel David HallDavid Hall (Delaware governor)David Hall was an American lawyer and politician from Lewes, in Sussex County, Delaware. He was an officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolution, and member of the Democratic-Republican Party, who served as Governor of Delaware.-Early life and family:Hall was born in Lewes,...
: April 5, 1777. (Assigned to the Main Army, August 5, 1776. Colonel Haslet was killed at the Battle of PrincetonBattle of PrincetonThe Battle of Princeton was a battle in which General George Washington's revolutionary forces defeated British forces near Princeton, New Jersey....
, January 3, 1777). - 1st Maryland Regiment1st Maryland RegimentThe 1st Maryland Regiment originated with the authorization of a Maryland Battalion of the Maryland State Troops on 14 January 1776...
. Colonel William SmallwoodWilliam SmallwoodWilliam Smallwood was an American planter, soldier and politician from Charles County, Maryland. He served in the American Revolutionary War, rising to the rank of major general...
. (State regiment assigned to the Main Army, July 6, 1776; placed on the Continental establishment, August 17, 1776). - 2nd Maryland Regiment2nd Maryland RegimentFor the American Civil War regiment, see 2nd Maryland Infantry.-Summary:The 2nd Maryland Regiment origins were authorized on 14 January 1776 in the Maryland State Troops as seven independent companies.From 7 to 14 March 1776 the companies were organized from various counties from the eastern region...
(Separate state companies assigned to the Main Army, July 6-August 15, 1776; placed on the Continental establishment, August 17, 1776). - German Battalion (8th Maryland). Colonel Nicholas Haussegger. (Assigned to the Main Army, September 23, 1776).
- Westmoreland Independent Companies (Westmoreland County, ConnecticutWestmoreland County, ConnecticutWestmoreland County, Connecticut was a county established by the State of Connecticut in the present day area of Wyoming Valley, Pennsylvania, until it was ceded to Pennsylvania in 1784, of which it now forms the northeastern corner. It briefly seceded to become the State of Westmoreland...
). Captains Samuel Ransom and Robert Durkee. (Assigned to the Main Army, December 12, 1776).
Southern Department units
The Continental CongressContinental Congress
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
established the Southern Department on February 27, 1776. The department was the organizing unit for regiments raised in Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Georgia.
Virginia infantry
- 1st Virginia Regiment1st Virginia RegimentThe 1st Virginia Regiment was raised, on July 17, 1775, at Williamsburg, Virginia as a state militia unit and later for service with the Continental Army. Its origins go back to the Charles City-Henrico County Regiment of Militia founded in 1652. During the French and Indian War it was the...
(1776). Colonel James ReadJames ReadJames Christopher Read is an American actor, best known for his role of George Hazard in the North and South television miniseries.-Early life:...
. (Assigned to the Main Army on July 20, 1776). - 2nd Virginia Regiment2nd Virginia RegimentThe 2d Virginia Regiment was authorized by the Virginia Convention, July 17, 1775, as a force of regular troops for the Commonwealth's defense. It consisted of seven companies, 476 privates and the usual regimental officers...
(1776). Colonel William WoodfordWilliam WoodfordWilliam Woodford was an American Revolutionary War general from Virginia.He was born in Caroline County, Virginia, in a town now known as Woodford. He served in the French and Indian War as an ensign in Colonel George Washington's Virginia Regiment, and was promoted to lieutenant in 1761...
. (assigned to the Main Army on December 27, 1776). - 3rd Virginia Regiment3rd Virginia RegimentThe 3rd Virginia Regiment was raised on December 28, 1775 at Alexandria, Virginia for service with the Continental Army. The 3d Virginia's initial commander was Colonel Hugh Mercer, who was quickly promoted to brigadier general. Its second commander, George Weedon, was also promoted to brigadier...
(1776). Colonel Hugh MercerHugh MercerHugh Mercer was a soldier and physician. He initially served with British forces during the Seven Years War but later became a brigadier general in the Continental Army and a close friend to George Washington...
: February 13, 1776; Colonel George WeedonGeorge WeedonGeorge Weedon was an American soldier during the Revolutionary War from Fredericksburg, Virginia.He served as a Brigadier General in the Continental Army and later in the Virginia militia....
: August 13, 1776. (Assigned to the Main Army on July 20, 1776). - 4th Virginia Regiment4th Virginia RegimentThe 4th Virginia Regiment was raised on December 28, 1775 at Suffolk Court House, Virginia for service with the Continental Army. The regiment saw action at the Battle of Trenton, Battle of Princeton, Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Monmouth and the Siege of Charleston...
(1776). Colonel Adam StephenAdam StephenAdam Stephen was a Scottish-born doctor and military officer. He came to North America, where he served in the Virginia colonial militia under George Washington during the French and Indian War. He served under Washington again in the American Revolutionary War, rising to lead a division of the...
: February 13, 1776; Colonel Thomas ElliottThomas ElliottThomas William Elliott was a former professional footballer, who played for Gainsborough Trinity, Huddersfield Town and Grimsby Town.-References:...
: September 3, 1776. (Assigned to the Main Army on September 3, 1776). - 5th Virginia Regiment5th Virginia RegimentThe 5th Virginia Regiment was raised on December 28, 1775 at Richmond, Virginia for service with the U.S. Continental Army. The regiment saw action at the Battle of Trenton, Battle of Princeton, Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Monmouth and the Siege of Charleston. The regiment...
(1776). Colonel William Peachy: February 13, 1776; Colonel Charles Scott: May 7, 1776. (Assigned to the Main Army on September 3, 1776). - 6th Virginia Regiment6th Virginia RegimentThe 6th Virginia Regiment was raised on December 28, 1775 at Williamsburg, Virginia for service with the Continental Army. The regiment would see action at the Battle of Trenton, Battle of Princeton, Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Monmouth and the Siege of Charleston...
(1776). Colonel Mordecai Buckner. (Assigned to the Main Army on September 3, 1776). - 7th Virginia Regiment7th Virginia RegimentThe 7th Virginia Regiment was raised on January 11, 1776 at Gloucester, Virginia for service with the Continental Army. The regiment would see action at the Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown , Battle of Monmouth and the Siege of Charleston...
(1776). Colonel William Dangerfield: February 20, 1776; Colonel William CrawfordWilliam Crawford (soldier)William Crawford was an American soldier and surveyor who worked as a western land agent for George Washington. Crawford fought in the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War...
: August 14, 1776. (Assigned to the Main Army on December 27, 1776). - 8th Virginia Regiment8th Virginia RegimentThe 8th Virginia Regiment was raised on January 11, 1776 at Suffolk Court House, Virginia for service with the Continental Army under the command of Peter Muhlenberg. The regiment would see action at the Battle of Brandywine, the Battle of Germantown and the Battle of Monmouth...
(1776). Colonel Peter MuhlenbergPeter MuhlenbergJohn Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg was an American clergyman, Continental Army soldier during the American Revolutionary War, and political figure in the newly-independent United States...
. (Assigned to the Main Army on January 21, 1777). - 9th Virginia Regiment9th Virginia RegimentThe 9th Virginia Regiment was authorized in the Virginia State Troops on January 11, 1776. It was subsequently organized between February 5 and March 16, 1776 and comprised seven companies of troops from easternmost Virginia. The unit was adopted into the Continental Army on May 31, 1776. The...
(1776). Colonel Charles Fleming: March 2, 1776; Colonel Isaac Read: August 13, 1776. (Assigned to the Main Army on November 23, 1776).
North Carolina infantry
- 1st North Carolina Regiment1st North Carolina RegimentThe 1st North Carolina Regiment was raised on September 1, 1775, at Wilmington, North Carolina, for service with the Continental Army. The regiment saw action at the Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Monmouth and the Siege of Charleston. The regiment was captured by the British...
(1776). Colonel Francis NashFrancis NashFrancis Nash was a brigadier general killed in the American Revolutionary War.Nash was born in Prince Edward County, Virginia. At an early age he became prominent as a North Carolina merchant, attorney, and justice of the peace; experiences which eventually led to a seat in the North Carolina...
. (Assigned to the Main Army on February 5, 1777). - 2nd North Carolina Regiment2nd North Carolina RegimentThe 2nd North Carolina Regiment was raised on September 1, 1775 at New Bern, North Carolina for service with the Continental Army. The regiment would see action at the Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Monmouth and the Siege of Charleston. The regiment would be captured by the...
(1776). Colonel Alexander MartinAlexander MartinAlexander Martin was the fourth and seventh Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1782 to 1784 and from 1789 to 1792.-Biography:...
. (Assigned to the Main Army on February 5, 1777). - 3rd North Carolina Regiment3rd North Carolina RegimentThe 3rd North Carolina Regiment was raised, on January 16, 1776, at Wilmington, North Carolina for service with the Continental Army. The regiment would see action at the Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Monmouth and the Siege of Charleston. The regiment would be captured by...
(1776). Colonel Jethro SumnerJethro SumnerJethro Exum Sumner was a brigadier general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.Sumner was born in Virginia. He was active in the measures that preceded the Revolution, and in 1760 was paymaster of the provincial troops of North Carolina and commander at Fort Cumberland...
. (Assigned to the Main Army on February 5, 1777). - 4th North Carolina Regiment4th North Carolina RegimentThe 4th North Carolina Regiment was raised on January 16, 1776 at Wilmington, North Carolina for service with the Continental Army. The regiment saw action at the Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Monmouth and the Siege of Charleston. The regiment was captured by the British...
(1776). Colonel Thomas Polk. (Assigned to the Main Army on February 5, 1777). - 5th North Carolina Regiment5th North Carolina RegimentThe 5th North Carolina Regiment was assigned on March 26, 1776 to the Continental Army in the Southern Department. It was organized in the spring of 1776 at Wilmington, North Carolina as eight companies of volunteers from the districts of Newbern, Edenton and Hillsborough of the colony of North...
(1776). Colonel Edward BuncombeEdward BuncombeEdward Buncombe was a plantation owner from the Province of North Carolina who served as a colonel in the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. He is the namesake of Buncombe County in western North Carolina...
. (Assigned to the Main Army on February 5, 1777). - 6th North Carolina Regiment6th North Carolina RegimentThe 6th North Carolina Regiment was raised on March 26, 1776 at New Bern, North Carolina for service with the Continental Army. The regiment saw action at the Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown and the Battle of Monmouth...
(1776). Colonel John Alexander Lillington; field commander, Lieutenant Colonel William Taylor, from May 6, 1776. (Assigned to the Main Army on February 5, 1777).
South Carolina infantry
- 1st South Carolina Regiment1st South Carolina RegimentThe 1st South Carolina Regiment was raised on June 6, 1775 at Charleston, South Carolina for service with the Continental Army. The regiment saw action at the Siege of Savannah and the Siege of Charleston. The regiment was captured at Charleston on May 12, 1780 together with the rest of the...
(1775). Colonel Christopher GadsdenChristopher GadsdenChristopher Gadsden , a soldier and statesman from South Carolina, was the principal leader of the South Carolina Patriot movement in the American Revolution. He was a delegate to the Continental Congress and a brigadier general in the Continental Army during the War of Independence...
: June 17, 1775; Colonel Charles Cotesworth PinckneyCharles Cotesworth PinckneyCharles Cotesworth “C. C.” Pinckney , was an early American statesman of South Carolina, Revolutionary War veteran, and delegate to the Constitutional Convention. He was twice nominated by the Federalist Party as their presidential candidate, but he did not win either election.-Early life and...
: September 16, 1776. - 2nd South Carolina Regiment2nd South Carolina RegimentThe 2nd South Carolina Regiment was raised on June 6, 1775, at Charleston, South Carolina, for service with the Continental Army. The regiment saw action at the Siege of Savannah and the Siege of Charleston. The regiment was captured by the British Army at Charleston on May 12, 1780, together with...
(1775). Colonel William MoultrieWilliam MoultrieWilliam Moultrie was a general from South Carolina in the American Revolutionary War.He was born in Charleston, South Carolina. He fought in the Anglo-Cherokee War and served in the colonial assembly before the advent of the American Revolution....
: June 17, 1775; Colonel Isaac MotteIsaac MotteIsaac Motte was an American soldier and statesman from Charleston, South Carolina. He served as a Colonel in the Revolutionary War and represented South Carolina in the Continental Congress from 1780 to 1782....
: September 16, 1776. - 5th South Carolina Regiment5th South Carolina RegimentThe 5th South Carolina Regiment was raised on February 22, 1776 at Charleston, South Carolina for service with the Continental Army. The regiment saw action at the Siege of Savannah. The regiment was merged into the 1st South Carolina Regiment on February 11, 1780.-External links:* compiled by the...
(1st South Carolina Rifle Regiment). Colonel Isaac HugerIsaac HugerIsaac Huger was a planter and Continental Army general during the American Revolutionary War.-Life and work:...
. - 6th South Carolina Regiment6th South Carolina RegimentThe 6th South Carolina Regiment was authorized on 28 February 1776 in the South Carolina State Troops and was organized during the spring of 1776 as five companies of volunteers from the northwestern region of the colony of South Carolina....
(2d South Carolina Rifle Regiment). Colonel Thomas SumterThomas SumterThomas Sumter nicknamed the "Carolina Gamecock" , was a hero of the American Revolution and went on to become a longtime member of the Congress of the United States.-Early life:Thomas Sumter was born near Charlottesville in Hanover County, Virginia in 1734...
.Georgia infantry - 1st Georgia Regiment1st Georgia RegimentThe 1st Georgia Regiment was raised by Lachlan McIntosh on November 4, 1775, at Savannah, Georgia for service with the Continental Army. The regiment saw action in Florida in 1777 and 1778, the Siege of Savannah and the Siege of Charleston. The regiment was captured along with the rest of the...
. Colonel Lachlan McIntoshLachlan McIntoshLachlan McIntosh was a British-born American military and political leader during the American Revolution and the early United States. In a 1777 duel, he shot dead Button Gwinnett, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.-Arrival in Georgia:Lachlan McIntosh was born near Raits, Badenoch,...
: January 7, 1776; Colonel Joseph HabershamJoseph HabershamJoseph Habersham was an American businessman, Georgia politician, soldier in the Continental Army, and Postmaster General of the United States....
: September 16, 1776.
Cavalry units
- 3rd South Carolina Regiment3rd South Carolina RegimentThe 3rd South Carolina Regiment was raised on 6 June 1775, at Ninety-Six Court House, South Carolina, for service with the Continental Army. The regiment saw action at the Siege of Savannah and the Siege of Charleston. The regiment was captured by the British Army at Charleston on 12 May 1780,...
(1775), (South Carolina Ranger Regiment). Colonel William Thompson: June 17, 1775. (Converted to infantry in 1777). - Georgia Regiment of Horse RangersGeorgia Regiment of Horse RangersThe Georgia Regiment of Horse Rangers was raised on January 1, 1776, at Savannah, Georgia for service with the Continental Army. The regiment saw action in Florida in 1777 at the Siege of Savannah and in 1778 at the Siege of Charleston...
. - North Carolina Corps of Light DragoonsCorps of North Carolina Light DragoonsThe Corps of North Carolina Light Dragoons was raised on April 13, 1775 at Wilmington, North Carolina as a state militia unit and later for service with the Continental Army. The regiment saw action at the Battle of Brandywine and the Battle of Germantown...
.
Artillery units
- 4th South Carolina Regiment4th South Carolina RegimentThe 4th South Carolina Regiment was raised on November 13, 1775 at Charleston, South Carolina for service with the Continental Army. The regiment saw action at the Siege of Savannah and the Siege of Charleston. The regiment was captured at Charleston on May 12, 1780 together with the rest of the...
(South Carolina Artillery Regiment). Colonel Owen Roberts. - Virginia State Artillery Company. Captain James Innis.
- Virginia Continental Artillery Company. Captain Dohickey Arundel.