Wikis
|
Origin of the Continental Army
This is a list of units of the Continental Army, which was the national army of the United States during the American Revolutionary War. The Continental Congress took a number of steps in the spring of 1775 in response to the Battles of Lexington and Concord in April and the seizure of Fort Ticonderoga in May. These measures resulted in the creation the Continental Army. The units composing the Continental Army changed frequently, especially in the first two years of the war. From 1777 to the close of the war, the organization of the Continental Army became progressively more systematic and sophisticated. The Continental Army that served at Yorktown bore very little resemblance to the Continental Army that blockaded Boston.
The Continental Congress was hostile to maintaining standing armies. Under the Articles of Confederation the Congress did not have the power to raise national troops by means of a draft. Enlistment in the Continental Army was voluntary; and throughout the war there were Americans who elected to fight for George III rather than for Congress. Further, under the Articles of Confederation, the Continental Congress could not raise its own revenue directly. Because of the resulting shortages in money and manpower, the Continental Army was often forced to work in conjunction with state-controlled militia units. These units were called out as needed for short periods. On several occasions the militia performed well, but Washington frequently noted the inefficiency of the militia in his correspondence.
Contents |
June 14, 1775 is very properly considered the founding date of the Continental Army and of the United States Army which succeeded it. On that day, the Continental Congress assumed responsibility for the regular troops that had been raised by the colonies of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Most of these troops were besieging the British garrison in Boston, under General Thomas Gage. The force adopted by the Continental Congress amounted to 39 regiments of infantry, and 1 regiment and 1 separate company of artillery.
On the same date, for the first time in history, the American Congress ordered troops to be raised for national defense. It ordered that ten companies of "expert riflemen" be raised in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia, specifying their organization, pay, and term of enlistment. This was a new departure. Until this date, the Congress had merely adopted units already raised by the states or, as in New York, simply promised financial support for a stated number of troops, leaving further action to the state.
Nevertheless, in June 1775 it was impossible to foresee that the war would continue for eight years, involve the great powers of Europe, and spread to every quarter of the globe. Therefore, with the single exception of the Pennsylvania riflemen, raised for one year, the term of service of all the units in the Continental Army ended on December 31, 1775, or earlier.
At the end of 1775 the Siege of Boston was no nearer to resolution than it had been in April, and the attempt to capture Quebec had failed. Therefore, the Continental Congress voted to reraise the army at Boston and to maintain Continental units elsewhere. Before the Siege of Boston ended in March 1776 the Continental Congress was supporting troops from every colony except Maryland. The new units were to serve from January 1 to December 31, 1776. The eventful year 1776 saw the evacuation of Boston in March as a result of the Fortification of Dorchester Heights, the failure of the Invasion of Canada and the retreat to Ticonderoga in July, the loss of New York City in September, and the battles of Trenton and Princeton at the close of the year. The fact that Washington's army was disbanding at this critical moment was the result of the unfortunate fact that its one-year term of service was then expiring.
The Continental Congress was hostile to maintaining standing armies. Under the Articles of Confederation the Congress did not have the power to raise national troops by means of a draft. Enlistment in the Continental Army was voluntary; and throughout the war there were Americans who elected to fight for George III rather than for Congress. Further, under the Articles of Confederation, the Continental Congress could not raise its own revenue directly. Because of the resulting shortages in money and manpower, the Continental Army was often forced to work in conjunction with state-controlled militia units. These units were called out as needed for short periods. On several occasions the militia performed well, but Washington frequently noted the inefficiency of the militia in his correspondence.
Despite its antipathy to "standing armies" the Continental Congress was forced by circumstances to raise a standing army of its own. As a result of defeat at the Battle of Long Island in August 1776 Washington lost possession of New York City, which became the British Army's main base in the American colonies for the remainder of the war. The Congress created the third establishment on September 16, 1776. It voted to raise an army of 88 regiments of infantry, with each of the thirteen states being assigned a quota based on its population. Enlistments in this army were to be for three years or the duration of the war. This program was augmented in December 1776 when Washington was given authority to raise an additional 16 regiments of infantry. The army of 1777 was also a better-balanced force than the two which preceded it. Besides the infantry, the artillery was increased to a brigade under Henry Knox, a cavalry brigade was organized, originally under Casimir Pulaski, and eventually the Continental Army included partisan units, engineer troops, military police, and invalids. In 1777, 119 regiments were fielded. On paper these regiments contained over 90,000 officers and men.[1] In later years this ambitious program was reduced to one that was more sustainable, through consolidation or elimination of surplus units.
Overview of units fielded
Infantry
New Hampshire: 3 regiments. The 1st, 2d, and 3d New Hampshire Regiments (1775) were adopted by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775.
Massachusetts: 27 regiments. On June 14, 1775 the Continental Congress adopted the 27 Massachusetts regiments commanded by colonels Ward, Thomas, Walker, Cotton, Whitcomb, Read, Mansfield, Danielson, Prescott, Frye, Bridge, Paterson, Scammon, Learned, Gardner, Nixon, Fellows, Doolittle, J. Brewer, D. Brewer, Heath, Woodbridge, Glover, Little, Gerrish, Phinney, and Sargent.
Rhode Island: 3 regiments. Varnum's, Hitchcock's, and Church's Regiments were adopted by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775.
Connecticut: 6 regiments, later 8 regiments. The 1st through 6th Connecticut Regiments (1775) were adopted by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775. The 7th and 8th Connecticut Regiments (1775) were adopted by the Congress on July 19, 1775.
New York: 5 regiments. On May 25 the Continental Congress voted to support a force not exceeding 3,000 men for the defense of New York. The colony of New York availed itself fully of this number, subsequently raising them as the 1st through 4th New York Regiments (1775). Warner's Regiment, from the present state of Vermont, was authorized on June 23, 1775.
Pennsylvania: 1 regiment. The Continental Congress ordered, on June 14, 1775 that six companies of riflemen be raised in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania frontiersman were so eager to participate that on June 22 Pennsylvania's quota of companies was increased to eight, organized as a regiment known as the Pennsylvania Rifle Regiment. A ninth company was added to the regiment on July 11.[2]
Maryland: 2 separate companies. The Continental Congress ordered, on June 14, 1775 that two companies of riflemen be raised in Maryland.
Virginia: 2 regiments, 2 separate companies. The Continental Congress ordered, on June 14, 1775 that two companies of riflemen be raised in Virginia. On November 4, 1775 the Congress adopted the 1st and 2d Virginia Regiments. These were existing organizations that had been authorized by the colony in August and organized at Williamsburg in October.
North Carolina: 2 regiments. On June 26, 1775 the Continental Congress voted to support a force not exceeding 1,000 men for the defense of North Carolina.[3] The colony of North Carolina availed itself fully of this number, subsequently raising them as the 1st and 2d North Carolina Regiments (1775).
South Carolina: 2 regiments. The Continental Congress resolved, on November 4, 1775 to support two infantry regiments in South Carolina and one in Georgia. The Georgia Regiment was raised in 1776 and was therefore part of the "second establishment." The 1st and 2d South Carolina Regiments were existing organizations that had been authorized by the colony on its own initiative in June.
Artillery
Massachusetts: 1 regiment. The Massachusetts Artillery Regiment, under Colonel Gridley, was adopted by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775 and redesignated the Continental Artillery Regiment.
Rhode Island: 1 separate company. The Rhode Island Train of Artillery was adopted by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775.
New York: 1 separate company. The Continental Congress authorized Lamb's Continental Artillery Company on June 30, 1775.
The year in parenthesis follows the designation of a regiment, when necessary, to distinguish regiments on different establishments having the same number. This convention is used because of the successive disbandment and reraising of the Continental Army. The year in parenthesis is not part of a unit's formal designation. Units authorized late in 1775 but raised to serve in 1776 are excluded from the preceding summary.
Organization and service of Continental Army units, 1775
Divisions and brigades established in the Main Army
The Continental Congress resolved on June 15, 1775 that the Continental Army should be commanded by a full general. This appointment was offered to George Washington, who accepted it the following day. In company with Philip Schuyler and other officers he began the journey from Philadelphia to Boston. Upon arrival at Cambridge, where Washington opened his headquarters on July 3, the general found the army in need of organization and discipline. In General Orders, July 22, 1775 General Washington organized this heterogeneous collection of regiments variously known as the Continental Army, Grand Army, or Main Army, containing more than 22,000 men, into three divisions of two brigades each.[4]
Riflemen at Boston and Quebec
The 13 rifle companies from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia hurried to Boston.[5] They were present with the Main Army in August, and in September three of the companies, two from Pennsylvania under Captains Hendricks and Smith[6] and one from Virginia under Captain Morgan were attached to the Canadian Expedition under Benedict Arnold.[7]
Schuyler's Separate, or New York, Department
Meanwhile, a second force in New York under Major General Philip Schuyler was designated the New York Department, later known as the Northern Department. Schuyler's smaller army was created to defend New York, but he was instructed by the Continental Congress to launch an (ultimately disastrous) preemptive invasion of Canada, which began on August 31, 1775.[8]
Operations in the South
The Continental regiments in the Southern colonies saw active service before the year ended, fighting Lord Dunmore at Great Bridge in December. Here the 2nd Virginia Regiment was commanded by William Woodford, who later became a brigadier general in the Continental Army.
Order of Battle - July 22, 1775
General George Washington
Established June 25, 1775.[9] Merged into Middle Department, February 27, 1776.[10]
Major General Philip Schuyler
Provincial units attached to New York Department
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 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.[11]
Washington announced a new organization of the Main Army in General Orders, January 24, 1776.[12] The organization was similar to the organization of 1775, but with new regiments.
Order of Battle - January 24, 1776
General George Washington
Established January 17, 1776.[14] Discontinued July 8, 1776.[15]
In January 1776, Congress reorganized the New York Department, designating the force that had invaded Canada as the Canadian Department. Units were consolidated, and a second regiment of Canadians was recruited. After Washington learned of Brigadier General Richard Montgomery's death and defeat at the Battle of Quebec, three New England units originally intended as militia were instead raised as Continental regiments, commanded by Colonels Bedel, Porter, and Burrall,[16] and sent to Canada.
At Quebec, Major General John Thomas took command of Canadian Department in May 1776. Additional reinforcements from the Main Army led by Brigadier General William Thompson arrived in mid-May, but were immediately disabled by an outbreak of smallpox. After General Thomas succumbed on June 2, Brigadier General John Sullivan, who had arrived with a second group of reinforcements on May 31, took command of the department. When British Major General John Burgoyne arrived in Quebec with reinforcements, the Americans withdrew to Crown Point by July 1776. Major General Horatio Gates arrived to take command of the Canadian Department, but with no troops in Canada, the department ceased to exist. Gates, under Schuyler's Northern Department, organized 15 Continental units as the "Northern Army" in the Fort Ticonderoga area. The remaining units, some of them in poor shape after service in Canada, were retained by Schuyler as a rear echelon guarding the Mohawk River valley.[17]
Established from Middle Department, April 14, 1776.[18] Continued to January 15, 1783.[19]
Major General Philip Schuyler
Established April 4, 1776.[20] Discontinued November 1779.[21]
Following the British evacuation of Boston, Massachusetts, on March 17, 1776, Washington led the Continental Army (the Main Army) to New York City. He left a Continental garrison at Boston, under Major General Artemas Ward, in case the British should return. In the summer of 1776 it became clear to Washington that the main British effort would be directed against New York City and northern New York, and he reached the conclusion that the Continental regiments at Boston were more urgently needed elsewhere. He therefore ordered them to reinforce either his own army or the Northern Army under Major General Philip Schuyler.[22] The Eastern Department became a secondary theater until the Battle of Rhode Island in 1778.
Two regiments of Rhode Island state troops which served with the Continental Army in 1776, but were not placed on the Continental establishment.[24]
Established February 27, 1776.[25] Continued to close of war.[26]
The Middle Department was originally created 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.[27] 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.[28] 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.
Established February 27, 1776.[29] Continued to close of war.[30]
The Continental Congress raised troops in the southern colonies before the Southern Department was created. It had called for troops from the Southern colonies eight months before the department was established. On the date that the Southern Department came into existence the Continental Congress had accepted or authorized a dozen Southern infantry regiments, a number that would double within the next six months.
North Carolina Continentals
As early as June 26, 1775, some eight weeks after the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the Continental Congress voted to support 1,000 men in North Carolina.[31] These were organized as the 1st and 2d North Carolina Regiments of 1775. A third North Carolina regiment was raised in January 1776 and two more regiments were raised in March. A sixth North Carolina regiment was authorized in April. All six of these regiments had become a part of the Continental Army by the summer of 1776.[32]
Virginia Continentals
The Continental Congress assumed responsibility for the two existing Virginia provincial regiments on November 1, 1775. These were the 1st and 2d Virginia Regiments of 1775. On December 28, 1775 the Continental Congress requested four more regiments from Virginia. In January 1776 the colony authorized these six regiments for the Continental Army and authorized three more regiments as state troops. All nine of these regiments had become a part of the Continental Army by the summer of 1776.[33] A separate company of artillery was authorized by Virginia on December 1, 1775. In March the Continental Congress adopted this company and authorized one more.[34]
South Carolina and Georgia Continentals
On November 4, 1775 - the same date on which it authorized the 27 numbered Continental regiments of 1776 - the Congress authorized two battalions from South Carolina and one battalion form Georgia for the Continental Army. South Carolina then transferred the 1st and 2d South Carolina Regiments to the Continental Army. Three more South Carolina provincial regiments were adopted by the Continental Army in March 1776, and South Carolina's regiment of mounted rangers was adopted in July 1776.[35]
Establishment of the department
In February 1776 a superior headquarters was urgently needed to administer the rapidly growing number of Continental regiments being raised in the South. The Southern Army, as the troops in the Southern Department were known, met its first major test successfully when it repulsed the British attack on Charleston, South Carolina, on June 28, 1776.
Virginia Regiments
North Carolina Regiments
South Carolina Regiments
Georgia Regiment
The Continental Army of 1777 was a result of several critical reforms and political decisions that came about when it was apparent that the British were sending massive forces to put an end to the Revolution. In order to create a more stable, better trained army that would not cease to exist at the end of each year — the army had nearly collapsed at the end of 1776 — men were now enlisted for the duration of the war. Because many men were reluctant to enlist for such an indefinite period, Congress also offered the alternative of a three–year enlistment.[40]
Eighty-Eight Battalion Resolve
On September 16, 1776, the Continental Congress passed the "eighty-eight battalion resolve," which called for each state to contribute regiments in proportion to their population. (The terms regiment and battalion were virtually interchangeable at that time since nearly every Continental Army regiment consisted of a single battalion). The quota of infantry regiments was fixed at 15 each from Massachusetts and Virginia, 12 from Pennsylvania, 9 from North Carolina, 8 each from Connecticut and Maryland, 6 from South Carolina, 4 each from New York and New Jersey, 3 from New Hampshire, 2 from Rhode Island, and 1 each from Delaware and Georgia.[41] Each state was expected to arm, clothe, and equip its regiments. A state's quota of infantry regiments was collectively known as that state's "line", such as the Pennsylvania Line. A state "line" was an administrative designation and not a tactical formation like a brigade or division.[42]
Washington's Dictatorial Powers
Washington and his generals believed that 88 regiments were insufficient to challenge the British Army, and so on December 27, 1776, Congress gave Washington the authority to raise additional regiments which were placed directly under his control and not under any state. These additional units consisted of 16 infantry regiments, three artillery regiments, a corps of engineers, and 3,000 light horsemen. Including three other regiments previously authorized by Congress (the two Canadian regiments and Seth Warner's regiment of Green Mountain Boys), 110 regiments were authorized for the Continental Army of 1777. Some states exceeded their quotas, and so 119 regiments were actually fielded in 1777.[43]
The decisions implemented in 1777 determined the basic organizational structure of the Continental Army for the duration of the war. Although the army raised in 1777 was the army which served until the close of the war, the Continental Army of 1777 underwent a general reorganization on three important occasions.
Reorganization of 1778-1779
On 27 May 1778 Congress reduced the quota of infantry regiments in the state lines to 80. The new regiments were smaller by one-third to cut expenses, and for the first time included a permanent light infantry company. The quota of infantry regiments was so adjusted that Massachusetts provided 15, Pennsylvania and Virginia each provided 11, Connecticut and Maryland each provided 8, North Carolina and South Carolina each provided 6, New York provided 5, New Hampshire and New Jersey each provided 3, Rhode Island provided 2, and Delaware and Georgia each provided 1. Congress also consolidated some of the weaker Additional Continental Regiments. Because this reorganization was proposed just as the campaign of 1778 was about to begin, it was implemented gradually over the next ten months, and finalized on March 9, 1779.[44]
Reorganization of 1781
In October 1780, with the three-year enlistments of 1777 soon to expire, the Continental Congress ordered a new organization of the Continental Army, to become effective on January 1, 1781. The number of infantry regiments was reduced to 50 (including Hazen’s 2d Canadian Regiment, which was retained as the Canadian Regiment). The new regiments were larger, and for the first time they included a regimental depot. The quota of infantry regiments was fixed at 10 from Massachusetts, 8 from Virginia, 6 from Pennsylvania, 5 each from Connecticut and Maryland, 4 from North Carolina, 2 each from New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, and South Carolina, and 1 each from Rhode Island, Delaware, and Georgia. The few Additional Continental Regiments that had survived to this late date were either allotted to a state line or disbanded. The support of the Continental Army’s cavalry and artillery regiments was also made the responsibility of a definite state for the first time, but they retained their status as separate branches of the Continental Army.
As of January 1, 1781, the states were made responsible for regiments in other branches as follows: 1st and 3rd Legionary Corps (formerly 1st and 3d Light Dragoons): Virginia; 2d Legionary Corps (2nd Light Dragoons): Connecticut; and 4th Legionary Corps (4th Light Dragoons): Pennsylvania — 1st Artillery: Virginia; 2d Artillery: New York; 3d Artillery: Massachusetts; and 4th Artillery: Pennsylvania.
Thus the total number of regimental equivalents was reduced to 61. This number included 50 infantry regiments, 4 legionary corps (which were partly dismounted light dragoons), 4 artillery regiments, 2 partisan corps, and 1 artificer regiment.[45]
Reorganization of 1783
Finally, on August 7, 1782, the Continental Congress resolved that the Continental Army should be so reduced that, if possible, all its units should contain at least 500 rank and file. This reorganization was to become effective on January 1, 1783. Under this resolve, the infantry of the Continental Army was reorganized to consist of 1 regiment and 1 battalion (4 companies) from New Hampshire (effected March 1, 1783), 8 regiments from Massachusetts, 1 battalion (6 companies) from Rhode Island, 3 regiments from Connecticut, 2 regiments from New York, 1 regiment and 1 battalion (4 companies) from New Jersey (effected March 1, 1783), 3 regiments from Pennsylvania, 1 regiment (2 companies) from Delaware, 2 regiments from Maryland, 2 regiments from Virginia, 1 regiment and 1 battalion from North Carolina, 2 regiments from South Carolina, and 1 regiment (3 companies) from Georgia. In this instance, with some exceptions, the term “battalion” was used to designate a unit with less than the regulation nine companies.[46]
The Connecticut Line was assigned a quota of 8 infantry regiments for 1777 and 1778-1779, reduced to 5 infantry regiments for 1781, and to 3 infantry regiments for 1783.
The Delaware Line was assigned a quota of 1 infantry regiment for 1777, 1778-1779, and 1781; and a quota of 1 infantry regiment (of 2 companies) for 1783.
The Georgia Line was assigned a quota of 1 infantry regiment for 1777, 1778-1779, and 1781; and 1 infantry regiment (of 3 companies) for 1783. Three infantry regiments in excess of the quota were raised outside Georgia.
The Maryland Line was assigned a quota of 8 infantry regiments for 1777 and 1778-1779, reduced to 5 infantry regiments for 1781, and to 2 regiments for 1783. (Maryland counted those portions of the German Battalion and the Maryland and Virginia Rifle Regiment that were raised in Maryland as the equivalent of an 8th Maryland regiment).
The Massachusetts Line was assigned a quota of 15 infantry regiments for 1777 and 1778-1779, reduced to 10 infantry regiments for 1781, and to 8 infantry regiments for 1783.
The New Hampshire Line was assigned a quota of 3 infantry regiments for 1777 and 1778-1779, reduced to 2 infantry regiments for 1781, and to 1 regiment and 1 battalion (of 4 companies) for 1783.
The New Jersey Line was assigned a quota of 4 infantry regiments for 1777, reduced to 3 infantry regiments for 1778-1779, to 2 infantry regiments for 1781, and to 1 regiment and 1 battalion (of 4 companies) for 1783.
The New York Line was assigned a quota of 4 infantry regiments for 1777, increased to 5 infantry regiments for 1778-1779, and reduced to 2 infantry regiments for 1781 and 1783.
The North Carolina Line was assigned a quota of 9 infantry regiments for 1777, reduced to 6 infantry regiments for 1778-1779, to 4 infantry regiments for 1781, and to 1 regiment and 1 battalion for 1783.
The Pennsylvania Line was assigned a quota of 12 infantry regiments for 1777, reduced to 11 infantry regiments for 1778-1779, to 6 infantry regiments for 1781, and to 3 infantry regiments for 1783.
The Rhode Island Line was assigned a quota of 2 infantry regiments for 1777 and 1778-1779, reduced to 1 infantry regiment for 1781, and to 1 battalion (of 6 companies) for 1783.
The South Carolina Line was assigned a quota of 6 infantry regiments for 1777 and 1778-1779, reduced to 2 infantry regiments for 1781 and 1783. South Carolina raised one of its regiments as an artillery regiment.
The Virginia Line was assigned a quota of 15 infantry regiments for 1777, reduced to 11 infantry regiments for 1778-1779, to 8 infantry regiments for 1781, and to 2 infantry regiments for 1783.
Units designated "Additional Continental Regiments" were unnumbered infantry regiments authorized in 1777 in addition to the 88 regiments previously authorized by Congress. These units were raised "at large" and not part of any state's quota, although some were later adopted into state lines. Sixteen regiments were authorized, but because of manpower shortages Washington attempted to raise only 15. Two of these 15 were never organized because their colonels declined the position in favor of other commands, leaving 13 "additional" regiments. Congress subsequently authorized one more "additional" regiment, Sheppard's Additional Continental Regiment, but it was absorbed into the weak North Carolina line within a year.[49]
Certain permanent infantry units existed in the Continental Army throughout the war which were neither one of the 88 regiments of infantry of the line authorized by the Continental Congress on September 16, 1776, nor one of the 16 additional regiments which the Congress authorized on December 27, 1776 and which Washington raised early in 1777. Historically, these infantry units have been designated the extra regiments and corps of the Continental Army.[50]
The Corps of Light Infantry was a provisional unit of Washington's Main Army, following the British Army model of consolidating together the light infantry companies of the line infantry regiments during campaigns. Its immediate predecessor was the Provisional Rifle Corps created in early June 1777 and commanded by Col. Daniel Morgan. With 508 expert riflemen in eight companies drawn at large primarily from Pennsylvania (193), Virginia (163), and Maryland (65), it performed many of the duties of light infantry. It saw action during the British retreat from Brunswick, New Jersey, on June 22, and scouted for Howe's movements towards Philadelphia. Unlike the corps of light infantry to follow, it remained a semi-permanent organization, fighting in the battles of Saratoga and Monmouth, after which it was reduced to three companies commanded by Captain Thomas Posey. He was replaced by Major James Parr, and they accompanied the Sullivan Expedition before their enlistments expired. During that campaign, Sullivan formed a battalion of light infantry from a dismounted troop of the 2nd Continental Light Dragoons, two light infantry companies of New Yorkers, and one from New Hampshire.
The five light infantry organizations of the Continental Main Army were:
1777: The Corps of Light Infantry on the British model was implemented to replace the Provisional Rifle Corps, which was detached as reinforcements to Gates during the Saratoga Campaign. The first corps of light infantry was formed on August 28, 1777, commanded by Brig-Gen William Maxwell. Because the Continental Army did not yet authorize permanent light infantry companies, provisional companies were formed from drafts of 100 men chosen from each of the ten brigades present in the field. Maxwell's Light Infantry formed the advanced skirmish line at the Battle of Brandywine, and was brigaded as a reserve with Maxwell's regular New Jersey Brigade during the Battle of Germantown. In December 1777, the corps was disbanded and the companies returned to their parent units in winter quarters. This practice continued annually through the campaign season of 1781.
1778: The second light infantry corps was formed on June 24, 1778, after British forces abandoned Philadelphia, to harry their line of retreat and to bring them to battle when Washington pursued. It was commanded by Brig-Gen Charles Scott, and like Maxwell's corps the previous year, drafted provisional companies to fill its ranks. Scott's Light Infantry fought at the Battle of Monmouth.
1779: Permanent light infantry companies were made a part of each line regiment in 1779. They were grouped as the Corps of Light Infantry on June 12, with Brig-Gen Anthony Wayne taking command July 11, and stormed the fortified British position at Stony Point, New York four nights later. Serving until December 5, 1779, the corps was organized into four regiments of two battalions each, totaling 1,350 men:
1780: On August 1, 1780, at Springfield, New Jersey, the Corps of Light Infantry was again formed, and on August 7 assigned to the command of the Marquis de LaFayette in the Light Division. At his own expense, Lafayette improved and standardized a distinctive uniform for the light infantry, including swords, espontoons, brass belt buckles and cap plates, and red-and-black plumed hats (later switched for plumed leather helmets). The corps was broken up on November 27, 1780. Numbering 2,000 men, it had six battalions organized as two brigades:
1781: On February 17, 1781, the corps was reassembled under LaFayette at Peekskill, New York, and sent to oppose Cornwallis in Virginia. With reductions in the size of the regulars, the corps consisted of three battalions, with an approximate strength of 1,200:
An additional corps of light infantry, amounting to 400 men, was created on June 24, 1781, in New York by forming provisional light infantry companies, five from Connecticut, four from Massachusetts, and one from New Hampshire. Commanded by Col. Alexander Scammel, it seized Dobbs Ferry, New York and was the vanguard of Washington's march to Yorktown, Virginia in August.
At Williamsburg, Virginia, on September 24, 1781, both corps were organized again into Lafayette's Light Division of two brigades to lead the advance of the army to Yorktown. The first brigade, commanded by Brig-Gen Peter Muhlenberg, consisted of the regular corps of Vose's, Gimat's, and Barber's battalions. The second brigade, commanded by Brig-Gen Moses Hazen, consisted of Scammel's provisional corps and a battalion formed under the command of Lt-Col Alexander Hamilton from the two light infantry companies of the New York Line. The Canadian Regiment filled out Hazen's brigade. When Scammel was killed in action on October 1, the light infantry companies of the second brigade were reorganized into two battalions, the first consisting of the New Hampshire and five Connecticut provisional companies (commanded by Lt-Col John Laurens), and the second of the New York companies and the four Massachusetts provisionals (commanded by Hamilton).
The Continental Corps of Light Dragoons was created in 1777 as an element of the third establishment of the Continental Army, raised for the duration of the war as reconnaissance and scouting troops. It consisted of four regiments, each authorized to raise six troops and 280 men. Its only commander was Casimir Pulaski, who was appointed a brigadier general in the Continental Army on September 15, 1777. General Pulaski withdrew from this assignment on March 28, 1778 after friction with his subordinate commanders to organize a partisan corps, Pulaski's Legion, and no Chief of Cavalry was appointed to succeed him. The brigade of cavalry as an offensive weapon was dissolved in 1778 and the regiments distributed geographically, where they operated in troop-sized detachments. In the 1778 reorganization, the light dragoon regiments theoretically gained strength: authorizations of troop strength increased from 44 to 68 men, and regimental musters to 415 men. None of the light dragoon regiments came close to meeting this mark, averaging 120 to 180 men during their active campaigns, nor were they able to mount more than a majority of those enlisted. In 1780 attrition to the 1st and 3rd resulted in their unofficial amalgamation.
On January 1, 1781, in official acceptance of existing practices, the light dragoons were converted into "legionary corps" along European lines by the dismounting of two of their six troops, with two corps allotted to the Main Army and two to the Southern Department. In the same manner, 1782 saw the 1st and 3rd Legionary Corps officially consolidated into a single unit.
Two state regiments of light dragoons served with the Southern Army:
In 1777 the Continental Artillery was increased from a single regiment to a brigade of four regiments, under Henry Knox. Knox was promoted to the rank of brigadier general on December 27, 1776, and to the rank of major general on November 15, 1781. He served as Washington's Chief of Artillery to the close of the war.
Partisan corps were combined-arms units of mounted and infantry troops, organized as battalion-sized forces but often broken down into smaller detachments, mainly intended to engage in high mobility guerrilla warfare.
The Provost Corps in the Continental Army consisted of one mounted troop. However, the troop performed the duties of military police rather than of cavalry. They were the forerunners of the US Military Police Corps. Among them was Von Heer's Provost Troop (the Marechaussee Corps), commanded by Captain Bartholomew Von Heer (June 1, 1778; Brevet Major, September 30, 1783; served to close of war).
The Corps of Invalids was a separate branch of the Continental Army. It was composed of Continental Army veterans who had become unfit for field duty but who could still usefully serve as guards for magazines, hospitals, and similar installations. The noncommissioned officers were also supposed to be proficient in mathematics because the corps was intended to serve as a military academy in addition to its other duties. The military academy seems to have been a dead letter, but otherwise the corps carried out its duties, most notably at West Point, New York.[52]
1st American Regiment (1783-1784) (Colonel Henry Jackson). {Artillery Company attached to this unit became part of the First American Regiment of 1784-1791-the predecessor of the 3d United States Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard)}
|
|
Search
