In offensive operations they became scouts and guides, locating targets (such as villages) for task forces drawn from the militia or other colonial troops. Revolutionary War General. Organized between October 25- November 26, 1775 at Philadelphia to consist of 8 companies from Philadelphia, Philadelphia City, Northampton, Berks and Bucks Counties. October 28, 1776 The Battle of White Plains. Pennsylvania Archives volumes and not directly from original archival records. Within minutes, the planks had been removed from the center of the bridge and the stringers burned on the east end. USA. January to June 1777 - During this period the unit was reorganized as the 6th Regiment with Colonel Henry Bicker as its commander. The regiment spent the winter of 1777-78 at Valley Forge and took part in the Battle of Monmouth (28 June) the following summer. In 1747, Ben Franklin (only 39 years of age at the time) created the Philadelphia Militia Association, a completely volunteer force totalling 10,000 enrollees. The Regiment was authorized on January 4, 1776 in the Continental Army as the 6th Pennsylvania Battalion. On July 1, 1776, the army reorganized yet again with each state directed to supply a quota of line regiments for Continental service. On September 20, the 7th Pennsylvania bore the brunt of the British assault at Paoli where half of the men present were either killed or wounded. Refusal to turn out for military exercises would result in a fine, the proceeds from which were used to hire substitutes. With knowledge of the land, James and his men were able to secure the bridge before the arrival of Watsons dragoons. Resend Activation Email. Eight days later, Pennsylvania was directed to raise two additional companies, followed by a third. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. At the beginning of 1775, Pennsylvania, founded under Quaker auspices, differed from other American colonies in being totally devoid of military organization. The Regiment was authorized on August 23, 1776 in the Continental Army as the Northampton and Northumberland Defense Battalion and assigned to the. As Horry withdrew, Watsons mounted Tory dragoons advanced right behind, successfully crossing the causeway. The regiment was authorized in December, 1775 as the 5th Pennsylvania Battalion. Fairfax County, Only in extreme cases was any individual militia man required to drill with his neighbors as many as twelve times each year, and at most he was called upon to perform during the entire course of the war, two or possibly three, short tours of active duty. A man who failed to report for drill merely paid an "Light Horse Harry" Lee of Virginia (the father of Robert E. Lee) raised the only American-born unit under this concept. This arrangement represents more of a means of organizing manpower from specific geographical localities rather than reflecting the activity of acting military units that were drawn from this manpower pool. A separate article discussing the various form of military service during this conflict will be added in the near future. Though titled Rangers by Washington and a grateful American people, Morgans Rangers were not, in essence, Rangers in the sense of the uniquely trained, motivated, and challenged soldier. The Regiment was authorized on September 16, 1776 in the Continental Army as the 11th Pennsylvania Regiment. Following a disastrous expedition to Quebec, Canada, and his subsequent capture and parole as a prisoner, Morgan was appointed a colonel of a rifle regiment. December 19, 1777 - After an encampment of almost six weeks at Whitemarsh, Pennsylvania the army moved into its winter quarters at Valley Forge where they would remain for the next six months. He and Washington intended it to be the companion to the famous "Blue Book", but operational factors prevented its publication and distribution. Eighty years after becoming the United States of America, the nation suffered a Civil War. Most of Whitcomb's men came from New Hampshire and the Hampshire Grants (now Vermont). John Pugh's Independent Company to guard Powder Mill at French Creek. When brought word of Watsons deployment, he correctly realized that this was a strategic attempt by the British to drive him from the southern region of the state. Recognizing that personal circumstances might in some cases make it inconvenient or even impossible for a particular individual to serve, the fine system was in part devised to provide money in lieu of service in order to hire substitutes. The next year, the regiment took part in a number of small engagements in New Jersey and again wintered at Morristown. Trussell, Jr. (Harrisburg: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 1977). Relieved on April 27, 1776 from Green's Brigade and assigned to the. Westmoreland County Revolutionary War Militia 1st Battalion, 1777 Commanding Officers: Col. Alexander Barr Lt. Col. John Pomery Major James Wilkins 2nd Battalion, 1777 Commanding Officers: Col. John Perry Lt. Col. John Shields Major Christopher Lavengair 3rd Battalion, 1778 Commanding Officers: Col. James Smith Lt. Col. Providence Mounts Baffled about what to do next, Watson waited on the bluff until evening, when he withdrew to a plantation a mile north of the bridge. Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Military Records Pennsylvania in the Revolutionary War 1st Pennsylvania Regiment Brief History Also known as the Pennsylvania Rifle Battalion and Thompson's Rifle Battalion. 31; Dillin, John G.W., The Kentucky Rifle p. 83-84. . Soldiers who served during the years 1777-1780, when the currency was depreciating, were paid in By December 8, a remnant of the First Battalion was at New Germantown, New Jersey, but the bulk of the men had been mustered out of service. Relieved on April 29, 1776 from Sullivan's Brigade and assigned to Greene's Brigade, an element of the, Relieved on August 12, 1776 from Greene's Brigade and assigned to Nixon's Brigade, an element of the, Relieved on August 31, 1776 from assignment to Nixon's Brigade and to Mifflin's Brigade (re-designated on October 8, 1776 as Stirling's Brigade), an element of the. Taking refuge in forests and swamps, for which he earned the appellation the Swamp Fox from his enemies, Marions brigade kept the British off-balance with quick movements that captured British troops, destroyed supplies, and disrupted lines of communications. Pennsylvania, 1st United States President, Revolutionary War Mount Vernon, Union County, Crossing the road that led from Murrys Ferry to Kingstree, Watson continued to follow Marion toward Georgetown. Militia fines became an important source of revenue. Learn more. . Relieved on November 14, 1776 from St. Clair's Brigade and assigned to the. Men From the Turloch Militia who Joined Kings Royal Rangers of New York and Butler's Rangers; 1778 List of Men From Pennsylvania who joined the British Army. Gen. William Maxwell, which was formed for the fall campaign opposing the British approach toward Philadelphia from the south. Ohio, The Regiment was authorized on June 14, 1775 in the Continental Army as 6 separate companies of Pennsylvania Riflemen and assigned to the Main Army. Relieved on May 19, 1778 from the 2nd Pennsylvania Brigade and assigned to the. Late that afternoon, he bivouacked south of Nelsons Ferry. On New Year's Day, 1781, members of the 6th Pennsylvania joined the mutiny of the Pennsylvania regiments then quartered at Morristown. The regiment was disbanded on January 17, 1781 at Trenton, New Jersey. They were instead the numbers of the battalions from which the men came! The cat and mouse advance continued on the far bank. The mix of mounted and dismounted men gave it somewhat greater staying power in independent firefights while also allowing rapid forced marches (each light infantryman held on to a dragoon's stirrups). Many members of the Pennsylvania Navy were entitled to and received Depreciation pay certificates, and, rather curiously, some were paid off with Certificates of the Funded or Militia Debt. When the American Revolutionary War broke out in 1775, about fifty Loyalist regiments were raised, including the Butler's Rangers, the King's Royal Regiment, and the Maryland and Pennsylvania Loyalists.Robert Rogers again raised a unit, this time in New York (mostly from Loyalists living in Westchester and Long Island), from western Connecticut, and with men from the Queen's Loyal Virginia . We have set your language to In the meantime, the regiment was commanded by the senior officer present for duty, Maj. William Williams. Joseph Howell became acting regimental commander and the 2nd Pennsylvania Regiment numbered only 13 other officers and 74 enlisted men present for duty at the end of the month. Sending forth his Loyalist cavalry to cross the causeway, Marion met the charge with one of his own led by Peter Horry and his mounted men. Following a brief skirmish on the narrow land bridge, both sides withdrew. This data collection contains an estimated 80,000 application files from officers and enlisted men who served in the Revolutionary War in all branches of the American military: army, navy, and marines. For Northumberland County, the number of militiamen serving in each company of the 1776 Associator Battalions and for the 1778 3rd and 4th Militia Battalions is provided. Brief History of the 6th Pennsylvania Regiment of 1777. Powder Horns. After spending the winter of 1777-1778 at Valley Forge with the other regiments of the Pennsylvania Line, the 11th Pennsylvania took part in the campaign across New Jersey which followed. Thus, the Pennsylvania Rifle Battalion, being the first unit formed by the state, became the 1st Pennsylvania Regiment, The 1st Pennsylvania Battalion became the nucleus of the 2nd Pennsylvania Regiment and so on. Re-designated on June 22, 1775 as the Pennsylvania Rifle Regiment. Reorganized on January 1, 1783 at Lancaster, to consist of 7 companies in the. Organized spring 1777 at York, Pennsylvania, with personnel from York County. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. The resulting restructuring of the Pennsylvania Line perpetuated a 2nd Regiment among the state's six reorganized units, with Walter Stewart still in command. The regiment participated in the unsuccessful defense of New York City and was captured in part at Fort Washington (16 Nov., 1776). Colonel John Bull was appointed colonel on May 2, 1777, but was succeeded on June 17 by Colonel Walter Stewart. History of the massacre of Captain Phillips' Pennsylvania Rangers; Illinois, Revolutionary War Veteran Burials, 1775-1850; Illinois, U.S., Revolutionary War Veteran Burials Index, 1775-1850; In memoriam : citizen soldiers of Dracut, Mass. A double-pronged attack was planned with Lieutenant Colonel Watson marching down the Santee to attack Marion while Colonel Welbore Ellis Doyle crossed the Lynches River to cut off the rebels escape. American Revolutionary War Revolutionary War Pension Payment Ledgers, 1818-1872 from NARA microfilm publication T718. Less than a week later, on July 1, the unit was dissolved, and merged with elements of the 10th Pennsylvania. These concerns were overcome and the regiment joined the army later in the month. Congress called for a Flying Camp to serve under General George Washington. Though the act provided exemptions for members of the Continental Congress, Pennsylvania's Supreme Executive Council, Supreme Court judges, masters and teachers of colleges, ministers of the Gospel, and indentured servants, as a practical matter anyone could avoid serving either by filing an appeal to delay their service for a period of time or by paying a fine to hire a substitute. 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. When America officially declared its independence from Great Britain, it was clear more troops were needed to fight in the revolution. The Regiment was authorized on December 9, 1775 in the Continental Army as the 2d Pennsylvania Battalion. When spring came, the regiment was again actively engaged in patrols and skirmishes with British forays from New York. It should be noted that these fines were not necessarily intended to be punitive. Organization was territorial, so that normally a company consisted of men from a single township, while a battalion included all the Associators of several neighboring townships. Franklin County, Provision was made for recruiting from the ranks of Associators in each county a small corps of Various state governments did employ such units for local frontier security, but the Continental Army formed very few, in part because George Washington considered frontier security to be a local responsibility and focused national military forces on opposing regular British and German units in a formal battlefield context. The Regiment was authorized on July 16, 1776 in the Continental Army as Capt. At some point, the settlers at Hannastown erected a stockade, fashioned of logs placed upright in the ground, around a spring and a blockhouse at the edge of town. There is no particular record that the unit was involved in any fighting that summer, but in October, 1779, it had 452 officers and men with Wayne at West Point. Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission. Armand's remained a shell during 1781, but Lee had great success in the Carolinas carrying out those specific missions for which the 3-3 mix of mounted and dismounted troops had been designed. Other units in the Continental Army either used the term ranger in their designation or were commonly called rangers, but did not serve in that capacity in the traditional sense. Benjamin Church and Maj. Robert Rogers both formed Ranger units to fight during the King Phillips War and the French and Indian War. For line troops, neither the type of service rendered nor the term of enlistment was uniform. With his cavalry defeated, Watson advanced his guards. From 1776 to 1781, Rogers obtained an additional seven Battle Honors for his famed Rangers, but, unfortunately, under the flag of the Queens and Kings Rangers, The American revolutionaries were not without their Rangers, despite Rogers support of the Crown. To make amends for such depreciation, each of these men who in 1781 yet remained in line service was awarded a substantial sum in These certificates (bonds in the modern sense) were ultimately redeemed at face value. The 7th Pennsylvania marched with Brig. As the advance guard made its way across the river, Marion fell upon the rear guard. None of the light units employed by the Continental Army carried out a training role as Rogers' Rangers had during the French and Indian War. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. The whole force retreated to Isle Aux Noix and then to Crown Point, reached on July 1. Associators patterned essentially upon groups which had existed briefly in 1747-1748 and again after Braddock's defeat in 1755. The sharpshooters were placed at the abutment where they had the clearest shot at the far end of the bridge while the remaining musketeers secured their flanks. Soldiers who served during the years 1777-1780, when the currency was depreciating, were paid inContinental bills of Credit, which quickly lost value. For the rotation of field officers on active duty, it was therefore necessary to substitute Colonel for Captain, Lieutenant Colonel for 1st Lieutenant, Major for 2nd Lieutenant, etc in the column under each Battalion for Company. Concurrent with the establishment of county militias was the creation of five companies of Rangers. USA. 23, No. Avoiding militia calls was not difficult. Organized in spring 1777 at Philadelphia to consist of 8 companies from Westmoreland, Lancaster, Chester, Philadelphia and Cumberland Counties. When one considers those parameters, there truly was only one group of American revolutionaries who could be considered an excellent example of early American Ranger prowess. Redesignated on September 16, 1776 as the 12th Pennsylvania Regiment. Reorganized and re-designated on January 1, 1777 as the 5th Pennsylvania Regiment, to consist of 8 companies. Rogers wrote the 19 standing orders that are still in use today. The The Regiment was authorized on April 8, 1777 in the Pennsylvania State Troops as Capt. Whitcomb's Rangers started as a similar provisional unit on the Lake Champlain front in 1776. Choosing escape, Watson abruptly wheeled his Regiment to the right and proceeded to move at a quick pace across fifteen miles of marsh and pine lands to the Santee Road. Organized between January 2- late March 1776 at Philadelphia to consist of 8 companies from Philadelphia City and Berks, Bucks Chester and Philadelphia Counties. Black regimental hats are bound up in yellow.Records of deserters in 1777-78 show however, men clad in various color regimental coats and hunting shirts. Organized between January 2- February 17, 1776 at Philadelphia to consist of 8 companies. Navy veterans were not eligible for grants of Donation Land. These groups assisted state-controlled - yet still temporary - militias. The "Act to Regulate the Militia of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania" passed 17 March 1777, and the the subsequent Militia Act passed March 20, 1780, together with their amendments, required all white men between the ages of 18 and 53 capable of bearing arms to serve two months of militia duty on a rotating basis. Scouts abounded about the British regiment. During the Seven Years' War most European armies developed partisan corps (also called frei korps). Marion and his men had won the days skirmish. Mounting a second animal, he ordered his artillery to open fire with grapeshot. Occasionally, militia reinforcements from Cumberland, Lancaster, and York counties would be brought in to reinforce these frontiers as occurred in the summer of 1778. Due to the sixty-day turnover, however, none of the men who were at Brandywine in September would have been present at Whitemarsh in December. The American leadership stressed the ideas of Maurice, comte de Saxe and the comte de Guibert, two leading French military theorists, which advocated cross-training every soldier to perform both line or light infantry roles to allow mission flexibility. Marion and his brigade soon arrived and forded the river. 1st Battalion, 1777-1780 . Pleased with James deployment, Marion reinforced him with an additional company and moved to a reserve position to the rear and out of sight. Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 (M246), and other historical records. The Regiment was authorized on July 11, 1776 in the Continental Army as a Battalion for frontier defense in the, Designated on July 20, 1776 as Mackay's Battalion. Bucks County Associators and a chart showing how the units were organized is available. Two companies also accompanied Benedict Arnold's attack on Quebec. The 10th Pennsylvania Regiment was raised September 16, 1776 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for service with the Continental Army. The names of men in each company of each battalion were listed on a roll called "General Returns of the Battalion" together with the names of any substitutes that were provided. By the end of October, the unit had suffered substantially from all the fighting, including the loss of Williams who was captured at Germantown. From there it moved to Morristown, New Jersey, for the encampment in Jockey Hollow where it endured the most brutal winter of the 18th Century. March 1, 1777 The Pennsylvania State Regiment is officially activated as a unit. It was Maxwell's command which fought the delaying action at Iron Hill on September 3, 1777, when Lt. Col. Francis Gurney was wounded. In addition, he sent a pass for the safe passage of the wounded and their attendants. Undaunted, the Swamp Fox ordered an immediate advance and moved to position himself at Wiboo Swamp. This account has been disabled. Revolutionary Soldiers, thanks again Ed Carsons In April of 1781, Robinson's Rangers had already been involved, as General Potter stated in his letter xiv in a "sharp engagement at Bald Eagle Creek." Little is known of that particular engagement, and perhaps it is the same one related by Van Campen, later. and assigned to the. Here is an alphabetical list of Revolutionary Soldiers "compiled chiefly from The Depreciation Account books in the office of the Auditor General of . Since the company captain and lower officers were also called up, their identities provide a clue to the permanent class, company, and battalion to which a particular individual belonged. 14 cemeteries found in will be saved to your photo volunteer list. In 1779, the 6th Pennsylvania was part of the force commanded by "Mad" Anthony Wayne that stormed the British fortifications at Stony Point, NY (16 July).

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