The Regiment was authorized on January 22, 1777 in the Continental Army as Capt. 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. The east bank of the river was low, open, and swampy. In January 1780, the Regiment after suffering long and hard service with pay in arrears, poorly fed, and poorly equipped, joined the other Pennsylvania regiments in a mutiny of the Pennsylvania Line at Morristown, New Jersey. (When an individual filed an appeal, they could also, however, be placed into a later class.) When new elections were held for field officers in 1780 and 1783, the colonels elected at that time again drew lots for their rank and this resulted in a new order for the battalions. In the meantime, the regiment was commanded by the senior officer present for duty, Maj. William Williams. It was assigned on August 12, 1776 to Stirling's Brigade, an element of the Main Army. Butler's Rangers - Wikipedia 31; Dillin, John G.W., The Kentucky Rifle p. 83-84. . November 30, 2006 by Trevor. A third type of militia duty was in providing guards for supply depots located in Lancaster, Lebanon and Reading and at various prisoner of war camps. In the spring of 1777, the Regiment was assigned to Brig. On March 14, 1776, the 6th Pennsylvania Battalion was sent to New York City. The morning following their initial engagement, Watson resumed his march down the Santee Road with Marion slowly backing away before him, remaining out of the range of the British artillery. Most crucial to the American Revolutionary War effort was the fact that between 15 August 1780 and 8 September 1781, Marion and his men alone held eastern South Carolina from the British. As with all his previous battles, he was on his own with this fight. The act called for eight battalion districts to be created in Philadelphia and in each of the eleven extant counties. 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. Diarist Joseph Plumb Martin described him as "an excellent officer, much beloved and respected by the troops of the Line he belonged to.". USA, Winfield, A counter charge of the remainder of Marions cavalry pushed the dragoons back across the land bridge. Participating in a part of the left wing under Nathaniel Green, the Pennsylvanians assist in the defeat of the Hessians under Colonel Rall. The west bank was a high bluff with the roadway passing down through a ravine to the bridge. The Regiment was authorized on January 4, 1776 in the Continental Army as the 6th Pennsylvania Battalion. General Hugh Mercer and attack a group of British dragoons. These groups assisted state-controlled - yet still temporary - militias. Eight days later, Pennsylvania was directed to raise two additional companies, followed by a third. In contrast, however, they received uniforms and arms from the state. About. The 7th Pennsylvania was part of the force that attacked the blockhouse under Wayne at Bergen Heights on july 21, 1780. Astute British commanders assigned regular British officers to Rogers' Rangers for training in wilderness warfare which they could then pass on to their normal regiments. The names of these individuals will be found on the appeal lists. For example, men listed on the permanent roll as belonging to the 2nd Class of the 7th Company of the 6th Battalion would in the active duty battalion be automatically placed in the 6th Company of the 2nd (Active Duty) Battalion. Tabulated company returns were periodically compiled from the muster rolls and from these the adjutants for each battalion compiled battalion returns that were then tabulated by the muster master general of the brigade and submitted to the brigadier general in the form of a general return (not to be confused with the Battalion General Return mentioned above). The mutiny failed and resulted in many of the soldiers receiving their discharges. Under the Militia Act of 1777, the numbering of the militia units changed every three years though the composition of each unit recruited from a given area tended to remain more or less the same except for casualties and new recruits. Having dashed ahead to destroy the bridge, Horry and his men were positioned fifty yards across the river. Revolutionary War Militia Overview - Pennsylvania Historical & Museum 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. It is notable, however, that during the summer campaign of 1776, thousands of Pennsylvania Associators saw active service in New Jersey. At the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, so many men volunteered to join the Associators that a more formal operating structure was required. Other examples of this type of service include the large numbers of Pennsylvania militia employed in the summer and autumn of 1777 to oppose the British invasion at Brandywine and on the flanks at the battle of Germantown, though in neither case did they actually see action. Morning arrived and Watson again resumed his march with Marion leading. Frequently no substitute was furnished, but instead a Strafford County, The situation was not good. Comment: Adapted here with some reformating, and standardization, Links to person articles to be added as they come available. Somewhat similarly, at the end of the war arrearages and allowances due were met by issuing to each soldier still in the service a number of interest-bearing Final Settlements, also calledPierce's Certificates. Morgan would continue to fight in support of the American Revolution in a number of significant battles, including the battle at Cowpens, South Carolina, on 17 January 1781. Re-Enactor Links - American Revolution Member of the first and second continental Durham, Source:Egle, William Henry, 1898. These nine companies were to form a battalion to be commanded by Col. William Thompson of Carlisle, Pennsylvania. 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. As his situation grew more desperate with each passing day, Watson finally decided to retreat. . On 1 July 1778 the regiment was re-organized to eight companies. [1] For a full account of the social factors and legislation that this article draws from, see Arthur J. Alexander, "Pennsylvania's Revolutionary Militia," Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, 69:1 (January 1945 ), 15-25. Captured in part on November 16, 1776 by the British Army at Fort Washington, New York. Within the formation were the wagons, periodically stopping to gather more wounded or dead. Reorganized and re-designated on January 1, 1777 as the 5th Pennsylvania Regiment, to consist of 8 companies. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. Minute Men, on call for special duty at short notice, but no evidence of the existence of such a corps in Pennsylvania survives. Some of the muster rolls provide the date when duty began, and in the case of officers, the date of their commission, and perhaps some additional comments indicating such types of information as whether they were detached on special duty or the dates of any desertions. Volume Reel 0822 American Revolutionary War Service Records; Soldiers--United States--Registers Pennsylvania, Seventh Battalion (Cumberland County Militia), Seventh Regiment: A -F These actions earned the Rangers a reputation for ruthlessness. Please enable scripts and reload this page. 21 Thacher, James, Military Journal during the American Revolutionary War, pp. The regiment would see action during the Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Monmouth and the Battle of Springfield. The Flying Camp? The regiment would see action during the Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Monmouth and the Battle of Springfield. Organized between January 31- August 19, 1777 at Lancaster as Capt. To make amends for such depreciation, each of these men who in 1781 yet remained in line service was awarded a substantial sum inDepreciation Pay Certificates, which were both interest bearing and negotiable, like bonds of the present day. Marion and his brigade soon arrived and forded the river. It remained in the Western Department till the end of the war. On June 19, 1778, the Continental Army left Valley Forge in pursuit and engaged the British in the Battle of Monmouth on an extremely hot June 28. In the original concept rangers were full-time soldiers employed by the colonial governments to "range" between fixed frontier fortifications as a reconnaissance system to provide early warning of hostile raids. As a result of this alliance, Rogers greatest claim to fame during the Revolution and possibly most infamous overall was the seizure of Nathan Hale. Realizing that he needed to clear the far bank first before his soldiers could safely enter the defile to cross the bridge, Watson emplaced his cannon. Please try again later. Most of the muster rolls that have survived were made up just before the men were discharged from duty. When several classes were called up for active duty, a separate roll for each company listed the names of the men who actually served, either in person or as substitutes. 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). At Mount Hope Swamp, Marion had his men disassemble the bridge. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. Companies and Battalions of militia were set up on a geographical basis similar to the arrangement already familiar with the Associators. They were either used to augment the operations of the Continental Line such as when some of the Associators accompanied General Washington in crossing the Delaware in January 1777. Both Watson and Marion rode out to face each other across a quarter-mile causeway spanning the mire and marsh of the swamp. Marion knew that an engagement with them would not be easy and he could expect no support from the American army. Marion and his men had won the days skirmish. By the end of that year, Pennsylvania had adopted a new more radical constitution that wrested control from the older conservative Assembly and in early 1777 the new Assembly passed Pennsylvania's first militia law requiring compulsory military service. It gained permanent status as a two-company force on 15 October of that year and provided reconnaissance capability to the Northern Department until 1 January 1781 when it disbanded at Coos, New Hampshire, as part of a general reorganization of the Continental Army. 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. Subsequently, management of these troops was assumed by the Continental Congress. In the Western Department, the unit helped construct and garrison Fort McIntosh on the Beaver River, and Fort Laurens on the Tuscarawas. When General Washington asked for the middle Atlantic states to provide additional reinforcements willing to serve for six months duty in 1776, the Associator units were tapped as a manpower pool, though the individual units did not themselves become part of the Pennsylvania Line forces. Watson did not take long to initiate the fight. A County Lieutenant holding the rank of colonel was responsible for implenenting the law with the assistence of sub-lieutenants who held the rank of lieutenant colonel. Whitcomb's Rangers started as a similar provisional unit on the Lake Champlain front in 1776. Re-designated on January 1, 1776 as the 1st Continental Regiment. During this period, 135 men and officers were detached to Col. Daniel Morgan and participated in the Saratoga campaign as part of his rifle corps. September 11, 1777 The Battle of Brandywine. L.G. The regiment would see action during the New York Campaign, Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Monmouth and the Sullivan Expedition. Organized between October 25- November 26, 1775 at Philadelphia to consist of 8 companies from Philadelphia, Philadelphia City, Northampton, Berks and Bucks Counties. By July 10, it was encamped with the American Army at Ft. Ticonderoga. It is believed and written by many that when the time came for the colonies to fight for their independence, the American Rangers were ready. To a degree, when one looks to the likes of Francis Marion, The Swamp Fox, that may be true. This active-duty roll was therefore a completely different roll from the permanent billet roll. . Benjamin Church (1639-1718) of Massachusetts developed a special full-time unit mixing white colonists selected for frontier skills with friendly Indians to carry out offensive strikes against hostile Indians in terrain where normal militia units were ineffective. And, they were still separate from the militias sanctioned by Pennsylvania's Provincial Assembly. Rangers committed to prolonged enlistment periods and rather than fight the war for independence, they patrolled Pennsylvania's western frontier, often fending off Indian attacks. Contrary to common belief, none of the lands granted to veterans by the federal government were located in Pennsylvania. Organized between January 2- February 17, 1776 at Philadelphia to consist of 8 companies. 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. The Pennsylvania Line: Regimental Organization and Operations, 1776-1783 by John B.B. Morgans losses were placed at twelve killed and sixty-one wounded. Nothing will give me greater pleasure, than to do justice to your merit, and I shall miss no opportunity of declaring to Congress, the Commander-in-chief of the American Army, and to the world in general, the great sense I have of your merit and services. The American revolutionaries were not without their Rangers, despite Rogers' support of the Crown. There, on January 1, 1781, the mutiny of the Pennsylvania troops took place. It was consolidated with the 5th Pennsylvania Regiment on 17 January 1781 and re-designated as the 5th Pennsylvania Regiment and concurrently furloughed at Trenton, New Jersey. The 5th Pennsylvania Regiment was raised December 9, 1775 at Chester, Pennsylvania for service with the Continental Army. This Revolutionary War Militia Arrangement provides a breakdown of the battalions and companies raised in each county and the names of the commanding officers. The Regiment was authorized on March 15, 1777 in the Pennsylvania State Troops as Capt. For an account of the arrangement and operations of the Pennsylvania Line soldiers see November 16, 1776 The fall of Fort Washington. The financial difficulties of the new government, difficulties that lasted into the 1790's, complicated the payment of troops. Weve updated the security on the site. The young officer, nicknamed "The Irish Beauty" by the ladies of Philadelphia, was a close friend of Anthony Wayne's and well acquainted with Washington as well. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. The company commanders could also change. 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. This highly successful group of Partisans was known as Marions Brigade.. The 12th Pennsylvania Regiment also known as Northumberland Defense Battalion was raised August 23, 1776 at Sunbury, Pennsylvania as a state militia regiment and later for service with the Continental Army. Rogers wrote the 19 standing orders that are still in use today. The Continental Army authorized several of these formations in 1777 and 1778, primarily as a vehicle to employ European volunteers who could not be inserted into existing regiments without provoking major arguments over rank, or because of language barriers. The Regiment was authorized on December 9, 1775 in the Continental Army as the 2d Pennsylvania Battalion. Online Revolutionary War Indexes and Records - Military Indexes For Bucks County, information has also been provided from the returns for the Committee of Safety (the Associators) for 1775. Please enable scripts and reload this page. During the Seven Years' War most European armies developed partisan corps (also called frei korps). who served in the war of the American Revolution, 1775-1783 14 cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Frustration had set in on the British in regard to Marion, and the decision was made by Cornwallis replacement as field commander in South Carolina, Lord Francis Rawdon, to try and eradicate the pest once and for all. Organized between June 25- July 20, 1775 to consist of 9 companies from Cumberland, Lancaster, Northumberland, Northampton, Bedford, Berks and York Counties. 1783-1788], Return of Pennsylvania Line Entitled To Donation Lands, Northumberland Co Revolutionary War Militia, Philadelphia City Revolutionary War Militia, Philadelphia Co Revolutionary War Militia, Westmoreland Co Revolutionary War Militia, PHMC Collections Management Policy Standards, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Access Policy, Military Accounts, Associators, 1775-1777 (RG 4) (microfilm rolls #152), Military Accounts, Line, 1775-1809 (RG 4) (microfilm rolls #142-150), Military Accounts, Militia, 1777-1794 (RG 4) (microfilm rolls #153-189), Military Accounts, Navy, 1775-1794 (RG 4) (microfilm rolls #205-207, 150), Revolutionary War Pension File, 1809-1893 (RG 2) (microfilm rolls #20-22), Revolutionary War Pension List Book, 1834-1837 (RG 28) (microfilm roll #240), Records of Pennsylvania's Revolutionary Governments (RG 27) (microfilm rolls #689-741), Miscellaneous Manuscripts of the Revolutionary War Era, 1771-1791 (MG 275) (microfilm roll #2984), Lyman Copeland Draper Papers, 1542-1916 (MG 262) (microfilm rolls #1202-1239), Sol Feinstone Collection of the American Revolution, 1739-1859 (MG-262) (microfilm rolls #1290-1292), Lieutenant General von Knyphausen, Report of the Battle of Brandywine to Court of Hesse-Kassel, September 11, 1777 (MG 262) (microfilm rolls #3003), Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1789 (National Archives) (microfilm rolls #1733-1738), Donation and Depreciation Lands (RG 17) (microfilm roll #3429). Pennsylvania Revolutionary Soldiers - PA-Roots Organized between March 13- May 29, 1776 at Chester to consist of 8 companies from Philadelphia City and Bucks, Philadelphia, Chester and Lancaster Counties. On September 21 the regiment was in Hartford, Connecticut, with Wayne to greet French General Rochambeau. Copyright 2017 RevolutionaryWar.us | All Rights Reserved, Captain Samual Morehead's Independent Company, Captain Jacob Weaver's Independent Company, Revolutionary War Records at the Pennsylvania State Archives, Pennsylvania Final Payment Vouchers Index for Military Pensions, 1818-1864, Pennsylvania Revolutionary War Prize Cases - Captured Vessels, Pennsylvania Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783, Pennsylvania Revolutionary War Service Records, Pennsylvania in the War of the Revolution : battalions and line, 1775-1783, Pennsylvania Society of Daughters of the American Revolution, Pennsylvania Society of Sons of the American Revolution, List of Soldiers and Widows of Soldiers Granted Revolutionary War Pensions by Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Militia in 1777: A Reprint from The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine, Vol. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. RootsWeb is funded and supported by As we continue to get closer to a complete collection of The Pennsylvania Archives, we find more interesting facts. All white men, aged 15 to 53, were conscripted into military service - although there was no real punishment for those who refused. Reorganized on July 1, 1778 to consist of 9 companies. Re-designated on January 1, 1777 as the 8th Pennsylvania Regiment. The 10th Pennsylvania Regiment was raised September 16, 1776 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for service with the Continental Army. November 12, 1777 The Pennsylvania State Regiment is officially designated the 13th Pennsylvania Regiment of the Continental Line. Colonel Brodhead is placed in command of the consolidated forces and ordered by General Washington to withdraw to Manhattan. Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission, Revolutionary War Military Abstract Card File, Revolutionary War Pension Files and Related Accounts, Military Pension Accounts and Related Papers, Revolutionary War Soldiers' Claims and Related Papers, Revolutionary War Accounts and Miscellaneous Records (Associators Accounts), Revolutionary War Accounts and Miscellaneous Records (Line Accounts), Revolutionary War Accounts and Miscellaneous Records (Militia 3A Accounts), Revolutionary War Accounts and Miscellaneous Records (Militia 3B Accounts), Revolutionary War Accounts and Miscellaneous Records (Navy Accounts), American Loyalist Claims, [ca. After the British attacked at Long Island, the 1st Continental Regiment covered the retreat the American army. Washington wanted to use it as a vehicle for insuring tribal support--its Native American members would become hostages for the good behavior of the rest of the tribe--as well as a combat element. Trussell, Jr. (Harrisburg: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 1977). You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. Pierce's Certificates. Consolidated and reorganized on July 1, 1778 with the. When the classes were called up, each captain would deliver a notice to each man's dwelling or place of business. The 11th Pennsylvania fought again at Germantown on October 4, 1777. The Pennsylvania Line originated in 1775 was organized into thirteen regiments and several independent companies. Samuel Morehead's Independent Company, an element of the. (sic)They are officially uniformed in a blue regimental coat with red lining and facing and pewter buttons inscribed PSR. This time, the question of military service was no longer optional. During this time the brigade under General Thomas Conway, to which the 6th Regiment belonged, was reputed to be "the best instructed and disiplined" in the army. These active duty rolls could be distinguished from the permanent billet rolls by the fact that instead of being listed by individual classes as they were in the permanent rolls, the names of the men were here listed under the name of the company captain. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. These volunteer companies made up the Col. Henry Bicker was appointed in his place but did not actually join the regiment until the following October. On the brink of war, the Continental Congress passed a resolution on 14 June 1775, on what is known as Flag Day, that "six companies of expert riflemen be immediately raised in Pennsylvania, two in Maryland, and two in Virginia." With little winter clothing and half their muskets unservicable, the men struggled by foot, sloop, and bateaux into Canada, their strength sharply reduced by sickness. Ages ranged from sixteen to sixty years. The tranditional ranger usage had only limited application during that later war. The Raid at Cabanatuan, Philippines, 75th Ranger Regiment The Legacy Continues. The Regiment then marched to Tappan to bolster the Garrison at Ticonderoga after Arnold's defection. 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. The 7th Pennsylvania was present at Whitemarsh but did not fight. Advancing his main force as support, Marion again ordered Horry to charge. Originally, the 6th Pennsylvania Battalion, the 7th Pennsylvania was authorized on January 4, 1776. The colonel of the 13th, 23-year-old Walter Stewart, became the Second's new commander. Perry County, You can always change this later in your Account settings. Revolutionary War: Black loyalists sought freedom at Sandy Hook NJ 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 formal battles it provided unblemished flank security, but it was even better in rear battle by conducting deep raids against British logistical bases. Light companies normally assembled into provisional battalions at the start of each year's campaign and acted as a special strike force in traditional battlefield roles, not as a reconnaissance element. Captain Nathan Hale of this corps gained immortality as a brave but singularly inept spy. Special battalions of line troops were recruited for theFlying Campfrom among the Pennsylvania Associators who took part in the New Jersey campaign in 1776. They also fought at Bergen Neck. This collection is from Record Group 93, War Department Collection of Revolutionary War Records, and is National Archives Microfilm publication M246. In the original concept rangers were full-time soldiers employed by the colonial governments to "range" between fixed frontier fortifications as a reconnaissance system to provide early warning of hostile raids. The Regiment was authorized on September 16, 1776 in the Continental Army as the 10th Pennsylvania Regiment. Still assigned to Greene's division, the PSR participates in the assault of the British right flank. Two months later the remnants of the corps fell into British hands when Fort Washington surrendered. During this time, Congress realized a more substantial national army with enlistments longer than 12 months would be needed to fight the war successfully. Rangers, who served long enlistments on the frontier against the Indians. 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. USA. The infantry moved at a trot the entire way, stopping only to fire a volley to their rear. PHMC > Archives > Research Online > Bedford County Revolutionary War Militia. . Organized in between September 28- December 18, 1776 at Sunbury to consist of 8 companies from Northampton, Berks, Cumberland and Northumberland Counties. History affords no instance wherein an officer has kept possession of a country under so many disadvantages as you have; surrounded on every side with a superior force; hunted from every quarter with veteran troops, you have found means to elude all their attempts, and to keep alive the expiring hopes of an oppressed Militia, when all succor seemed to be cut off. The majority of the Regiment fought with the main army at Brandywine, covered the American retreat at Paoli, attacked at Germantown, and skirmished at Whitemarsh. It spent the rest of the year in garrison at West Point and probably wintered at Morristown. Imposing and silent, highly disciplined and trained, impressive in their bright red uniforms, the guards led with bayonets that gleamed and sparkled on the ends of upraised muskets. Seven miles later at Ox Swamp, he encountered destroyed bridges and an abatis across the causeway. The four regiments of light dragoons transformed into combined arms Legionary Corps composed of four mounted and two dismounted troops; the various partisan elements consolidated into two Partisan Corps, each with three mounted and three dismounted troops.