The east bank of the river was low, open, and swampy. The regiment would see action during the Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Monmouth and the Battle of Springfield. 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. 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. They also fought at Bergen Neck. 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. All white men, aged 15 to 53, were conscripted into military service - although there was no real punishment for those who refused. Lower Bridge was only twelve miles away. These sharpshooters were proving to be so successful that Watson felt compelled by noon to redeploy his regiment to a large open field about a half-mile away. Certificates of the funded or Militia Debt. The original 8th Pennsylvania Regiment was formed in July 1776 of men from Westmoreland and Bedford counties in western Pennsylvania. Undaunted by the destroyed bridge or the rebels fire, the lead guardsmen closed column and plunged across the river. 302-324. return to scholars showcase. The regiment would see action during the New York Campaign, Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Monmouth and the Sullivan Expedition. 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. Consolidated and reorganized on July 1, 1778 with the. Eighty years after becoming the United States of America, the nation suffered a Civil War. Reorganized and re-designated on January 1, 1777 as the 7th Pennsylvania Regiment, to consist of 8 companies. Pennsylvania Militia was organized under an act of March 7, 1777, which provided for compulsory enrollment by the constables of all able-bodied male whites between the ages of eighteen and fifty-three. The 1st Continentals also participated in the battles at Fort Washington, Harlem Heights, and White Plains. 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. June 26, 1777 - As part of Lord Stirling's Division the regiment probably joined the army in time to participate in the battle of Short Hills. In their place came a complex system of county battalion classes and officers whose seniority was chosen by the drawing of lots. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. In contrast, however, they received uniforms and arms from the state. The Thirteenth was incorporated with the Second Pennsylvania, July 1, 1778. Crossing the road that led from Murrys Ferry to Kingstree, Watson continued to follow Marion toward Georgetown. Maybe they were militia or Rangers. The four regiments of light dragoons raised in 1777 as a reconnaissance force derived from European developments in light cavalry during the eighteenth century. Re-designated on June 22, 1775 as the Pennsylvania Rifle Regiment. January 3, 1777 The Battle of Princeton. It was assigned on December 1, 1776 to the, It was assigned on May 22, 1777 to the 3rd Pennsylvania Brigade, an element of the. As a result of declining numbers, the Pennsylvania Regiments were reorganized into three provisional battalions. Men who served with Regiment and continued their service saw action at Yorktown and mopping up operations in South Carolina. The regiment was in combat again on September 20 when, with the rest of Wayne's division, it was surprised at Paoli. American Revolutionary War From Bedford County Despite the fact that a totally comprehensive collection is not available, a number of rosters of Patriots of the American Revolutionary War from Bedford County, Pennsylvania have survived. Samuel Morehead's Independent Company, an element of the. The American revolutionaries were not without their Rangers, despite Rogers' support of the Crown. For a more detailed account of how the Pennsylvania militia system worked see "The Pennsylvania Militia in 1777" by Hannah Benner Roach in Recipe Book - 1705. 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. This was the second unit raised by the state (the first was "The Pennsylvania Rifle Battalion") and was enrolled for a term of one year. Morgans losses were placed at twelve killed and sixty-one wounded. Col. Henry Bicker was appointed in his place but did not actually join the regiment until the following October. The Flying Camp? Proudly founded in 1681 as a place of tolerance and freedom. Leaving his dead in an abandoned rock quarry and loading his wounded on wagons, Watson and his crack regiment began their withdrawal at the double-time on 28 March toward Georgetown. Here is an alphabetical list of Revolutionary Soldiers "compiled chiefly from The Depreciation Account books in the office of the Auditor General of . 3, 1964): 161-230 was well as the historical background section below. On 1 July 1778 the regiment was re-organized to eight companies. Having dashed ahead to destroy the bridge, Horry and his men were positioned fifty yards across the river. Harmar would remain in this position until 1780. Colonel Stewart called his regiment the Thirteenth Pennsylvania Regiment in his weekly return of October 27, and it was so designated and officially added to the Continental Line by a resolution of the Continental Congress dated November 12, 1777. USA. The companies supported British operations against French Canada on the New York and St. Lawrence River fronts. (these are free with registration) Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 from National Archives (NARA) microfilm publication M246. Pennsylvania claimed the 1st Continental Regiment as its own and renamed the regiment as the 1st Pennsylvania Regiment. (When an individual filed an appeal, they could also, however, be placed into a later class.) When the army was reorganized on January 1, 1776, the Battalion was renamed the 1st Continental Regiment of Foot. Rangers, who served long enlistments on the frontier against the Indians. Trussell, Jr. (Harrisburg: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 1977). The colonel of the 13th, 23-year-old Walter Stewart, became the Second's new commander. The Pennsylvania Riflemen are sent to the left near Flatbush and the Musketeers are sent to the right with General Alexander. 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. Conway's Brigade continued at attack and eventually drove "the enemy a mile and a half below Chew's house" before being forced to retire. These volunteer companies made up the Some of its troops were detached to serve with the special task force (the "light infantry corps") under Brig. Brinkerhoff, Jacob; ensign, Captain Williams' company, Colonel Michael Swope's battalion of the flying camp; in service, 1776. The Regiment was authorized on March 15, 1777 in the Pennsylvania State Troops as Capt. Mifflin' Brigade re-designated on October 8, 1776 as Stirling's Brigade. Due to bad tactics, the unit took the heaviest losses in the engagement. Having suffered so many casualties, by November 1, the 7th Pennsylvania only had 17 officers and 105 men fit for duty. It was assigned on February 27, 1776 to the, Remainder of Regiment reorganized and re-designated 1 January 1, 1777 as the 6th Pennsylvania Regiment, an element of the, Relieved on July 22, 1778 from the 3rd Pennsylvania Brigade and assigned to the 2nd Pennsylvania Brigade, an element of the. Volume Reel 0821 American Revolutionary War Service Records; Soldiers--United States--Registers Pennsylvania, Sixth Battalion (1776) Sixth Regiment: L - Z. Furloughed on June 11, 1783 at Philadelphia (less 2 companies remaining active at Fort Pitt). The Regiment was authorized on September 16, 1776 in the Continental Army as the 10th Pennsylvania Regiment. 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. From these beginnings of the Continental Army, a group of expert riflemen composed of hardy frontiersmen were formed in 1777 into an organization George Washington referred to as The Corps of Rangers. Early in that year, as tension mounted, there appeared spontaneously in certain localities volunteer companies of They also became very adept at employing the mounted troops in a raid designed to provoke a British pursuit which would end with a classic "L-shaped" ambush. 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." Frequently no substitute was furnished, but instead a If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. It should be noted that these fines were not necessarily intended to be punitive. The Pennsylvania Council of Safety prescribes that there will be ten companies, "eight of them armed with muskets and the other two with riffles." In June the men refused to report at camp for duty as they thought they were still on parole and had not been properly exchanged. It halted the British attack but was itself compelled to retire under subsequent artillery fire. 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. The Pennsylvania Line: Regimental Organization and Operations, 1776-1783 by John B.B. Joshua Huddy, who was every bit as feared by loyalists as Tye was by patriots. On 5 March 1781, Watson began his movement, marching from Fort Watson. 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. 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. Despite the hardships they had endured on Arnold's forlorn expedition to Canada, about 340 of the nearly 500 men who had been with the 1st Battalion at Ticonderoga did join the Second Pennsylvania Regiment in time enough for Col. DeHaas and a portion of the unit to join Washington's army at Trenton and fight in the battle of Princeton on January 3, 1777, in a brigade of Pennsylvanians commanded by Brig. American Revolutionary War Unfortunately for Watson, the lack of trees and concealment did not diminish the fires, nor their accuracy. The Regiment was authorized on December 9, 1775 in the Continental Army as the 4th Pennsylvania Battalion. On New Year's Day, 1781, members of the 6th Pennsylvania joined the mutiny of the Pennsylvania regiments then quartered at Morristown. The two dismounted troops armed and equipped as light infantry provided a defensive element to protect the camp from enemy surprise attack, and also provided a base of fire around which the mounted elements could maneuver. The whole force retreated to Isle Aux Noix and then to Crown Point, reached on July 1. Only in a few instances did her armed vessels pass beyond the Capes of the Delaware into the Atlantic. The traditional ranger usage reached its peak during the French and Indian War. To the plantations Whig owner, Watson acknowledged he had never seen such shooting before in his life. While Watson established his headquarters in the plantation house, Marion and his men bivouacked in the woods of the ridge south of the ford. In March 1777, this indeed occurred. An online listing of officers in the At the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, so many men volunteered to join the Associators that a more formal operating structure was required. Exemptions were extremely limited, and an estimated 60,000 men were enrolled. [2] The only time Pennsylvania seems to have had any sort of basic militia prior to the draft is during the winter months of 1776 into 1777. They required six-month enlistments. An attempt to move the cannon and depress the muzzles led to the crews being run off by the highly accurate fire of the sharpshooters. A separate article discussing the various form of military service during this conflict will be added in the near future. The 1781 reorganization of the Continental resolved the issue of light troops by bringing greater centralized control. Reorganized and re-designated 1 January 1, 1777 as the 3rd Pennsylvania Regiment, to consist of 8 companies. Militias were paid out of Pennsylvania's then-functioning provincial treasury. It remained in the Western Department till the end of the war. 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 origin of the ranger tradition lies in the seventeenth century wars between colonists and Native American tribes. 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. 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. Special battalions of line troops were recruited for the This active-duty roll was therefore a completely different roll from the permanent billet roll. Late that afternoon, he bivouacked south of Nelsons Ferry. The regiment participated in the unsuccessful defense of New York City and was captured in part at Fort Washington (16 Nov., 1776). It sustained casualties at Paoli on Sept. 21, including one officer killed, and at the Battle of Germantown it was the left flank of the American troops attacking the British center that was mistakenly fired on by other American troops. The Regiment was authorized on January 30, 1776 in the continental Army as Capt. Soldiers who served during the years 1777-1780, when the currency was depreciating, were paid inContinental bills of Credit, which quickly lost value. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. Gen. Anthony Wayne's division. Gen. Anthony Wayne and Washington south in August where they fought at Brandywine on September 11, 1777. The names of those who actually turned out for muster duty would then appear on company muster rolls listing the men in their new arrangement. At the beginning of 1775, Pennsylvania, founded under Quaker auspices, differed from other American colonies in being totally devoid of military organization. That evening both sides encamped, though Marion did order his night patrols to take shots at Watsons sentinels. With knowledge of the land, James and his men were able to secure the bridge before the arrival of Watsons dragoons. About; Leadership; Public Information; Contact; Join; . Williams led the unit in patrol actions in New Jersey during the spring and summer, including an engagement at Bound Brook on April 11 or 12 and a skirmish at Amboy on April 25 in which one officer was killed. At Mount Hope Swamp, Marion had his men disassemble the bridge. Organized on September 5, 1776 at Lancaster with recruits from central Pennsylvania and assigned to the. The regiment spent the winter of 1777-78 at Valley Forge and took part in the Battle of Monmouth (28 June) the following summer. 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. Westmoreland County Revolutionary War Militia There is a problem with your email/password. A militiaman called for active duty who found such duty inconvenient was permitted to hire a Substitute to march and fight in his stead. Other than the regiments and separate companies of riflemen from Pennsylvania and the states to the south, who really functioned as light infantry rather than rangers, the Continental Army only formed two functional ranger units. Essentially, the old 2nd Pennsylvania ceased to exist before the final campaign in Virginia and South Carolina, although former members of the regiment were battle casualties at Green Springs on July 6 and Yorktown in October. American Revolutionary War Records - Pennsylvania - Genealogy Village Gen. Anthony Wayne's Division. Seven miles later at Ox Swamp, he encountered destroyed bridges and an abatis across the causeway. Organized in spring 1777 at Kittanning to consist of 8 companies from Westmoreland County.