The only unit capable, Lees Legion, had been recalled to the north to support Greene. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. 14 cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Reorganized and re-designated on January 1, 1777 as the 5th Pennsylvania Regiment, to consist of 8 companies. However, the men who remained in service were all redistributed among all these units and this establishment was mostly on paper. In 1780, the 7th Pennsylvania was part of a force which defended against a Hessian attack on New Bridge, New Jersey on April 16, 1780 and then at Paramus. Organized between January 31- August 19, 1777 at Lancaster as Capt. The regiment spent the winter months at Morristown, New Jersey, where it built up strength and was placed in Brig. (When an individual filed an appeal, they could also, however, be placed into a later class.) He was replaced by Col. John Phillip DeHaas of Lebanon. Virginia, Revolutionary War Records at FamilySearch.
Re-Enactor Links - American Revolution 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. For the remainder of the war, the fame of Morgan and of his Rangers continued to grow as they deployed throughout the colonies engaging British forces. L.G. And, they were still separate from the militias sanctioned by Pennsylvania's Provincial Assembly. Marions response was to once again reiterate his position that he was only responding in kind to British transgressions. They spent the winter at Valley Forge and fought at the battle of Monmoth on June 28, 1778. The militia did provide a significant defensive force patrolling the south side of the Schuylkill River and engaged in occasional clashes with British outposts and scouting parties including heavy skirmishes at Whitemarsh on December 7. The regiment was furloughed, on June 11, 1783, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and disbanded on November 15, 1783. Keystone State. During this time, Congress realized a more substantial national army with enlistments longer than 12 months would be needed to fight the war successfully. Contrary to myth, the
light troops in the Continental Army overwhelmingly followed European
doctrinal concepts.
Indian warriors, British rangers wipe out Western Pa. town during Please try again later. For most counties, the town or township from which each of the companies were recruited is also given when known. 3, The Pennsylvania Line: Regimental Organization and Operations, 17751783. Pennsylvania, Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. 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. Participating in a part of the left wing under Nathaniel Green, the Pennsylvanians assist in the defeat of the Hessians under Colonel Rall. That evening both sides encamped, though Marion did order his night patrols to take shots at Watsons sentinels. Fairfax County, During 1777, the regiment participated in the Philadelphia Campaign and fought at the Battles of Brandywine (11 Sept.) and Germantown (4 Oct.). Bucks County Associators and a chart showing how the units were organized is available. In addition, he sent a pass for the safe passage of the wounded and their attendants. After this, the 7th Pennsylvania spent time in New York and New Jersey watching the British.
Revolutionary War Frontier PA Rangers - Find a Grave Seven miles later at Ox Swamp, he encountered destroyed bridges and an abatis across the causeway. Most of Whitcomb's men came from New
Hampshire and the Hampshire Grants (now Vermont). USA. The 7th Pennsylvania was part of the force that attacked the blockhouse under Wayne at Bergen Heights on july 21, 1780. Still assigned to Greene's division, the PSR participates in the assault of the British right flank. They occasionally operated with friendly Indians,
but more commonly served the British as a substitute for traditional
allies. In many instances, members of the militia gave no military service beyond occasional routine drill, and some escaped even that. Only
during a brief period in the winter of 1777-1778 did the Continental
Army experiment with the idea of employing them as a shock force. By the end of October, the unit had suffered substantially from all the fighting, including the loss of Williams who was captured at Germantown. 11th Pennsylvania Regiment was officially authorized on October 25, 1776. 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. Special battalions of line troops were recruited for theFlying Campfrom among the Pennsylvania Associators who took part in the New Jersey campaign in 1776. Formed in 1780 as a result of the brutality of British General Cornwallis severe measures, this unit was commanded by Brigadier General Francis Marion, considered by many to be one of the boldest and most dashing figures of the American Revolution. "Light
Horse Harry" Lee of Virginia (the father of Robert E. Lee)
raised the only American-born unit under this concept. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. 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. Organized in spring 1777 at Philadelphia to consist of 8 companies from Philadelphia City and Berks, Chester, Philadelphia and Northumberland Counties. June 10, 1777 The transfer of the Pennsylvania State Regiment to the Continental service is formalized. Were your ancestors part of the Pennsylvania Line? They marched from Hannastown, Pennsylvania, to New Jersey in the winter of 1776-77, and the following campaign season took part in a number of battles, including Paoli, Brandywine, White Marsh, Boundbrook, and Germantown as part of Brig. 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. 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. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. 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. 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. Recipe Book - 1705. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. Avoiding militia calls was not difficult. In contrast, however, they received uniforms and arms from the state. 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. Companies and Battalions of militia were set up on a geographical basis similar to the arrangement already familiar with the Associators. Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission, Battalions and Companies, Arranged by County, 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. These actions earned the Rangers a reputation for ruthlessness. Lt. Such men of the Pennsylvania Line as became disabled in service but were found capable of light garrison duty were transferred to this special continental regiment. The men of the regiment refused at first to join the mutineers, but were finally forced to when the other troops threatened them at bayonet point and with artillery. For line troops, neither the type of service rendered nor the term of enlistment was uniform. Miscellaneous private papers relating to the French and Indian War, the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Mexican War, Civil War, Spanish-American War, Philippine Insurrection, World War I, the Pennsylvania National Guard, and peacetime military service. When the classes were called up, each captain would deliver a notice to each man's dwelling or place of business. The 2nd Pennsylvania Regiment had its origins in a unit established on October 12, 1775, and designated "The First Pennsylvania Battalion." He is said to have been wounded and taken prisoner at Stillwater, N.Y., during a British-Indian attack on Morgan's camp in September 1777. At Brandywine, the women of the 6th Pennsylvania were cited for their bravery under fire while bringing water to the men. When active service occurred, it would have been for only sixty days at a time. The Pennsylvania Line: Regimental Organization and Operations, 1776-1783 by John B.B. In December, the 2nd Pennsylvania returned to Morristown for another winter. With less than 200 troops remaining, the consolidated troops are assigned to Brig. 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. At Morristown, during the winter of 1780-81, the 7th Pennsylvania was involved in a mutiny with other Pennsylvania Regiments after which the unit was disbanded. Corps of Invalids. Franklin County, Lower Bridge was only twelve miles away. The regiment was authorized in December, 1775 as the 5th Pennsylvania Battalion. 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. Within minutes, the planks had been removed from the center of the bridge and the stringers burned on the east end. Weve updated the security on the site. Under the provisions of the Militia Act, each individual summmoned had the right to file an appeal asking that their service be delayed and some successfuly avoided service by repeatedly filing appeals. The situation was not good. The Regiment was authorized on September 16, 1776 in the Continental Army as the 9th Pennsylvania Regiment.
Revolutionary War: Black loyalists sought freedom at Sandy Hook NJ 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. Please enable scripts and reload this page. The Continental Army's
other light troops sprang from a relatively new European concept
not the native American ranger tradition. Relieved on July 22, 1778 from the 3rd Pennsylvania Brigade and assigned to the 2nd Pennsylvania Brigade, and element of the, Reorganized on January 1, 1783 at Philadelphia, to consist of 9 companies, and assigned to the. The Regiment was authorized on August 23, 1776 in the Continental Army as the Northampton and Northumberland Defense Battalion and assigned to the. 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. To avoid capture, nearly all its vessels were sunk in the spring of 1778. The regiment was assigned to the 3d Pennsylvania Brigade of the Main Continental Army on 27 May 1777. In March 1777, this indeed occurred. 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. The regiment was organized June 1775 as Maj. Timothy Bedel's Corps of Rangers . During this period, activist elements among Pennsylvania's population organized local volunteer "associations" that were eventually formed into fifty-three battalions. As circumstances would have it, Rogers, who had never earned the trust of those like George Washington, sought and received a commission from Great Britain, consequently raising and leading the Queens Rangers and Kings Rangers during the American Revolution, flying the Union Jack of Great Britain rather then the red, white, and blue colors of the newly declared American colonies. Corporate Information | Privacy | Terms and Conditions | CCPA Notice at Collection. Late that afternoon, he bivouacked south of Nelsons Ferry. As we continue to get closer to a complete collection of The Pennsylvania Archives, we find more interesting facts. 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. Light infantry companies
added to the regimental organization of each Continental Army
infantry regiment in 1778 also had European roots.
Organized in spring 1777 at Kittanning to consist of 8 companies from Westmoreland County. The Regiment was authorized on January 4, 1776 in the Continental Army as the 6th Pennsylvania Battalion. The regiment would see action during the Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Monmouth and the Battle of Springfield. Occasionally, militia reinforcements from Cumberland, Lancaster, and York counties would be brought in to reinforce these frontiers as occurred in the summer of 1778. Realizing that he had done enough and that his men would not be able to stand in the open ground against such a disciplined and highly trained force, Marion had his men remount and follow him, leaving the field of battle to Watson. When spring came, the regiment was again actively engaged in patrols and skirmishes with British forays from New York. Having dashed ahead to destroy the bridge, Horry and his men were positioned fifty yards across the river. It was Maxwell's command which fought the delaying action at Iron Hill on September 3, 1777, when Lt. Col. Francis Gurney was wounded. The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine 23 (No. Continental Regiments, 1st Pennsylvania Regiment 2d Pennsylvania Regiment 3d Pennsylvania Regiment 4th Pennsylvania Regiment 5th Pennsylvania Regiment 6th Pennsylvania Regiment 7th Pennsylvania Regiment 8th Pennsylvania Regiment 9th Pennsylvania Regiment 10th Pennsylvania Regiment 11th Pennsylvania Regiment 12th Pennsylvania Regiment 13th Pennsylvania Regiment Nelson's Independent Rifle Company William's Independent Company Morehead's Independent Company Weaver's Independent Company Pugh's Independent Company Doyle's Independent Rifle Company Pennsylvania State Musketry Battalion Carlisle Independent Companies State Militia Units. In the Western Department, the unit helped construct and garrison Fort McIntosh on the Beaver River, and Fort Laurens on the Tuscarawas. Whitcomb's Rangers
started as a similar provisional unit on the Lake Champlain front
in 1776. January 3, 1777 The Battle of Princeton. 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. 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.
Revolutionary War Online Records Mifflin' Brigade re-designated on October 8, 1776 as Stirling's Brigade. Allen, William; lieutenant in Colonel Timothy Green's battalion, 1776; wounded at White Plains. Colonels Colonel William Thompson, Colonel Edward Hand, Colonel James Chambers Companies Pennsylvania Archives volumes and not directly from original archival records. 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. Morning arrived and Watson again resumed his march with Marion leading. The act called for eight battalion districts to be created in Philadelphia and in each of the eleven extant counties. The 11th Pennsylvania's total losses during the whole campaign were substantial, for by November 1, 1777, it had present for duty only eight officers and eighty enlisted men. Proudly founded in 1681 as a place of tolerance and freedom.
Revolutionary War Militia Overview - Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Much of the information provided below was extracted by former archivist Henry James Young, and also possibly by archivist Marvin Schlegel, during the 1940s and 1950s from published entries in the various series of the In formal
battles it provided unblemished flank security, but it was even
better in rear battle by conducting deep raids against British
logistical bases. American Revolutionary War 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. The Regiment was authorized on March 6, 1776 in the Pennsylvania State Troops as the Pennsylvania State Musketry Battalion. The 1st Partisan Corps
under the Frenchman "Colonel Armand" (the marquis de
la Rouerie) and the 2d under Lee both drew assignments in Major
General Nathanael Greene's Southern Department. As a result of declining numbers, the Pennsylvania Regiments were reorganized into three provisional battalions. Largely due to its Quaker roots, Pennsylvania did not initially (like neighboring colonies) form a standing militia. The regiment would see action during the Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Monmouth and the Battle of Springfield. Learn more. In offensive
operations they became scouts and guides, locating targets (such
as villages) for task forces drawn from the militia or other colonial
troops. 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. ?? The original 8th Pennsylvania Regiment was formed in July 1776 of men from Westmoreland and Bedford counties in western Pennsylvania.
Washington County, PA Militia 1778-1783 - Genealogy - WeRelate 1st Continental Regiment. Here the regiment shared the sufferings of the Continental Line, trained in Von Steuben's new manual of arms and brought itself up to strength. Reorganized on January 1, 1783 at Lancaster, to consist of 7 companies in the. List of regimental, company and militia units from Pennsylvania in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War from 1775 to 1782, including infantry, cavalry and artillery units. Translate. On September 25 it rushed from Tappan, New York, to West Point to reinforce the garrison there after Benedict Arnold's treachery was discovered. Sullivan in his campaign against the Iroquois in western Pennsylvania. Many of the men who served in 1776 reenlisted and to these were added new recruits to fill out the regiment.
Online Revolutionary War Indexes and Records - Military Indexes Remainder of Regiment reorganized and re-designated on January 1, 1777 as the 4th Pennsylvania Regiment, an element of the, Relieved on July 18, 1778 from the 2nd Pennsylvania Brigade and assigned to the, New York Brigade relieved on May 24, 1779 from the, Relieved on August 24, 1779 from the New York Brigade and assigned to Hand's Brigade, an element of the, Relieved on August 1, 1780 from Hand's Brigade and assigned to 1st Pennsylvania Brigade, an element of the. Membership in the Associators differed greatly from membership the militia, for, technically, enrollment in the Associators was voluntary, while membership in the militia was strictly compulsory with the obligation legally defined. 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. 23, No. Having suffered so many casualties, by November 1, the 7th Pennsylvania only had 17 officers and 105 men fit for duty. Watson did not take long to initiate the fight. Due to bad tactics, the unit took the heaviest losses in the engagement. Scouts abounded about the British regiment. December 26, 1776 The Battle of Trenton. 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.
Pennsylvania Line, Militia, Rangers, Associators, and Flying Camp After exchanging fire in the area of Chadd's Ford, The PSR, as part of General Greene's division move to meet the main British assault. For all intents the Regiment ceased to exist. 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. With his men in a panic and the number of wounded and suffering growing, Watson shelved his pride and addressed a letter to Marion not only requesting permission to send seven of his most seriously wounded through the lines but once again alluding to the fact that Watson believed Marion was conducting himself in a manner contrary to civilized war. Marion and his brigade soon arrived and forded the river. The origin of the ranger tradition lies in the seventeenth century wars between colonists and Native American tribes. Organized between February 7- March 17, 1776 at Reading, Pennsylvania, with personnel from Berks County. 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.