The battle took place in the Wyoming Valley of Pennsylvania on July 3, 1778 in what is now Luzerne County. The regiment was organized June 1775 as Maj. Timothy Bedel's Corps of Rangers . Sullivan in his campaign against the Iroquois in western Pennsylvania. Special battalions of line troops were recruited for theFlying Campfrom among the Pennsylvania Associators who took part in the New Jersey campaign in 1776. Benjamin Church and Maj. Robert Rogers both formed Ranger units to fight during the King Phillips War and the French and Indian War. Relieved on May 19, 1778 from the 2nd Pennsylvania Brigade and assigned to the. 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. At the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, so many men volunteered to join the Associators that a more formal operating structure was required. All white men, aged 15 to 53, were conscripted into military service - although there was no real punishment for those who refused. The 1st Pennsylvania was considered an elite unit and was given the post of honor on the right of the line. Contrary to myth, the light troops in the Continental Army overwhelmingly followed European doctrinal concepts. An attack against Morgan and his crack shots by a British force of 1,100 men would result in a brilliant double envelopment that has been called by historians the American Cannae. The British defeat was total with over 110 soldiers killed and 830 captured. The following is a brief explanation of the differences between these branches of service. Pennsylvania Militia and a chart showing how the units were organized is available. Colonel Brodhead is placed in command of the consolidated forces and ordered by General Washington to withdraw to Manhattan. 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. Soldiers remaining in the regiment were reassigned to other units and eventually sent south to take part in the Yorktown Campaign. It halted the British attack but was itself compelled to retire under subsequent artillery fire. The 7th Pennsylvania was present at Whitemarsh but did not fight. Only in a few instances did her armed vessels pass beyond the Capes of the Delaware into the Atlantic. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. 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. Later that evening, one of Marions scouts reconnoitered the camp and rode off to warn his brigadier. The Regiment was authorized on January 18, 1777 in the Continental Army as an independent company to guard prisoners of war at Lancaster, Pennsylvania. In enrollment, it probably never numbered as many as one thousand men. List of 10,000 Revolutionary Soldiers 1775-1783. This active-duty roll was therefore a completely different roll from the permanent billet roll. As the advance guard made its way across the river, Marion fell upon the rear guard. The 9th Pennsylvania Regiment was authorized September 16, 1776 and was assigned to the Main Continental Army on 27 December 1776. The original 8th Pennsylvania Regiment was formed in July 1776 of men from Westmoreland and Bedford counties in western Pennsylvania. The four regiments of light dragoons raised in 1777 as a reconnaissance force derived from European developments in light cavalry during the eighteenth century. . The regiment was in combat again on September 20 when, with the rest of Wayne's division, it was surprised at Paoli. The 7th Pennsylvania fought at Middlebrook, New Jersey on June 17. Donation Land in certain western counties, land that remained free from taxation so long as the soldier lived and retained ownership. The regiment was assigned to the 3d Pennsylvania Brigade of the Main Continental Army on 27 May 1777. Pennsylvania, All males aged 20 to 45 - including immigrants seeking citizenship - had to register for the draft. 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. It was during this action that the "wives of several of the soldiers belonging to the 6th Pennsylvania Regiment took the empty canteens of their husbands and friends and returned them filled with waterduring the hottest part of the engagement, although frequently cautioned as to the danger of coming into the line of fire.". 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. Bucks County Associators and a chart showing how the units were organized is available. 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. The Regiment was authorized on January 4, 1776 in the Continental Army as the 6th Pennsylvania Battalion. Marion and his men had won the days skirmish. Proudly founded in 1681 as a place of tolerance and freedom. RevWar '75 Continental Army Orderly Books Crown Forces Orderly Books Articles from Military Collector and Historian. Gen. Anthony Wayne and Washington south in August where they fought at Brandywine on September 11, 1777. Furloughed on January 17, 1781 at Trenton, New Jersey. A system error has occurred. Learn more. Resend Activation Email. 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. 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. Less than a week later, on July 1, the unit was dissolved, and merged with elements of the 10th Pennsylvania. The men in each battalion elected their own field officers who carried the rank of colonel, lieutenant colonel and major and these officers were then commissioned by the state and expected to serve for three years. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. Advancing his main force as support, Marion again ordered Horry to charge. The Pennsylvania Lineoriginated in 1775 was organized into thirteen regiments and several independent companies. Thanks for your help! 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. Fairfax County, Col. Henry Bicker was appointed in his place but did not actually join the regiment until the following October. November 30, 2006 by Trevor. Morgans Corps of Rangers was coming to fruition. Captain Nathan Hale of this corps gained immortality as a brave but singularly inept spy. Many of the Invalids were subsequently pensioned. 14 cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. But the bluff was too high and the artillery canister just passed overhead of the defenders on the east bank when fired. Associators remained independent of the Continental (Pennsylvania) Line which was comprised of regular, enlisted infantrymen. These groups assisted state-controlled - yet still temporary - militias. After camping at Valley Forge, the First Pennsylvania saw limited action at Monmouth. It remained at Ticonderoga voluntarily until November 13 (three weeks beyond its term of service) to await the arrival of replacement troops. In January 1776, the eight companies of the newly-formed battalion began leaving the state to participate in Benedict Arnold's ill-fated attempt to capture Quebec. John Nelson's Independent Rifle Company and assigned to the. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Avoiding militia calls was not difficult. The Pennsylvania State Regiment of Foot was organized at the end of April, 1777, from the men and officers of Miles's rifle battalion and Atlee's musketry battalion. Union County, It performed excellently in a light infantry role at the battle of Harlem Heights on 16 September 1776, but Knowlton suffered a mortal wound. Soldiers who served during the years 1777-1780, when the currency was depreciating, were paid inContinental bills of Credit, which quickly lost value. Two months later the remnants of the corps fell into British hands when Fort Washington surrendered. Mifflinburg, Like the Associators, they were volunteers. Pennsylvania Line Regiments and other Pennsylvania Units. November 12, 1777 The Pennsylvania State Regiment is officially designated the 13th Pennsylvania Regiment of the Continental Line. Shortly afterward, the Regiment helped delay Cornwallis before the Battle of Princeton. 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. In fact over the period of several years the 3d South Carolina Regiment gradually evolved into a line infantry regiment. Organized in between September 28- December 18, 1776 at Sunbury to consist of 8 companies from Northampton, Berks, Cumberland and Northumberland Counties. Jacob Weaver's Independent Company, Consolidated on November 7, 1777 with the. Relieved on August 31, 1776 from Stirling's Brigade and assigned to Mifflin's Brigade, an element of the. Lower Bridge was only twelve miles away. 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. Eight days later, Pennsylvania was directed to raise two additional companies, followed by a third. Lee particularly shined when his regulars stiffened the irregular local forces of leaders like Francis ("Swamp Fox") Marion. 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. Organized in spring 1777 at Kittanning to consist of 8 companies from Westmoreland County. Diarist Joseph Plumb Martin described him as "an excellent officer, much beloved and respected by the troops of the Line he belonged to.". March 5, 1776 The Pennsylvania House of Representatives passes a resolution to establish: The Pennsylvania State Rifle Regiment, know as Miles's Regiment, was to consist of two battalions of six companies of seventy-eight enlisted men, armed with rifles: The State Battalion of Musketry, known as Atless's Battalion, was to consist of eight companies of fifty-eight enlisted men, armed with muskets. Source:Egle, William Henry, 1898. Marion knew that if he did not continue to press, theyd be back with a vengeance. 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. At the Battle of Monmouth, on June 28, 1778, it was one of the three Pennsylvania regiments in the force which Aaron Burr led in a late-afternoon assault on the flank of a British counterattacking column. 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. Two companies also accompanied Benedict Arnold's attack on Quebec. The Pennsylvania Riflemen are sent to the left near Flatbush and the Musketeers are sent to the right with General Alexander. 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. The Pennsylvania Line: Regimental Organization and Operations, 1776-1783 by John B.B. and were required to show up for their two months of active duty at the time and in the order that their class was called up. It was assigned on August 12, 1776 to Stirling's Brigade, an element of the Main Army. This time, the question of military service was no longer optional. The regiment lost two men wounded in this action. 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. Early in that year, as tension mounted, there appeared spontaneously in certain localities volunteer companies of On June 10, 1777, the Pennsylvania Assembly, following the advice of the Supreme Executive Council of the state, transferred the state regiment to Continental service. But, from the perspective of Robert Rogers and his Rangers, that is contrary to the fact. With France entering the conflict on the side of the new United States in May, the British abandoned Philadelphia and moved across New Jersey to the more easily defended stronghold of New York City. 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. USA. 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. About; Leadership; Public Information; Contact; Join; . A Chronology Of The American Revolutionary War An Ordinance For Regulating The Cloathing Department For The Armies Of The United States The Attempt To Win Over The Hessians The Mutiny Of The Pennsylvania Line The Pox: Ten Times More Terrible Than Britons, Canadians And Indians Together In addition, he sent a pass for the safe passage of the wounded and their attendants. For this reason, a particular private might be listed in a different battalion in 1781 than he was in 1778 but this does not necessarily mean that he was transferred between units or changed residence. 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. Colonel Piper are captured. October 4, 1777 Battle of Germantown. 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. and assigned to the. In the spring of 1777, the Regiment was assigned to Brig. For all intents the Regiment ceased to exist. 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. 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. To each of her line soldiers, who served to the end of the war, Pennsylvania grantedDonation Landin certain western counties, land that remained free from taxation so long as the soldier lived and retained ownership. Or were they Associators? Refusal to turn out for military exercises would result in a fine, the proceeds from which were used to hire substitutes. Revolutionary War Records at FamilySearch. Hiding in his lair on Peyres Plantation or Snows Island by day and stealthily emerging at night to strike around midnight, Marion and his men would wreak havoc on British units from White Marsh to Black Mingo before fading once again into the morasses of the Santee or Peedee Rivers. After the British attacked at Long Island, the 1st Continental Regiment covered the retreat the American army. In 1776, the state's Provincial Assembly was replaced by a General Assembly and a new Pennsylvania constitution. Gen. Anthony Wayne's division. 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. A separate article discussing the various form of military service during this conflict will be added in the near future. 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. November 16, 1776 - Formerly known as the 5th Pennsylvania Battalion the entire unit was captured at Fort Washington, New York. Marion knew that an engagement with them would not be easy and he could expect no support from the American army. Watson rode back to rally his men only to have his horse shot from under him. 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. They also helped garrison Fort Pitt, Fort Henry, and a number of smaller posts. Eighty years after becoming the United States of America, the nation suffered a Civil War. 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 7th Pennsylvania was part of the force that attacked the blockhouse under Wayne at Bergen Heights on july 21, 1780. Marion and his brigade soon arrived and forded the river. Recipe Book - 1705. This was in spite of the fact that he "is detested by the officer's of his brigade because he makes his brigade work and personally drills and instructs it, instead of leaving it idle in camp. Comment: Adapted here with some reformating, and standardization, Links to person articles to be added as they come available. 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). On June 7, it fought at Connecticut Farms and on June 21 was at "the blockhouse" at Bergen Hts., where it joined the First Pennsylvania Regiment in a gallant but futile headlong charge on a sturdy Loyalist fortification despite the attempts of the officers to restrain the men. 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). The second type of service was duty on the frontier in Northumberland, Northampton, Bedford and Westmoreland counties. 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. 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. The geographical boundaries for each district were drawn so as to raise between 440 to 680 men fit for active duty as determined by information contained in the local tax rolls. Organized spring 1777 at York, Pennsylvania, with personnel from York County. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Whitcomb's Rangers started as a similar provisional unit on the Lake Champlain front in 1776. Occasionally, militia reinforcements from Cumberland, Lancaster, and York counties would be brought in to reinforce these frontiers as occurred in the summer of 1778. (sic)They are officially uniformed in a blue regimental coat with red lining and facing and pewter buttons inscribed PSR. The original commander, Col. John Bull, got into trouble selling furloughs to the men "and other degrading conduct" and was compelled by the other officers to resign. Maybe they were militia or Rangers. The mutiny failed and resulted in many of the soldiers receiving their discharges. Most of the Associators now disbanded. Following the British practice of calling a regiment after its commander, this battalion came to be called Thompson's Rifle Battalion. Pennsylvania State Navy. At Brandywine, the women of the 6th Pennsylvania were cited for their bravery under fire while bringing water to the men. Reorganized and redesignated on January 1, 1777 as the 2nd Pennsylvania Regiment, to consist of 8 companies. While all of these types of records reflect enrollment in the militia, only the muster rolls of the actual marching companies demonstrate actual service while the fine books and appeal books are evidence of lack of actual service. The west bank was a high bluff with the roadway passing down through a ravine to the bridge. 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 . Flying Camps were what we today might call mobile military reserves. 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. The resulting restructuring of the Pennsylvania Line perpetuated a 2nd Regiment among the state's six reorganized units, with Walter Stewart still in command. There they remained until the 6th Pennsylvania was mustered out on March 15, 1777. At the beginning of 1775, Pennsylvania, founded under Quaker auspices, differed from other American colonies in being totally devoid of military organization. At least one company of the regiment joined in the assaults on the Chew House and lost a number of men. 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. In Pennsylvania, the Associators once again stepped up to fill these roles, but the cost and commitment of their near continuous service were growing burdensome. USA, Somerset,