Muster rolls of the navy and line, militia and rangers, 1775-1783:198-220 Intemediate Sources: USGENwebArchives Transcribed by Christina Hunt Archive.org, OCR Transcription. 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. 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. Only in extreme cases was any individual militia man required to drill with his neighbors as many as twelve times each year, and at most he was called upon to perform during the entire course of the war, two or possibly three, short tours of active duty. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Organized on January 2- late March 1776 at Philadelphia to consist of 8 companies from eastern Pennsylvania. The regiment spent the winter of 1777-78 at Valley Forge and took part in the Battle of Monmouth (28 June) the following summer. 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. At the outbreak of hostilities between the Crown and the colonies in 1775 the Pennsylvania Assembly opposed any form of mandatory military service. Pennsylvania Long Rifles. But the bluff was too high and the artillery canister just passed overhead of the defenders on the east bank when fired. 14 cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. 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. The American revolutionaries were not without their Rangers, despite Rogers' support of the Crown. This browser does not support getting your location. The Regiment was authorized on October 12, 1775 in the Continental Army as the 1st Pennsylvania Battalion. Contrary to common belief, none of the lands granted to veterans by the federal government were located in Pennsylvania. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. Contrary to myth, the light troops in the Continental Army overwhelmingly followed European doctrinal concepts. That evening both sides encamped, though Marion did order his night patrols to take shots at Watsons sentinels. . 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. At least one company of the regiment joined in the assaults on the Chew House and lost a number of men. Deleting this Virtual Cemetery cannot be undone. Men who served with Regiment and continued their service saw action at Yorktown and mopping up operations in South Carolina. They occasionally operated with friendly Indians, but more commonly served the British as a substitute for traditional allies. When America officially declared its independence from Great Britain, it was clear more troops were needed to fight in the revolution. Avoiding militia calls was not difficult. 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. During this assault one regiment, possibly the 6th Pennsylvania attacked the pickets at Mount Airy. 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. Following the reduction of the Pennsylvania Line in the winter of 1780-81 the unit was redesignated "the detachment of the Pennsylvania Line", and consisted of two companies. Within the formation were the wagons, periodically stopping to gather more wounded or dead. The Pennsylvania Navy was created in 1775 and, like the Pennsylvania Line, was filled by voluntary enlistment. During the summer, the 11th Pennsylvania was assigned to the 2d Brigade of Anthony Wayne's division. The sharpshooters were placed at the abutment where they had the clearest shot at the far end of the bridge while the remaining musketeers secured their flanks. Concurrent with the establishment of county militias was the creation of five companies of Rangers. Watsons Buffs were considered to be one of the finest regiments in the British army. "Light Horse Harry" Lee of Virginia (the father of Robert E. Lee) raised the only American-born unit under this concept. The regiment was organized June 1775 as Maj. Timothy Bedel's Corps of Rangers . A separate article discussing the various form of military service during this conflict will be added in the near future. A counter charge of the remainder of Marions cavalry pushed the dragoons back across the land bridge. Relieved on August 31, 1776 from Stirling's Brigade and assigned to Mifflin's Brigade, an element of the. 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. 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. All males aged 20 to 45 - including immigrants seeking citizenship - had to register for the draft. The Regiment was authorized on December 9, 1775 in the Continental Army as the 4th Pennsylvania Battalion. The following is a brief explanation of the differences between these branches of service. Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 (M246), and other historical records. The Battle of Wyoming, also known as the Wyoming Massacre, was a military engagement during the American Revolutionary War between Patriot militia and a force of Loyalist soldiers and Iroquois warriors. 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. At Mount Hope Swamp, Marion had his men disassemble the bridge. The 1st Pennsylvania was considered an elite unit and was given the post of honor on the right of the line. Relieved on November 18, 1776 from St. Clair's Brigade. Following the British practice of calling a regiment after its commander, this battalion came to be called Thompson's Rifle Battalion. Congress passed the first national conscription act in the country's history. Mifflinburg, On September 25 it rushed from Tappan, New York, to West Point to reinforce the garrison there after Benedict Arnold's treachery was discovered. American Revolutionary War 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. Formation [ edit] The few present were able to man a section of the army's first line of defense at Whitemarsh in early December, before moving with the rest of Washington's forces into the legendary winter encampment at Valley Forge. After a settlement was reached, the regiment was furloughed at Trenton on January 17. Revolutionary War Records at FamilySearch. The Regiment was authorized on January 18, 1777 in the Continental Army as an independent company to guard prisoners of war at Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Ages ranged from sixteen to sixty years. Marion and his men had won the days skirmish. Gen. Anthony Wayne's Division. September 11, 1777 The Battle of Brandywine. 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 7th Pennsylvania was present at Whitemarsh but did not fight. 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. For all intents the Regiment ceased to exist. A man who failed to report for drill merely paid an The traditional ranger usage reached its peak during the French and Indian War. John Doyle's Independent Rifle Company. With knowledge of the land, James and his men were able to secure the bridge before the arrival of Watsons dragoons. 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 Reorganized and re-designated 1 January 1, 1777 as the 3rd Pennsylvania Regiment, to consist of 8 companies. Furloughed on June 11, 1783 at Philadelphia (less 2 companies remaining active at Fort Pitt). The colonel of the 13th, 23-year-old Walter Stewart, became the Second's new commander. Queen's Rangers. 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. A double-pronged attack was planned with Lieutenant Colonel Watson marching down the Santee to attack Marion while Colonel Welbore Ellis Doyle crossed the Lynches River to cut off the rebels escape. The Pennsylvania Council of Safety prescribes that there will be ten companies, "eight of them armed with muskets and the other two with riffles." 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. USA. Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission. The regiment as a whole seems to have seen its first major action at the Battle of Brandywine, on September 11, 1777, and saw especially hard fighting, taking heavy casualties. Flying Camps were what we today might call mobile military reserves. 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. 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. Following a brief skirmish on the narrow land bridge, both sides withdrew. Baffled about what to do next, Watson waited on the bluff until evening, when he withdrew to a plantation a mile north of the bridge. The regiment was authorized in December, 1775 as the 5th Pennsylvania Battalion. As Thompson's Rifle Battalion, the regiment participated in the siege of Boston. The Rangers were engaged in numerous violent raids that characterized the northern frontier of the American Revolutionary War, such as the Battle of Wyoming in July 1778 and the Cherry Valley massacre of November 1778. And, they were still separate from the militias sanctioned by Pennsylvania's Provincial Assembly. They required six-month enlistments. 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. As Marions men turned back from the fires, Watson loaded two wagons with wounded. Comment: Adapted here with some reformating, and standardization, Links to person articles to be added as they come available. Veterans of this corps played a major role in the Continental Army during the Revolution, including Major General Israel Putnam and Brigadier Generals John Stark and Moses Hazen. Substitute Fine was paid. Morgans Corps of Rangers was coming to fruition. As his situation grew more desperate with each passing day, Watson finally decided to retreat. Here the 2nd Pennsylvania served in a provisional brigade commanded by Lt. Col. Aaron Burr and made a charge from the American left flank into a British force trying to assault the American center. Revolutionary War Re-Enactors. 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. Search the Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files of Connecticut Veterans from The National Archives: Capt. On September 21 the regiment was in Hartford, Connecticut, with Wayne to greet French General Rochambeau. 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). To avoid capture, nearly all its vessels were sunk in the spring of 1778. Swamp to his left and right, passage blocked to the front and Marion closing in from the rear, Watson had to quickly choose whether to flee or fight. The Continental Army's other light troops sprang from a relatively new European concept not the native American ranger tradition. Leaving twenty dead from the engagement, he, the wagons, and the remainder of his regiment forced the ford. By July 10, it was encamped with the American Army at Ft. Ticonderoga. Many of the Invalids were subsequently pensioned. The Flying Camp? Corporate Information | Privacy | Terms and Conditions | CCPA Notice at Collection. 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. Samuel Morehead's Independent Company, an element of the. To cross it would put Watson deep within the heartland of the Whig resistance. Please enable scripts and reload this page. Revolutionary War Pension Payment Ledgers, 1818-1872 from NARA microfilm publication T718. Two lieutenants were mortally wounded here and a number of men killed. Gen. Anthony Wayne and Washington south in August where they fought at Brandywine on September 11, 1777. January 3, 1777 The Battle of Princeton. 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. 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. Allen, William; lieutenant in Colonel Timothy Green's battalion, 1776; wounded at White Plains. The regiment would see action during the Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown and the Battle of Monmouth. The distance from bank to bank was the perfect sharpshooter distance, fifty yards. The Regiment was authorized on April 8, 1777 in the Pennsylvania State Troops as Capt. Militia fines became an important source of revenue. Revolutionary Soldiers, thanks again Ed Carsons In April of 1781, Robinson's Rangers had already been involved, as General Potter stated in his letter xiv in a "sharp engagement at Bald Eagle Creek." Little is known of that particular engagement, and perhaps it is the same one related by Van Campen, later. Most of the service rendered by members of the Pennsylvania Militia fell into one of three categories. Union County, 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. 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. 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. Member of the first and second continental Durham, The American Revolutionary War, also known as the American War of Independence, was a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North American. Another sixty-six enlisted men were sick, and thirty-one were on detached service. The Regiment was authorized on December 9, 1775 in the Continental Army as the 2d Pennsylvania Battalion. He was replaced by Col. John Phillip DeHaas of Lebanon. 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. In fact over the period of several years the 3d South Carolina Regiment gradually evolved into a line infantry regiment. Originally, the 6th Pennsylvania Battalion, the 7th Pennsylvania was authorized on January 4, 1776. 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. In certain counties there were recruited special troops calledRangers, who served long enlistments on the frontier against the Indians. Relieved on May 22, 1777 from Stirling's Brigade and assigned to the 1st Pennsylvania Brigade, an element of the. Jacob Weaver's Independent Company, Consolidated on November 7, 1777 with 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. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Some of its troops were detached to serve with the special task force (the "light infantry corps") under Brig. 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. For the 2nd Class, the colonel of the 2nd Battalion, lieutenant colonel of the First Battalion, and major of the 4th Battalion entered service in command of the 2nd Class active-duty battalion. There they remained until the 6th Pennsylvania was mustered out on March 15, 1777. Capt. Reorganized on January 1, 1783 at Lancaster, to consist of 7 companies in the. In the spring of 1777, the Regiment was assigned to Brig. 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. Inspite of the the heavy loss of life at Paoli the Regiment fought on October 4, 1777 at Germantown. Perry County, To each of her line soldiers, who served to the end of the war, Pennsylvania granted A militiaman called for active duty who found such duty inconvenient was permitted to hire a Substitute to march and fight in his stead. 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. The regiment participated in the unsuccessful defense of New York City and was captured in part at Fort Washington (16 Nov., 1776). During the afternoon the forces under General John Sullivan fought with the enemy for almost two hours near Birmingham Meeting House. (It should be noted, however, that a person serving as a substitute for someone else was not thereby excused from also serving in their own turn.) An online listing of officers in the 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. The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine 23 (No. 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. 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. Unfortunately for Watson, the lack of trees and concealment did not diminish the fires, nor their accuracy. Scouts abounded about the British regiment. Gen. Thomas Mifflin. Organized between January 2- February 11, 1776 at Chester to consist of 8 companies from Chester, Bucks and Lancaster Counties. On Sept. 1, 1780, Tye's brigade raided the Colts Neck home of Capt. Immortalized in song and story, Francis Marion became a hero of the Revolution second only to the commander-in-chief and first President of the United States, George Washington. He and Washington intended it to be the companion to the famous "Blue Book", but operational factors prevented its publication and distribution. Reorganized and redesignated on January 1, 1777 as the 2nd Pennsylvania Regiment, to consist of 8 companies. Morning arrived and Watson again resumed his march with Marion leading. There, on January 1, 1781, the mutiny of the Pennsylvania troops took place. 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. Undaunted, the British Regulars held their ground, unlimbered their field cannon, and repelled the attack. Furloughed on January 17, 1781 at Trenton, New Jersey. Harmar would remain in this position until 1780. Revolutionary War General. For purposes of administration and drill, It performed excellently in a light infantry role at the battle of Harlem Heights on 16 September 1776, but Knowlton suffered a mortal wound. The mutiny failed and resulted in many of the soldiers receiving their discharges. Organized in between March 7- May 29, 1776 at Markus Hook, to consist of the 1st Battalion (6 companies) from Philadelphia City and Bucks, Bedford, York, Norhampton and Northumberland Counties; and the 2nd Battalion (6 companies) from Berks, Cumberland, Lancaster and Westmoreland Counties. Relieved on April 27, 1776 from Green's Brigade and assigned to the. Maybe they were militia or Rangers. Furloughed on June 11, 1783 at Philadelphia. In December, the 2nd Pennsylvania returned to Morristown for another winter. An Official Pennsylvania Government Website. During the battle, Colonel Miles, Atlee and Lt. Light infantry companies added to the regimental organization of each Continental Army infantry regiment in 1778 also had European roots.
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