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. The battle took place in the Wyoming Valley of Pennsylvania on July 3, 1778 in what is now Luzerne County. 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. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. In the mid 1700s, Capt. 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. November 16, 1776 - Formerly known as the 5th Pennsylvania Battalion the entire unit was captured at Fort Washington, New York. To each of her line soldiers, who served to the end of the war, Pennsylvania granted After this, the 7th Pennsylvania spent time in New York and New Jersey watching the British. Relieved in January 1777 from Stirling's Brigade. The 5th Pennsylvania Regiment was raised December 9, 1775 at Chester, Pennsylvania for service with the Continental Army. In the Western Department, the unit helped construct and garrison Fort McIntosh on the Beaver River, and Fort Laurens on the Tuscarawas. The regiment participated in the unsuccessful defense of New York City and was captured in part at Fort Washington (16 Nov., 1776). 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. Re-designated on January 1, 1777 as the 8th Pennsylvania Regiment. Marions response was to once again reiterate his position that he was only responding in kind to British transgressions. August 11, 1776 The Pennsylvania troops are ordered to New York and are assigned to the brigade commanded by General William Alexander. These actions earned the Rangers a reputation for ruthlessness. Robert Rogers of New Hampshire organized a corps of New England woodsmen as full-time Provincials directly under British military auspices and paid out of British funds. However, the men who remained in service were all redistributed among all these units and this establishment was mostly on paper. Though they held military titles, these were actually civilian officers not to be confused with the military officers holding the same ranks in the Continental Army. On 5 March 1781, Watson began his movement, marching from Fort Watson. 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. Eight days later, Pennsylvania was directed to raise two additional companies, followed by a third. Light infantry companies added to the regimental organization of each Continental Army infantry regiment in 1778 also had European roots. Rangers, who served long enlistments on the frontier against the Indians. And, they were still separate from the militias sanctioned by Pennsylvania's Provincial Assembly. Revolutionary War Pension Payment Ledgers, 1818-1872 from NARA microfilm publication T718. These two needs determined the form and six of her armed vessels and the character of their operations. Filename: Description: Date: Submitter: Revolutionary War: 1bat1782.txt : Rev War: 1782 - First Battalion, Washington County: May 1998: m. Burns: Frontier Rangers/Militia He was replaced by Col. John Phillip DeHaas of Lebanon. This time, the question of military service was no longer optional. 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. Search Connecticut Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 from The National Archives, Search Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served from Connecticut in the American Army During the Revolution from The National Archives. 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. 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. Captured in part on November 16, 1776 by the British Army at Fort Washington, New York. Gen. Anthony Wayne and Washington south in August where they fought at Brandywine on September 11, 1777. Unfortunately for Watson, the lack of trees and concealment did not diminish the fires, nor their accuracy. In the spring of 1777, the Regiment was assigned to Brig. It was organized during the spring of 1777 to consist of eight companies of volunteers from Westmoreland, Lancaster, Chester, Philadelphia and Cumberland counties of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The mutiny failed and resulted in many of the soldiers receiving their discharges. 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. Following a brief skirmish on the narrow land bridge, both sides withdrew. Pulaski's Independent Legion. About. 302-324. return to scholars showcase. Two months later the remnants of the corps fell into British hands when Fort Washington surrendered. 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. 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. American Revolutionary War Union County, During the 1777 campaign, the regiment split, with the smaller rifle corps joining Maj. Gen. Horatio Gates at Saratoga. Swearingen resigned from the service in August 1779 and settled in Washington County, Pa., where he owned a handful of slaves and became the county's first sheriff two years later. The company commanders could also change. Most of the Associators now disbanded. 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. Late that afternoon, he bivouacked south of Nelsons Ferry. An online listing of officers in the The regiment was assigned to the 3d Pennsylvania Brigade of the Main Continental Army on 27 May 1777. Thousands of militiamen returned from tours of active duty unpaid, bearing only a slip signed by a commanding officer. On September 21 the regiment was in Hartford, Connecticut, with Wayne to greet French General Rochambeau. RootsWeb is funded and supported by 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 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. Black regimental hats are bound up in yellow.Records of deserters in 1777-78 show however, men clad in various color regimental coats and hunting shirts. Some elements of the 11th Pennsylvania saw action in the Battle of Princeton, January 3, 1777. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. L.G. Pennsylvania State Navy. Re-designated on June 22, 1775 as the Pennsylvania Rifle Regiment. Reorganized and re-designated on January 1, 1777 as the 5th Pennsylvania Regiment, to consist of 8 companies. In certain counties there were recruited special troops called The U.S. Army Ranger history predates the Revolutionary War. During this period, activist elements among Pennsylvania's population organized local volunteer "associations" that were eventually formed into fifty-three battalions. Colonel John Bull was appointed colonel on May 2, 1777, but was succeeded on June 17 by Colonel Walter Stewart. The 3rd Pennsylvania Regiment was raised, on December 9, 1775, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for service with the Continental Army. Pennsylvania therefore adapted her fleet to shallow waters. 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. The Regiment was authorized on April 8, 1777 in the Pennsylvania State Troops as Capt. 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 They were instead the numbers of the battalions from which the men came! At the beginning of 1775, Pennsylvania, founded under Quaker auspices, differed from other American colonies in being totally devoid of military organization. Certain it is no man has a better claim to the public thanks, or is more generally admired than you. Relieved on April 27, 1776 from Green's Brigade and assigned to the. As Marions men turned back from the fires, Watson loaded two wagons with wounded. The Pennsylvania Navy was created in 1775 and, like the Pennsylvania Line, was filled by voluntary enlistment. After a settlement was reached, the regiment was furloughed at Trenton on January 17. For example, what had been Colonel White's 1st York County Battalion continued to be made up of the same men, but could now be designated as perhaps Colonel Black's 7th York County Battalion. John Nelson's Independent Rifle Company and assigned to the. American Revolution - ARMY RANGERS Explaining Pennsylvania's Militia - Journal of the American In pursuit was Peter Horry, firing on the retreating forms from every bush and thicket. Shortly afterward, the Regiment helped delay Cornwallis before the Battle of Princeton. United States Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 FamilySearch Congress called for a Flying Camp to serve under General George Washington. 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 reset your password. Whitcomb's Rangers started as a similar provisional unit on the Lake Champlain front in 1776. 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. Before daybreak, Marion roused his men and deployed his troops. USA, New Berlin, 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. 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. 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. Benjamin Church and Maj. Robert Rogers both formed Ranger units to fight during the King Phillips War and the French and Indian War. Advancing his main force as support, Marion again ordered Horry to charge. Recipe Book - 1705. To get things off to a spirited start, he dispatched a detachment of sharpshooters across the river to the plantation where Watson and his troops were housed with orders to shoot his sentries and to wreak havoc. Revolutionary War Records at FamilySearch. The companies supported British operations against French Canada on the New York and St. Lawrence River fronts. 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. 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 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. Pennsylvania Revolutionary Soldiers - PA-Roots Relieved on May 22, 1777 from Stirling's Brigade and assigned to the 1st Pennsylvania Brigade, an element of the. 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. Brief History of the 6th Pennsylvania Regiment of 1777. Soldiers remaining in the regiment were reassigned to other units and eventually sent south to take part in the Yorktown Campaign. In offensive operations they became scouts and guides, locating targets (such as villages) for task forces drawn from the militia or other colonial troops. With his cavalry defeated, Watson advanced his guards. The enlisted men were held by the British until December 26, 1776 when they were set free on parole and, most probably, exchanged for prisoners held by the Continental Forces. Early in that year, as tension mounted, there appeared spontaneously in certain localities volunteer companies of 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. 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. 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. There, Marion waited, knowing that Watson would eventually appear. Later that evening, one of Marions scouts reconnoitered the camp and rode off to warn his brigadier. These certificates (bonds in the modern sense) were ultimately redeemed at face value. 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. Having suffered so many casualties, by November 1, the 7th Pennsylvania only had 17 officers and 105 men fit for duty. Within minutes, the planks had been removed from the center of the bridge and the stringers burned on the east end. 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. Mounting a second animal, he ordered his artillery to open fire with grapeshot. The second type of service was duty on the frontier in Northumberland, Northampton, Bedford and Westmoreland counties. 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. Reorganized on July 1, 1778 to consist of 9 companies. Soldiers who served during the years 1777-1780, when the currency was depreciating, were paid in With knowledge of the land, James and his men were able to secure the bridge before the arrival of Watsons dragoons. Gen. William Maxwell, which was formed for the fall campaign opposing the British approach toward Philadelphia from the south. 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. Please try again later. 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. In their place came a complex system of county battalion classes and officers whose seniority was chosen by the drawing of lots. In enrollment, it probably never numbered as many as one thousand men. Organized on January 2- late March 1776 at Philadelphia to consist of 8 companies from eastern Pennsylvania. They took part in campaigns against the Indian towns in northwest Pennsylvania in concert with the Sullivan/Clinton campaign, and again against the hostile Indians in southeast Ohio. The 13th Pennsylvania Regiment, also known as The Pennsylvania State Rifle Regiment and Miles's Regiment, was raised March 6, 1776, as a state militia regiment and later for service with the Continental Army. The military unit may also be identified by searching the collection "United States, Revolutionary War Compiled Service Records, 1775-1783" Index provided by Fold3.com and FamilySearch. Reorganized and re-designated on January 1, 1777 as the 7th Pennsylvania Regiment, to consist of 8 companies. Thanks for your help! During the battle, Colonel Miles, Atlee and Lt. Undaunted, the Swamp Fox ordered an immediate advance and moved to position himself at Wiboo Swamp. Leaving twenty dead from the engagement, he, the wagons, and the remainder of his regiment forced the ford. They also helped garrison Fort Pitt, Fort Henry, and a number of smaller posts. Revolutionary War Records Overview The Military Association, 1775-1777 At the beginning of 1775, Pennsylvania, founded under Quaker auspices, differed from other American colonies in being totally devoid of military organization. The Regiment was authorized on August 23, 1776 in the Continental Army as the Northampton and Northumberland Defense Battalion and assigned to the. Two companies also accompanied Benedict Arnold's attack on Quebec. Volume Reel 0821 American Revolutionary War Service Records; Soldiers--United States--Registers Pennsylvania, Sixth Battalion (1776) Sixth Regiment: L - Z. Re-Enactor Links - American Revolution The resulting restructuring of the Pennsylvania Line perpetuated a 2nd Regiment among the state's six reorganized units, with Walter Stewart still in command. 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. Revolutionary War General. "Light Horse Harry" Lee of Virginia (the father of Robert E. Lee) raised the only American-born unit under this concept. Proudly founded in 1681 as a place of tolerance and freedom. Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission. 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). 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 Thompson's Rifle Battalion, the regiment participated in the siege of Boston. The Regiment was authorized on December 9, 1775 in the Continental Army as the 2d Pennsylvania Battalion. 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. The Continental Army's other light troops sprang from a relatively new European concept not the native American ranger tradition. As with all his previous battles, he was on his own with this fight. Pennsylvania, They spent the winter at Valley Forge and fought at the battle of Monmoth on June 28, 1778. Arriving from Ireland Kauffman, Crossing the road that led from Murrys Ferry to Kingstree, Watson continued to follow Marion toward Georgetown. John Pugh's Independent Company to guard Powder Mill at French Creek. Westmoreland County Revolutionary War Militia 1st Battalion, 1777 Commanding Officers: Col. Alexander Barr Lt. Col. John Pomery Major James Wilkins 2nd Battalion, 1777 Commanding Officers: Col. John Perry Lt. Col. John Shields Major Christopher Lavengair 3rd Battalion, 1778 Commanding Officers: Col. James Smith Lt. Col. Providence Mounts Gen. Thomas Mifflin. Organized between July 15- September 15, 1776 at Kittanning to consist of 8 companies from Westmoreland, Bedford and Cumberland Counties. It was assigned on August 12, 1776 to Stirling's Brigade, an element of the, The Regiment was authorized on October 6, 1777 in the Continental Army as two Carlisle Independent Companies and assigned to the, Organized between October 20- December 22, 1777 at Carlisle. This active-duty roll was therefore a completely different roll from the permanent billet roll. 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. 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. The regiment was disbanded on January 1, 1783. For an account of the arrangement and operations of the Pennsylvania Line soldiers see South Carolina and Georgia each raised mounted ranger units in 1775-1776, but when they became part of the Continental Army during the summer of 1776 they transformed into mounted infantry. [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. Only in a few instances did her armed vessels pass beyond the Capes of the Delaware into the Atlantic. President Joe Biden signed a presidential determination authorizing the use of Defense Production Act Title III authorities to rebuild and expand the nations domestic hypersonics industrial base. On 22 July 1778 the regiment was re-assigned to the 2d Pennsylvania Brigade. List of 10,000 Revolutionary Soldiers 1775-1783 - Fold3 HQ On November 3, 1783, after a distinguished career, the 1st Pennsylvania Regiment was officially mustered out in Philadelphia, then capital of the United States of America. Contrary to myth, the light troops in the Continental Army overwhelmingly followed European doctrinal concepts. The regiment was raised in Cumberland and York counties (companies G and H). During this time, Congress realized a more substantial national army with enlistments longer than 12 months would be needed to fight the war successfully. In 1747, Ben Franklin (only 39 years of age at the time) created the Philadelphia Militia Association, a completely volunteer force totalling 10,000 enrollees. In addition, he sent a pass for the safe passage of the wounded and their attendants. The Pennsylvania Council of Safety prescribes that there will be ten companies, "eight of them armed with muskets and the other two with riffles." William Hendrick's and Mathew Smith's companies each additionally served in: On June 14, 1775, the Continental Congress passed a resolution calling for the raising of six companies of expert riflemen from Pennsylvania, two from Maryland, and two from Virginia. 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. On Sept. 1, 1780, Tye's brigade raided the Colts Neck home of Capt. The 11th Pennsylvania fought again at Germantown on October 4, 1777. The Raid at Cabanatuan, Philippines, 75th Ranger Regiment The Legacy Continues. 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. 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.