Examples of the Complexity of Continental Army Unit Lineage: (The Virginia, Pennsylvania and...

8/18/2019 Examples of the Complexity of Continental Army Unit Lineage: (The Virginia, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts Co…

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Examples of the Complexity of Continental Army Unit Lineage(The Virginia, Pennsylvania and Massachsetts Continental

Lines!

John U. Rees

Virginia Continental Regiments.(Not including Additional Continental regiments)

The best single source on this subject is E.M. Sanchez-Saavedra, AGuide: To Virginia Military Organizations in the American Revolution,177417!7 (Westinster, Md.! "eritage #oo$s, %&&'. While Sanchez-Saavedra)s *or$ is co+rehensive, the connection bet*een the +re-harleston-surrender irginia ontinental regients *ith their late-*arsuccessors is not al*as clear. "e also isses the /st and %d irginiaregients o0 /'1/. 2 have a++ended re*or$ed version belo*!

1st Virginia Regt. (1 co+anies (3rovincial establishent Jul /''4-5ebruar /''6/st a. Regt. (/& co+anies (ontinental establishent 5ebruar/''6-Ma /'1&

(Soldiers enlisted 0or 7 ears8ote! 2n Se+teber /''1 the en reaining 0ro the 9th irginiaRegient (ca+tured en asse at :eranto*n *ere absorbed b the/st irginia, *hich still *as reduced to 6 co+anies.#e0ore arching to South arolina in /'1&, the /st irginia *ascobined *ith the 4th, 'th, /&th, and //th irginia Regients, then sentsouth as +art o0 the /st Virginia Detachment (Woodford’s).

(See Woodford’s Brigade, 1st , d, and !d Virginia Detachments, 1"#$Entire regient ca+tured at harleston in Ma /'1&.5ebruar /'1/! /st irginia Regient reconstituted, but onl on +a+er.3ose)s irginia #attalion *as 0ored in id-suer /'1/ 0ro /st irginia o;cers and enlisted en absent *hen harleston surrendered.3ose)s #attalion arched south to South arolina in Januar /'1/under Maj. :en.


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%d a. Regt. (/& co+anies (ontinental establishent 5ebruar/''6-Ma /'1&

(Soldiers enlisted 0or 7 ears8ote! 2n Se+teber /''1 the en reaining 0ro the reduced 6th irginia Regient *as absorbed b the %d.

@ate in /''9 the %d irginia *as cobined *ith the 7d and Ath

irginiaRegients, then sent south as +art o0 the d Virginia Detachment(Woodford’s).(See Woodford’s Brigade, 1st , d, and !d Virginia Detachments, 1"#$ The bul$ o0 the regient ca+tured at harleston in Ma /'1&. a+t.ander 3ar$er *ith a sall nuber o0 en esca+ed ca+ture and in/'1/ +artici+ated in the Bor$to*n ca+aign.5ebruar /'1/ and Ma /'1%! %d irginia Regient reconstituted, butonl on +a+er. Januar /'17! < board o0 o;cers et to consolidate the reainingunits and troo+s ('th irginia at 5ort 3itt, 3ose)s #attalion, and a

contingent o0 recruits at Winchester. The result *as t*o battalions, the/st irginia containing ' co+anies, and the %d irginia *ith %co+anies (one o0 veterans, the other o0 recruits.

!d Virginia Regt. (/& co+anies (ontinental establishent?eceber /''4-Ma /'1&

(Soldiers enlisted 0or 7 ears8ote! 2n Se+teber /''1 the en reaining 0ro the reduced 4th irginia Regient *as absorbed b the 7d.2n Ma /''9 the 7d irginia *as te+oraril subsued the Ath Regient.

@ate in /''9 the 7d irginia *as cobined *ith the %d and Ath

irginiaRegients, and arched south as the d Virginia Detachment(Woodford’s).(See Woodford’s Brigade, 1st , d, and !d Virginia Detachments, 1"#$ The regient ca+tured at harleston in Ma /'1&.

%th Virginia Regt. (/& co+anies (ontinental establishent?eceber /''4-Ma /'1&

(Soldiers enlisted 0or 7 ears8ote! 2n Se+teber /''1 the en reaining 0ro the reduced 1th irginia Regient *as absorbed b the Ath Regient.

2n Ma /''9 the Ath irginia *as te+oraril incor+orated into the 7dRegient.@ate in /''9 the Ath irginia *as cobined *ith the %d and 7d irginiaRegients, and sent south as the d Virginia Detachment(Woodford’s).(See Woodford’s Brigade, 1st , d, and !d Virginia Detachments, 1"#$ The regient ca+tured at harleston in Ma /'1&.


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The o;cers and en o0 the (old 1th *ere sent to the arolinas in /'1&as +art o0 the %d irginia ?etachent (Wood0ord)s, and ca+tured atharleston.(See Woodford’s Brigade, 1st , d, and !d Virginia Detachments, 1"#$ The hand0ul o0 veterans *ho esca+ed ca+ture *ere 0urloughed in /'17.

th Virginia Regt. (/& co+anies (ontinental establishent?eceber /''4-Ma /'1&

(Soldiers enlisted 0or 7 ears


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8ote! 2n Se+teber /''1 the /7th irginia *as renubered as the(ne* 9th Regient.Stationed at 5ort 3itt, the (ne* 9th irginia esca+ed ca+ture atharleston in Ma /'1&.here *as no 1!th Virginia Regiment after 1""#.

1%th Virginia Regt. (/& co+anies (ontinental establishent8oveber /''6-Se+teber /''1 (Soldiers enlisted 0or 7 ears8ote! 2n Se+teber /''1 the /Ath irginia *as renubered as the(ne* /&th Regient.he (ne*) 1$th Regiment *as sent to the Carolinas in 1"#$ as+art of the 1st Virginia Detachment (Woodford’s), and ca+turedat Charleston.(See Woodford’s Brigade, 1st , d, and !d Virginia Detachments, 1"#$here *as no 1%th Virginia Regiment after 1""#.

1&th Virginia Regt. (/& co+anies (ontinental establishent8oveber /''6-Se+teber /''1 (Soldiers enlisted 0or 7 ears8ote! 2n Se+teber /''1 the /4th irginia *as renubered as the(ne* //th Regient.he (ne*) 11th Regiment *as sent to the Carolinas in 1"#$ as+art of the 1st Virginia Detachment (Woodford’s), and ca+turedat Charleston.(See Woodford’s Brigade, 1st , d, and !d Virginia Detachments, 1"#$

here *as no 1&th

Virginia Regiment after 1""#.

cott’s Brigade, 1st , d, and !d Virginia Detachments, 1""-1"#$,and a imeline of nit Consolidations(o+ied 0ro Saavedra, ++. /''-/1/.Dirginia Troo+s at harleston, South arolina, /''9-/'1& # /''' ost o0 the irginia regients could scarcel usterenough en =t 0or dut to =ll t*o co+anies. The +roble o0 highattrition *as overcoe b several eans, +rinci+all b consolidatingt*o or ore units into a detachent. Soe o0 these reshuFings *ereade +eranent b the White 3lains arrangeent o0 Se+teber /A,

/''1, but the d*indling continued, and ne* detachents had to becreated 0or the southern ca+aigns o0 /''9-/'1/.2n Jul /''1 the 7d and 'th irginia ontinental regients *ere

te+oraril consolidated under olonel Willia "eth and Major harlesWest o0 the 7d and @ieutenant olonel "olt Richardson o0 the 'th. TheWhite 3lains arrangeent erged the 4th irginia *ith the 7d andrenubered the cobined unit the 7d irginia Regient. # the s+ringo0 /''9, ho*ever, the 7d irginia Regient had shrun$ again and had


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to be cobined *ith the Ath irginia Regient.


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Woodford’s Brigade, 1st , d, and !d Virginia Detachments, 1"#$(o+ied 0ro Saavedra, +. /'9. Than$s also to Todd 3ost Another three Virginia detachments, brigaded under Brig. Gen. William Woodford,reached Charleston, South Carolina in early April. The 1st etachment !Woodford"s#

contained companies of the 1st, $th, %th, 1&th, and 11th Virginia 'egiments#( the )d

!Woodford"s# had companies from the )d, *d, and +

th

'egiments, and the *d !Woodford"s#as comprised of companies from -th, th, and Gist"s Additional 'egiments#.

1 st Virginia Detachment (Woodford’s)

olonel Willia Russell@ieutenant olonel #urgess #all (IMajor (un$no*na+tain allohill Minnis, /st irginia Regienta+tain Tarleton 3ane, /st irginia Regienta+tain ustis endall, /st irginia Regienta+tain Thoas "olt, /st irginia Regienta+tain "olan Minnis, /st irginia Regient

a+tain Thoas #uc$ner, 4th

irginia Regienta+tain Mao arrington, 4th irginia Regienta+tain Willia Mosele, 4th irginia Regienta+tain Willia #entle, 4th irginia Regienta+tain Willia Johnston, 'th irginia Regienta+tain Jaes Wright, 'th irginia Regienta+tain Thoas "unt, /&th irginia Regienta+tain @a*rence #utler, //th irginia Regienta+tain 3hili+ Mallor, //th irginia Regient

2d Virginia Detachment (Woodford’s)

olonel John 8eville@ieutenant olonel 8icholas abell(IMajor ?avid Ste+hensona+tain #enjain Talia0erro, %d irginia Regienta+tain ander 3ar$er, %d irginia Regienta+tain John #lac$*ell, 7d irginia Regienta+tain @eRo Ed*ards, 7dirginia Regienta+tain Robert #eale, 7d irginia Regienta+tain Jaes urr, Ath irginia Regienta+tain John Stith, Ath irginia Regient

3d Virginia Detachment (Woodford’s)

olonel 8athaniel :ista+tain Jose+h #lac$*ell, 6th irginia Regienta+tain John :illison, 6th irginia Regienta+tain lough Shelton, 6th irginia Regienta+tain


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(/arence 0. Babits and oshua B. 2oard, Long, Obstinate, and Bloody !he Battle of "#ilford $o#rtho#se !Chapel 2ill3 4ni5ersity of 6orth Carolina 7ress, )&&8#, %)9%-.#

)ield O*cersol. John :reen (in +oor health a0ter :uil0ord ourthouse, never

returned to coand

@t. ol. Richard a+bell ($illed at Euta* S+ringsMaj. Sith Snead+omany O*cersa+t. John , andEuta* S+rings actions.

Colonel homas 3as?ins’s (!d) Virginia Regiment of 1"#1


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(o+ied 0ro Saavedra, ++. 9/, /17-/1A.

)ield O*cersolonel Thoas :as$in, 0orerl 7d irginia RegientMajor John 3oulson, 0orerl 1th irginia Regient


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olonel hristian 5ebiger, %d irginia ontinental Regient, *asnoinall in charge o0 recruiting rein0orceents 0or :reene, but hebecae so ebroiled *ith su++l +robles in 3hiladel+hia that hecould not ta$e the =eld. Major Thoas 3ose, *ho had served *ith5ebiger at Ston 3oint, becae his +ro> in irginia. Wor$ing under

GMaj. :en. Wilhel 5riedrich de SteubenH, the senior ontinental o;cerin the state, 3ose began collecting recruits at uberland Kld ourt"ouse in late /'1&. Recruiting cae to a virtual halt during the t*o #ritish invasionsunder #enedict


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our Whig soldiers dra*n in 1"#1 / rench u/lieutenant 5ean-Ba+tiste-Antoine de Verger, Roal Deu>-@onts Regiment.he soldier on the left has long /een thought to /e from theRhode sland Regiment of 1"#1, to his right from aen’sCanadian Regiment. (Another 2ersion, found in rench oEcerBaron Fud*ig 2on Closen’s =ournal, is headed 9Costumer del’ArmG AmGricaine en 1"#.: Closen’s co+ notes that the left-hand soldier /elongs to a 4assachusetts Continental regiment,the /ro*n-coated on from a Ne* 5erse regiment.) he ;gure*earing the hunting shirt and +lumed hat is a Virginia militiariHeman, and on the far right a Continental artillerman.o*ard C. Rice and Anne .I. Bro*n, eds. and trans., The American Campaigns of "ocham#ea$s Army %&', %&'%, %&'),%&'*, 2ol. (@rinceton, N.5. and @ro2idence, R..,J @rincetonni2ersit @ress, 1"), /et*een +ages 1%-1%! (descri+tion on+age >>i). Anne .I. Bro*n 4ilitar Collection, Bro*n ni2ersit.idne Ia+lan, The +lac Presence in the Era of the American"evoltion, %&&-%' (3reen*ich, Ct.J Ne* Kor? 3ra+hicociet, Ftd. in Association *ith the mithsonian nstitution@ress, 1"!), %.

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL


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Detail of part of a group of Continental soldiers from Pierre Charles L'Enfant

(1754-1825 painting of !est Point and dependen"ies# $ie% is from the east side of

the &udson ier) at the top is the lo%er part of Constitution *sland# +his %as done

after ,ugust 1782) as seri"e "herons) %orn on the saluting soldiers left sleee)%ere first authori.ed on the 7th of that month# /eeral soldiers in group are %earing

0napsa"0s) and %hat appears to e a rolled lan0et "an e seen on top of three of

the pa"0s# (/e"ond half of the soldier group is in"luded in ,ppendi , of this

monograph# Lirar3 of Congress) http%%%#lo"#gopi"turesitem26647894 2

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2004678934/http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2004678934/http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2004678934/


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@ro2isional Battalions, 1"#1-1"#. The nuber o0 3ennslvania+rovisional battalions Puctuated, as did their =eld coanders andstrength, as sho*n in the 0ollo*ing table!

Msta/lishment of @ennsl2ania @ro2isional Battalionsand their Commanders in the ield, Virginia and outh Carolina, 1"#11"#!

Ma to /A Jul /'1/Brigade Commander! #rig. :en. hundred en.@t. ol. Josiah "arar, Major Jaes Moore

O hese oEcers remained after the 1% 5ul reduction to t*o /attalions. he senior/attalion commanders are ?no*n, /ut it is uncertain *hich of the /attalions theother ;eld oEcers *ere assigned to. his arrangement is /ased on +recedent andcommission dates.


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:: ;attalion "ommand "hanged %ith the return to Penns3lania of Colonels /te%art and ;utler follo%ing the

end of the th ?o, / / 9 6 /6&

otal A 7 4% 7A 96&

G.M. OuarterasterH

5irst and Second Regients are to 0or Kne #attalion 1 o+. o0 A& RGan$H. 5ile each, 7%& en.

Third 5i0th ?o. Kne #attalion, 7%&5ourth Si>th ?o. Kne #attalion, 7%&

96&


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The senior a+tains Subalterns in the several Regients are to be *arned 0or this?etachent. The loathing to eOui+ it *ill be 0or*arded iediatel to the diNerentantonents.

@t. "ughes late uGarteHr MasGterH. to the =rst #rigade is trans0er)d to the Second,and @t 8orth to the =rst.

# Krder Mar :en, St lair. Jos. "arer, @t ol.

Kn =eld +ieces i.e 0our si> t*o three +ounders.


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9Return of the @ennsl2ania Brigade of oot, Commanded / ColoRichd um+ton 5ul 1th. 1"#1:

The abo5e information is from3

Their presence 2ere 2as Sa5ed this State "3 Continental 7ro5isional Battalionsith /afayette in Virginia, 1%1D

7arts )9+. Almost all old soldiers, and ell disciplined "3 Brigadier General Anthony

Wayne"s 1%1 7ennsyl5ania 7ro5isional BattalionsD A. ?E fear it is no too late D3 The 7ennsyl5ania /ine


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>assa"husetts Continental egiments

ourceJ htt+JQQ***.*i?itree.comQ*i?iQCategorJ4assachusettsLregimentsLofLtheLContinentalLArm (See also,htt+sJQQen.*i?i+edia.orgQ*i?iQ4assachusettsLFine

4assachusetts regiments of the Continental Arm The Massachusetts @ine *as a 0oration *ithin the ontinental


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the #oston area, *hich until then had been unable to raise troo+s because o0 the#ritish occu+ation.

"enleXs and @eeXs Regients *ere consolidated *ith "enr Jac$sonXsRegient on


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The 7d Massachusetts #a 3rovincial Regient *as coanded b olonel Tioth Wal$er, o0 Rehoboth, *ho served as colonel until the end o0 the ear. 2n


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The /%th Massachusetts #a 3rovincial Regient contained elevenco+aniesGA1H and had an o;cial establishent o0 641 o;cers and en. 2t *ascoanded b olonel John 3aterson, o0 @eno>, *ho served as colonel until theend o0 the ear. 2n


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1st 4assachusetts Regiment (1""&) The %/st Massachusetts #a 3rovincial Regient *as coanded b olonelWillia "eath, o0 Ro>bur. "eath *as ade a ontinental brigadier general on

June %%, /''4, and coand o0 the regient +assed to @ieutenant olonel John:reaton. :reaton *as +rooted to the ran$ o0 colonel on Jul /, /''4, and theregient becae :reatonXs Regient. 2n tra regients, *as toconsist o0 %' in0antr regients. The troo+s *ere to be enlisted to serve until?eceber 7/, /''6. The Ouota o0 regients assigned to the states *as / 0ro3ennslvania, 7 0ro 8e* "a+shire, /6 0ro Massachusetts, % 0ro Rhode2sland, and 4 0ro onnecticut.

Each regient *as to have an o;cial establishent o0 '%1 o;cers and en ineight co+anies. The regients *ere to receive nubers instead o0 naes. 5or


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the ca+aign o0 /''6 Massachusetts *as to +rovide the 7d, Ath, 6th, 'th, /%th,/7th, /Ath, /4th, /6th, /1th, %/st, %7d, %Ath, %4th, %6th, and %'th ontinentalRegients.

The reduction o0 the Massachusetts @ine 0ro an establishent o0 /6,A61o;cers and en in %'4 co+anies to an establishent o0 //,6A1 o;cers anden in /%1 co+anies reOuired a di;cult reorganization.

The nubered ontinental regients raised in Massachusetts *ere *idelscattered in the ca+aign o0 /''6. 2n


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regient reained *ith the Main


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!d Continental Regiment The %7d ontinental Regient *as 0ored b consolidating the renant o0ottonXs Regient (less the renants o0 #ensonXs, #rad0ordXs, Mahe*Xs, andWoodXs o+anies *ith the renant o0 #aileXs Regient. olonel John #ailecoanded this regient throughout /''6.


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the ter ontinental @ine *as no* broadened to include the lines o0 all thestates.

1st 4assachusetts Regiment (1""") The /st Massachusetts Regient (oseXs Regient *as 0ored b consolidatingt*o co+anies 0ored 0ro the 6th ontinental Regient, and t*o co+anies

0ored 0ro the /1th ontinental Regient, *ith the renant o0 the /4thontinental Regient.G/%6H The coanding o;cer, olonel Jose+h ose, hadbeen the ajor o0 :reatonXs Regient in /''4 and the lieutenant colonel o0 the%Ath ontinental Regient in /''6.


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%th 4assachusetts Regiment (1""") The Ath Massachusetts Regient (She+ardXs Regient *as 0ored bconsolidating the renant o0 ingXs o+an, %/st ontinental Regient, *iththe renant o0 the 7d ontinental Regient. (ingXs o+an *as redesignated


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The //th Massachusetts Regient (5rancisXs Regient, later Tu++erXs Regient*as a ne* organization, raised under the Eight-Eight #attalion Resolve o0Se+teber /6, /''6. The regientXs =rst coander, olonel Ebenezer 5rancis,had been a ca+tain o0 Mans=eldXs Regient in /''4. olonel 5rancis *as $illed atthe #attle o0 "ubbardton, eront, on Jul ', /''', and *as succeeded b#enjain Tu++er. 2n /''4 olonel Tu++er had been the ajor o0 5ello*sX

Regient and later its lieutenant colonel. 2n /''6 he had been lieutenant colonelo0 the %/st ontinental Regient. Tu++er *as colonel o0 the //th MassachusettsRegient 0ro Jul ', /''' until Januar /, /'1/.1th 4assachusetts Regiment (1""")

The /%th Massachusetts Regient (Sauel #re*erXs Regient *as 0ored breconstituting the renant o0 the /1th ontinental Regient as a regient toserve 0or the duration (less t*o co+anies consolidated *ith the /4thontinental Regient, *hich becae the /st Massachusetts Regient. Thecoanding o;cer *as disissed 0ro the service on Se+teber /', /''1. 5orthe reainder o0 its e>istence the regient *as coanded b @ieutenantolonel Ebenezer S+roat (a$a S+rout, *ho had been the ajor o0 ottonXsRegient in /''4 and the ajor o0 the 7d ontinental Regient in /''6.1!th 4assachusetts Regiment (1""")

The /7th Massachusetts Regient (Wiggles*orthXs Regient *as 0ored bconsolidating the renants o0 #entXs and WhitingXs o+anies, %Ath ontinentalRegient, *ith the renant o0 the 6th ontinental Regient (less t*o co+aniesconsolidated *ith the /4th ontinental Regient, *hich becae the /stMassachusetts Regient. The coanding o;cer, olonel Ed*ardWiggles*orth, had been a ilitia o;cer in /''6.1%th 4assachusetts Regiment (1""")

The /Ath Massachusetts Regient (#rad0ordXs Regient *as a ne* organization,raised under the Eight-Eight #attalion Resolve o0 Se+teber /6, /''6. Thecoanding o;cer, :aaliel #rad0ord, had been a ilitia o;cer in /''6.1&th 4assachusetts Regiment (1""")

The /4th Massachusetts Regient (#igelo*Xs Regient *as a ne* organization,

raised under the Eight-Eight #attalion Resolve o0 Se+teber /6, /''6. Thecoanding o;cer, Tioth #igelo*, *as a ca+tain o0 WardXs Regient and theajor a0ter June /', /''4. "e *as ca+tured at uebec on ?eceber 7/, /''4. 2n/''6 he *as a++ointed ajor o0 the %/st ontinental Regient but *as a+risoner at the tie, *as not e>changed until Ma /''6, and did not join theregient that ear.Dis/anded units

The renant o0 the /%th ontinental Regient, under olonel Moses @ittle, *asdisbanded at Morristo*n, 8e* Jerse in 5ebruar /'''.G/A6H

The renant o0 the /7th ontinental Regient, under olonel Jose+h Read, *asdisbanded at Morristo*n, 8e* Jerse, in Januar, /'''. "o*ever, the renant o03etersX o+an *as consolidated *ith #aileXs Regient and reorganized asWarrenXs o+anC and the renant o0 WalbridgeXs o+an *as consolidated*ith 3utnaXs Regient and reorganized as :oodaleXs o+an.G/A'H

The renant o0 the /Ath ontinental Regient, under olonel John :lover, *asdisbanded in eastern 3ennslvania on the last da o0 ?eceber, /''6. :loverlater returned to the ontinental service as a general o;cer and coanded oneo0 the ontinental


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1""#-1"" reorganiation While the Main


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@eace negotiations The +rolonged +eriod o0 +eace negotiations 0ollo*ing the surrender o0 @ordorn*allis at Bor$to*n, on Kctober /9, /'1/, +resented the ontinentalongress *ith the dilea o0 $ee+ing u+ a ilitar 0orce until the de=nitive+eace treat *as signed, even though the national =nances *ere e>hausted.Kn , *as disbanded on8oveber 7, /'17. The disbanded units included the /st, %nd, 7rd, and AthMassachusetts Regients.


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changed rati=cations o0 the Treato0 3aris on Ma /%, /'1A. The /st

Examples of the Complexity of Continental Army Unit Lineage: (The Virginia, Pennsylvania and...

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