Harrison's Continental Artillery Regiment 1st Continental Artillery Regiment | |
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Active | 1777–1783 |
Country | United States |
Allegiance | ![]() |
Branch | Continental Army |
Type | Artillery |
Size | 10 to 12 companies |
Nickname(s) | Harrison's Continental Artillery |
Colors | Blue or black coat with red facings |
Engagements | Battle of Monmouth Siege of Charleston Southern Theater Siege of Yorktown |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Colonel Charles Harrison |
The 1st Continental Artillery Regiment, also known as Harrison's Continental Artillery Regiment, was authorized on 26 November 1776 as Colonel Charles Harrison's Continental Artillery Regiment. Raised for service during the American Revolutionary War, as originally organized, the regiment comprised 10 artillery companies from Virginia. Two of the artillery companies existed since early 1776. The regiment was first assigned to the Southern Department, but in March 1778 it was reassigned to General George Washington's main army. In August 1779 the unit was renamed the 1st Continental Artillery Regiment. It continued to serve with the main army until April 1780 when it was transferred to the Southern Department. In May 1780, Maryland artillery companies formally joined the regiment, making a total of 12 companies. In January 1781 the regiment was reorganized with 10 companies. Furloughed in the summer of 1783, the regiment was disbanded in November the same year. Elements of the regiment fought at Monmouth, Charleston, Camden, Hobkirk's Hill, Eutaw Springs, Yorktown, and Combahee River.
Harrison's Continental Artillery Regiment became part of the Continental Army on 26 November 1776 with Colonel Charles Harrison as commanding officer. The regiment consisted of two companies that were previously in existence. In the spring and summer of 1777 the regiment was organized in the strength of 10 companies. [1] Harrison's second-in-command was Lieutenant Colonel Edward Carrington. The regiment defended Virginia during the remainder of 1777. Each artillery company was composed of four officers, one sergeant, four corporals, four bombardiers, eight gunners, and 48 matrosses. This differed from the organization in the other artillery regiments. [2]
The first pre-existing unit was the Virginia State Artillery Company which was authorized on 11 January 1776 and organized in the spring of that year at Williamsburg, Virginia. It became part of Harrison's Regiment on 26 November. [3] Its original captain was James Innis and its lieutenants were Harrison, Carrington, and Samuel Denney. On 19 March, the Continental Congress adopted the first company and authorized a French adventurer, Dohicky Arundel to raise a second Virginia artillery company. At some point, Innis transferred to the infantry. [4] The second unit became the Virginia Continental Artillery Company which formed in the summer of 1776 at Williamsburg. It joined Harrison's Regiment on 27 November. [3] The Virginia artillery played an active role during the Battle of Gwynn's Island in July 1776. The only casualty was Arundel, who was killed when his experimental mortar burst. [5]
The regiment was initially assigned to the Southern Department. On 13 March 1778 it was transferred to Washington's main army where elements fought at the Battle of Monmouth on 28 June 1778. [3] In that action, Carrington commanded some guns on the left flank under William Alexander, Lord Stirling. [6] In 1778, three 106-man Maryland artillery companies joined the regiment on a provisional basis. [7] The 1st and 2nd Maryland State Artillery Companies were authorized on 14 January 1776 and the 3rd Company was authorized on 23 October 1776. They joined the main army on 22 November 1777 as the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Maryland Continental Artillery Companies. On 9 May 1780, the 1st Maryland Company formally became the 11th Company in the 1st Artillery Regiment and the 2nd and 3rd Maryland Companies became the 12th Company. [3]
The four artillery regiments received numbers on 10 August 1779. Two boards of generals determined that the artillery regiments of Colonels John Lamb and John Crane could not trace continuity from General Henry Knox's old Continental Artillery Regiment. Therefore, Harrison's Regiment became the 1st Continental Artillery Regiment while Lamb's was renamed the 2nd Continental Artillery Regiment and Crane's was numbered the 3rd Continental Artillery Regiment. The regiment of Colonel Thomas Proctor became the 4th Continental Artillery Regiment. [7]
Henry Knox, Washington's artillery chief, planned to have four 3-pound or 6-pound cannons attached to each infantry brigade. Though Knox preferred the more versatile French 4-pound cannon, he had to abandon a plan to adopt the piece because so much ammunition and material for the other guns were available. The army also maintained an artillery park of two 24-pound cannons, four 12-pound cannons, four 8-inch howitzers, eight 5½-inch howitzers, and 10 smaller field guns. Knox rotated the artillery companies between infantry brigades, artillery park, and garrisons so the men could be sufficiently trained. He discouraged artillery duels and encouraged his artillerymen to reserve their fire for infantry targets. This tactic proved very effective at Monmouth. [8]
The 1st Artillery was reassigned to the Southern Department on 17 April 1780. Some units of the regiment fought at the Siege of Charleston in the spring of 1780. [3] When General Johann de Kalb was sent south in 1780, Carrington accompanied his division with three artillery companies. Harrison arrived and assumed command, due to his superior rank. [6] At the Battle of Camden on 16 August 1780, Harrison directed six artillery pieces. Two more guns were loaned to Colonel Thomas Sumter's partisans and 10 were left in the rear for lack of horses to pull them. [9] The regiment was reorganized to consist of 10 companies on 1 January 1781. [3] At the Battle of Hobkirk's Hill on 25 April 1781, Harrison commanded three 6-pound cannons and 40 artillerists. [10] At the Battle of Eutaw Springs on 8 September 1781, the Americans had two 3-pounders under Captain William Gaines and two 6-pounders under Captain William Brown. [11]
During the Siege of Yorktown in the fall of 1781, Captain Whitehead Coleman's company of the 1st Artillery fought under the overall command of Carrington. [12] In the Battle of the Combahee River on 27 August 1782, a howitzer and its crew under Captain Smith were captured by the British. [13] The regiment was furloughed in the summer of 1783 at Winchester, Virginia and Baltimore, Maryland. It was formally disbanded on 15 November 1783. [3]
Designation [3] | Date | Department | Size |
Harrison's Continental Artillery Regiment | 26 November 1776 | Southern | 10 companies |
Harrison's Continental Artillery Regiment | 13 March 1777 | Main Army | 10 companies |
1st Continental Artillery Regiment | 10 August 1779 | Main Army | 10 companies |
1st Continental Artillery Regiment | 17 April 1780 | Southern | 10 companies |
1st Continental Artillery Regiment | 9 May 1780 | Southern | 12 companies |
1st Continental Artillery Regiment | 1 January 1781 | Southern | 10 companies |
1st Continental Artillery Regiment | Summer 1783 | Southern | furloughed |
1st Continental Artillery Regiment | 15 November 1783 | Southern | disbanded |
Edward Carrington was an American soldier and statesman from Virginia. During the American Revolutionary War he became a lieutenant colonel of artillery in the Continental Army. He distinguished himself as quartermaster general in General Nathanael Greene’s southern campaign. He commanded artillery at Monmouth and Yorktown. He was also present at Cowpens, Guilford Court House, and Hobkirk's Hill. During the war he became a close friend of George Washington. Carrington served in the 3rd Continental Congress and was the first US Marshal appointed from his state. He was an original member of the Society of the Cincinnati.
The Battle of Hobkirk's Hill was a battle of the American Revolutionary War fought on April 25, 1781, near Camden, South Carolina. A small American force under Nathanael Greene occupying Hobkirk's Hill, north of Camden, was attacked by British troops led by Francis Rawdon. After a fierce clash, Greene retreated, leaving Rawdon's smaller force in possession of the hill.
The 8th Pennsylvania Regiment or Mackay's Battalion was an American infantry unit that became part of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Authorized for frontier defense in July 1776, the eight-company unit was originally called Mackay's Battalion after its commander, Colonel Aeneas Mackay. Transferred to the main army in November 1776, the unit was renamed the 8th Pennsylvania Regiment on 1 January 1777. It completed an epic winter march from western Pennsylvania to New Jersey, though Mackay and his second-in-command both died soon afterward. In March 1777 Colonel Daniel Brodhead IV assumed command. The regiment was engaged at the Battles of Bound Brook, Brandywine, Paoli, and Germantown in 1777. A body of riflemen were detached from the regiment and fought at Saratoga. Assigned to the Western Department in May 1778, the 8th Pennsylvania gained a ninth company before seeing action near Fort Laurens and in the Sullivan Expedition in 1778 and 1779. The regiment consolidated with the 2nd Pennsylvania Regiment in January 1781 and ceased to exist.
The 11th Pennsylvania Regiment or Old Eleventh was authorized on 16 September 1776 for service with the Continental Army. On 25 October, Richard Humpton was named colonel. In December 1776, the regiment was assigned to George Washington's main army and was present at Assunpink Creek and fought at Princeton in January 1777. During the spring the unit assembled at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in a strength of eight companies. The soldiers were recruited from Philadelphia and four nearby counties. On 22 May 1777 the regiment became part of the 2nd Pennsylvania Brigade. The 11th was in the thick of the action at Brandywine, Paoli, and Germantown in 1777. It was present at White Marsh and Monmouth. On 1 July 1778, the unit was consolidated with the 10th Pennsylvania Regiment and the 11th Regiment ceased to exist. Humpton took command of the reorganized unit.
The 8th Virginia Regiment or German Regiment was an infantry unit that served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Authorized in January 1776, the regiment was raised from men of several northwestern counties in the strength of 10 companies. Its first commander was Colonel Peter Muhlenberg, a clergyman and militia leader. The unit marched to defend Charleston, South Carolina in 1776, but saw no fighting. At the start of 1777, the 8th Virginia moved to join George Washington's main army. When Muhlenberg was promoted to general officer, Colonel Abraham Bowman took command of the unit.
The 2nd North Carolina Regiment was an American infantry unit that was raised for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. In 1776 the regiment helped defend Charleston, South Carolina. Ordered to join George Washington's main army in February 1777, the regiment subsequently fought at Brandywine and Germantown during the Philadelphia Campaign. After most other North Carolina regiments were sent home to recruit, the 1st and 2nd Regiments remained with the main army and fought at Monmouth in June 1778. The regiment was transferred to the Southern Department and was captured by the British army in May 1780 at the Siege of Charleston. Together with the 1st Regiment, the unit was rebuilt and fought capably at Eutaw Springs. The 2nd was furloughed in April 1783 and officially dissolved in November 1783.
The 3rd North Carolina Regiment was raised on 16 January 1776 at Wilmington, North Carolina for service with the Continental Army. In April, Jethro Sumner was appointed colonel. The regiment was present at the defense of Charleston in June 1776. The 3rd Regiment transferred from the Southern Department to George Washington's main army in February 1777. Assigned to Francis Nash's North Carolina Brigade in July 1777, it soon saw action at the battles of Brandywine and Germantown, and was present at White Marsh. Sumner went home ill in early 1778. Together with the 4th, 5th, and 6th North Carolina Regiments, the 3rd Regiment was reduced to a cadre and sent home to recruit up to strength on 1 June 1778. The rebuilt regiment returned to the main army in late 1778, but it was reduced to a cadre again in April 1779 and sent back to its home state. Assigned to the North Carolina Brigade, the regiment fought at the Siege of Charleston where it was captured by the British Army on 12 May 1780. The regiment was officially disbanded on 15 November 1783.
The Massachusetts Line was the name given to those units within the Continental Army that were assigned to Massachusetts at various times by the Continental Congress during the American Revolutionary War. These, together with similar contingents from the other twelve states, formed the Continental Line. Line regiments were assigned to a particular state, which was then financially responsible for the maintenance of the regiment. The concept of the line was also particularly important in relation to the promotion of commissioned officers. Officers of the Continental Army below the rank of brigadier general were ordinarily ineligible for promotion except in the line of their own state.
The 2nd Continental Artillery Regiment also known as Lamb's Continental Artillery Regiment was authorized on 1 January 1777 as Colonel John Lamb's Continental Artillery Regiment. As originally constituted, the regiment included 12 artillery companies from New York, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. The bulk of the regiment served in the Hudson Highlands, though some companies fought with George Washington's main army from 1777 to 1779.
Thomas Proctor or Thomas Procter commanded the 4th Continental Artillery Regiment during the American Revolutionary War. He was born in County Longford, Ireland, emigrated to British America, married in 1767 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and joined the carpenter's guild in 1772. Receiving a commission as an artillery captain in October 1775, he proceeded to raise a company of Pennsylvania state artillery. After a second company was recruited, Proctor was promoted to major and both companies joined George Washington's army. Proctor led his gunners at Princeton in January 1777. The state authorities elevated Proctor to the rank of colonel and charged him to recruit an eight-company Pennsylvania State Artillery Regiment a month later.
The 4th Continental Artillery Regiment, also known as Proctor's Continental Artillery Regiment, was an American military unit during the American Revolutionary War. The regiment became part of the Continental Army on 10 June 1777 as Colonel Thomas Proctor's Continental Artillery Regiment. It was made up of eight artillery companies from eastern Pennsylvania. At the time of the regiment's formation, two companies were already in existence, one from as early as October 1775. One company served at Trenton in December 1776 where it performed well in action. In February 1777, Pennsylvania expanded its two-company battalion into an eight-company regiment. After officially joining the Continental Army, the regiment saw much fighting in the Philadelphia campaign in late 1777. Elements of Proctor's Regiment fought at Monmouth in June 1778 and joined the Sullivan Expedition in summer 1779.
The 3rd Continental Artillery Regiment also known as Crane's Continental Artillery Regiment became part of the Continental Army on January 1, 1777, as Colonel John Crane's Continental Artillery Regiment. The regiment was made up of 12 artillery companies from Massachusetts and Rhode Island, including some companies that had served in Henry Knox's Continental Artillery Regiment. The regiment served with George Washington's main army. Three artillery companies in Ebenezer Stevens' Provisional Artillery Battalion had a separate existence in the Northern Department until the end of 1778 when they rejoined the regiment.
Charles Harrison was born into the noted Harrison family of Virginia. His brother was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and his nephew William Henry Harrison later became president. At the beginning of the American Revolutionary War he became lieutenant in a company of artillery from Virginia. When the state expanded its small artillery battalion into a regiment in November 1776, Harrison was appointed commander with the rank of colonel. Initially named Harrison's Continental Artillery Regiment, the unit was renamed the 1st Continental Artillery Regiment in August 1779. He joined George Washington's main army in time to fight at Monmouth. In 1780 he led his gunners at Camden and the following year he commanded Nathanael Greene's artillery at Hobkirk's Hill.
The Continental Artillery Regiment also known as Gridley's Continental Artillery Regiment or Knox's Continental Artillery Regiment was the only large American unit of artillery in the early part of the American Revolutionary War. It was authorized on 10 May 1775 as the Regiment of the Train of Artillery in the Massachusetts State Troops. In May and June, the regiment assembled at Cambridge, Massachusetts in the strength of 10 batteries. Men from five counties were recruited. It became part of the Continental Army on 14 June 1775 as the Continental Artillery Regiment with Colonel Richard Gridley in command. A few days later at Bunker Hill, the American artillery was not handled well. The regiment was reorganized into 11 companies at the end of June.
Hartley's Additional Continental Regiment was an American infantry unit of the Continental Army that served for two years during the American Revolutionary War. The regiment was authorized in January 1777 and Colonel Thomas Hartley was appointed its commander. The unit comprised eight companies from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware. When permanent brigades were formed in May 1777, the regiment was transferred to the 1st Pennsylvania Brigade. Hartley's Regiment fought at Brandywine, Paoli, and Germantown in 1777. The unit helped defend the Pennsylvania frontier against Indian raids in the Summer and early Fall of 1778. In January 1779, following a resolution of the Continental Congress the regiment, along with Patton's Additional Continental Regiment and part of Malcolm's Additional Continental Regiment, were combined to form a complete battalion known as the "new" 11th Pennsylvania Regiment. The new 11th participated in the Sullivan Expedition in the summer of that year. In January 1781 the new 11th merged with the 3rd Pennsylvania Regiment and ceased to exist.
Grayson's Additional Continental Regiment was an American infantry unit that served for two years and three months in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Like other Additional Regiments, Grayson's remained directly under George Washington's control, unlike state regiments. Authorized in January 1777, the unit's nine companies were recruited from the colonies of Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware. Raised by Colonel William Grayson, the regiment participated in actions in Northern New Jersey in early 1777, at Brandywine in September 1777, at Germantown in October 1777, and at Monmouth in June 1778. In April 1779 the regiment was absorbed by Gist's Additional Continental Regiment and ceased to exist.
Richard Parker was an American colonel who fought in the American Revolutionary War. Son of prominent Virginia jurist Richard Parker, Parker received an officer's commission in a Virginia regiment early in the conflict. He probably was present at Great Bridge and Norfolk. Promoted to major, he fought at Trenton in December 1776 and commanded the regiment at Second Trenton and Princeton in January 1777. At Brandywine in September 1777 he led a detachment of light infantry in delaying the British. The next month he fought at Germantown. Promoted to colonel at Valley Forge, he led a picked detachment at Monmouth in June 1778. In May 1779, George Washington ordered him back to Virginia to recruit a new regiment. After being sent south with a new unit of reinforcements for Charleston, South Carolina in late 1779, he died of wounds received at the Siege of Charleston in 1780.
The German Battalion or German Regiment or 8th Maryland was an American infantry unit that served for about four and one-half years in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Authorized in May 1776 as an Extra Continental regiment, the unit recruited ethnic Germans from Maryland and Pennsylvania. The Continental Congress appointed Nicholas Haussegger to command the battalion, which initially organized in the strength of eight companies. While the unit assembled at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a ninth company was added. The battalion fought at Trenton in December 1776, where its soldiers called out in German for the Hessians to lay down their arms.