Gist's Additional Continental Regiment | |
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Active | 1777–1781 |
Allegiance | ![]() |
Type | Infantry |
Role | Light infantry |
Size | 3 to 8 companies |
Part of | Continental Army |
Engagements | Battle of Brandywine (1777) Battle of Germantown (1777) Battle of Monmouth (1778) Battle of Paulus Hook (1779) Siege of Charleston (1780) |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Colonel Nathaniel Gist |
Gist's Additional Continental Regiment was an American infantry unit that served for four years in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Authorized in January 1777, the unit was intended to be made up of four companies of light infantry and 500 Indian scouts. In practice, only three companies were recruited from the colonies of Virginia and Maryland. George Washington appointed noted frontiersman Nathaniel Gist as colonel in command. Two companies commanded by Captains John Gist and Joseph Smithand were attached to the 3rd Maryland Regiment [1] while one company commanded by Captain Samuel Lapsley was attached to the 12th Virginia Regiment [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] during the Philadelphia Campaign in summer and fall 1777, and at Monmouth in June 1778.
In April 1779 the regiment absorbed Grayson's Additional Continental Regiment and Thruston's Additional Continental Regiment. The consolidated regiment was reorganized as eight companies and a month later was assigned to the 1st Virginia Brigade. The regiment was probably involved in Light Horse Harry Lee's Paulus Hook Raid in August 1779. In December 1779, the unit was transferred from the main army to the Southern Department. In May 1780, Gist and his regiment were captured at the Siege of Charleston. The unit was officially disbanded on 1 January 1781.
The 13 January 1777 letter from George Washington to Gist with orders to form the regiment is preserved. Since it gives an idea of the conditions under which the Additional regiments were raised, it is worth reproducing in full.
Sir: You are hereby authorized and Impowered to raise four Companies of Rangers upon the Continental pay, Rank, and establishment. To enable you to do this, you are furnished with a Warrant for 3,000 Dollars to recruit with; part of the bounty to be given at the time of Inlisting, and the other part when the men join the Battalion or Corps they belong to.
That you may not be restricted in the choice of Officers fit for this kind of Service, I leave the Nomination of them (that is for the four Companies) to yourself, reserving to myself a Negative upon any improper choice as in other Cases.
You are to delay no time in forwarding these Companies to the Army (under my immediate Command) as fast as possible where they will be received and provided with necessaries, you are to keep me duly advised of your proceedings that I may know in what time to expect your assistance, When you consider the advanced Season, and compare it with the time we shall undoubtedly be called into the Field I am perswaded it will be a powerful argument in favour of your every exertion to raise the Men. Wishing you success in it, I am, etc. [10]
Designation [11] | Date | Brigade | Department |
Gist's Additional Regiment | 11 January 1777 | none | Main Army |
Gist's Additional Regiment | 22 April 1779 | none | consolidated |
Gist's Additional Regiment | 12 May 1779 | 1st Virginia | Main Army |
Gist's Additional Regiment | 4 December 1779 | none | Southern |
Gist's Additional Regiment | 12 May 1780 | none | captured |
Gist's Additional Regiment | 1 January 1781 | none | disbanded |
The 1st Rhode Island Regiment was a regiment in the Continental Army raised in Rhode Island during the American Revolutionary War (1775–83). It was one of the few units in the Continental Army to serve through the entire war, from the siege of Boston to the disbanding of the Continental Army on November 3, 1783.
The 1st Pennsylvania Regiment - originally mustered as the 1st Pennsylvania Rifles; also known as the 1st Continental Line and 1st Continental Regiment, was raised under the command of Colonel William Thompson for service in the Continental Army.
The 3rd Maryland Regiment was an infantry regiment of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. It served from 1776 to 1783, mostly in the Middle Atlantic Region of the conflict.
The 6th Maryland Regiment, active from 27 March 1776—January 1, 1783, is most notable for its involvement during the American Revolutionary war of the same years. An infantry type regiment consisting of 728 soldiers, the 6th Maryland was composed of eight companies of volunteers from Prince Georges, Queen Anne's, Fredric, Cecil, Harford, and Ann Arundel counties in the colony of Maryland
The 12th Virginia Regiment was raised on September 16, 1776, at Williamsburg, Virginia, for service with the (U.S.) Continental Army. The regiment saw action in the Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Monmouth and the Siege of Charleston. Most of the regiment was captured at Charlestown, South Carolina, on May 12, 1780, by the British and the regiment was formally disbanded on January 1, 1783.
The 1st North Carolina Regiment of the Continental Army was raised on September 1, 1775, at Wilmington, North Carolina. In January 1776 the organization contained eight companies. Francis Nash was appointed colonel in April 1776. The regiment was present at the defense of Charleston in 1776. It transferred from the Southern Department to George Washington's main army in February 1777. At that time, Thomas Clark became colonel of the 1st Regiment. The regiment became part of General Francis Nash's North Carolina Brigade in July.
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 "Maryland Line" was a formation within the Continental Army, formed and authorized by the Second Continental Congress, meeting in the "Old Pennsylvania State House" in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in June 1775.
The Virginia Line was a formation within the Continental Army. The term "Virginia Line" referred to the quota of numbered infantry regiments assigned to Virginia at various times by the Continental Congress. These, together with similar contingents from the other twelve states, formed the Continental Line. The concept was 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 Maryland and Virginia Rifle Regiment, most commonly known as Rawlings' Regiment in period documents, was organized in June 1776 as a specialized light infantry unit of riflemen in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. The American rifle units complemented the predominant, musket-equipped, line infantry forces of the war with their long-range marksmanship capability and were typically deployed with the line infantry as forward skirmishers and flanking elements. Scouting, escort, and outpost duties were also routine. The rifle units' battle formation was not nearly as structured as that of the line infantry units, which employed short-range massed firing in ordered linear formations. The riflemen could therefore respond with more adaptability to changing battle conditions.
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Forman's Additional Continental Regiment was an American infantry unit that served for little more than two years during the American Revolutionary War. Authorized on 11 January 1777, the unit was recruited from southern New Jersey and Maryland. Raised by Colonel David Forman in early 1777, it saw service with the Continental Army in the Philadelphia Campaign of 1777 and 1778. In April 1779 the regiment was absorbed by Spencer's Additional Continental Regiment,
The 26th Continental Regiment was an infantry unit of the Massachusetts Line during the American Revolutionary War. Gerrish's Regiment was raised in the early days of the war, and the regiment underwent name changes as the Continental Army was reorganized in 1776 and 1777. From 1777 onward, the unit was known as the 9th Massachusetts Regiment.
Nathaniel Gist was born in Maryland and fought during the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War. He was reputed to be the father of Sequoyah the famous Cherokee by Wurteh Watts. Like his father Christopher Gist (1706–1759), he served in Braddock's Expedition in 1755 and the Forbes Expedition in 1758. The outbreak of the American Revolution found him on the frontier. At first suspected of sympathizing with the British, he convinced the Americans of his loyalty.
Thruston's Additional Continental Regiment was an American infantry unit that served for a little more than two years in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Authorized in March 1777, four companies were organized in Virginia during the spring and summer of 1777. George Washington appointed influential Shenandoah Valley political leader Charles Mynn Thruston as colonel in command. The regiment participated in the Philadelphia Campaign in late 1777. One company was detached from the regiment on 4 April 1778 and became part of Hartley's Additional Continental Regiment. The unit was present in the Monmouth Campaign in June 1778. What was left of the regiment was attached to Grayson's Additional Continental Regiment on 15 November 1778. Grayson's and Thruston's Regiments were absorbed by Gist's Additional Continental Regiment on 22 April 1779 and Thruston's Regiment ceased to exist.
The 1st Virginia State Regiment was a regiment of regular state troops from Virginia which fought during the American Revolutionary War.
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