Monday, July 23, 2007

The Americans - part 1 (Quebec 1775)

New Hampshire

Because of its frontier status, New Hampshire contained many French and Indian War veterans, particularly from "ranging" (scouting) units. With its "line" regiments at Boston, the colony's main contribution to the Separate Army was a ranger detachment under Captain (later Major) Timothy Bedel. Originally a single company of state troops, it expanded to three companies, each of 66 officers and men, and served until December 31.

After the defeat at Quebec, Congress sent urgent requests to New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut for extra regiments, over and above their agreed quotas, to serve for one year in Canada (in each case the units were recruited from the counties closest to Canada). On 20 January 1776, the ranger unit was re-raised in north-west New Hampshire, again under Bedel (now a colonel), but this time with eight companies. After the British evacuated Boston in March 1775, the 2nd, 5th, and 8th Continental Regiments (formerly the 3rd, 1st, and 2nd New Hampshire regiments of 1775) were sent to Canada. Averaging over 500 men, only the battalions from Pennsylvania were larger.

Massachusetts

Although Massachusetts' forces were fully committed to the siege of Boston until March 1776, it did raise one provisional regiment, under Colonel Elisha Porter, to serve in Canada. Organized as a standard Continental battalion, it may have reached 500 effectives. Once the British evacuated Boston, the 15th, 24th, and 25th Continental regiments were also sent north.

Connecticut

After Allen and Arnold had gone, only a few local militia were left to guard Ticonderoga, so Congress assumed responsibility for some of Connecticut's forces and sent them to defend it. This contingent comprised three of Connecticut's six (later eight) regiments - the 1st, 4th, and 5th. All ranks were drawn from existing militia companies, in proportion to the population of each county, and had to serve until 10 December. As with all the New England contingents raised in 1775, these regiments were outside the militia system and were more akin to the Provincial units of earlier colonial wars.

Infantry regiments had six staff officers, plus a colonel, lieutenant colonel, and major (the 1st had two majors as its colonel, David Wooster, was also a general) and ten companies, each with four sergeants, four corporals, two musicians, and 90 privates. Seven companies had four officers, the other three being nominally commanded by the three "field" officers (hence Wooster had to fulfill three roles). Two companies each of the 1st and 4th regiments remained at Boston.

In early January 1776, Colonel Samuel Elmore formed a provisional regiment at Quebec from men whose enlistments had not expired, or who had re-enlisted. In response to urgent requests from Congress, another regiment was raised in January 1776, by Colonel Charles Burrall; this included one company trained as artillerymen, under Captain John Bigelow.