8th Pennsylvania Regiment
Encyclopedia
The 8th Pennsylvania Regiment was authorized by the Continental Congress on 11 July 1776 as part of the Continental Army
for frontier defense in the Northern Department during the American Revolutionary War. Originally designated as Mackay's Battalion, the unit was organized from 15 July to 15 September 1776 at Kittanning
in present-day western Pennsylvania to consist of eight companies of troops from western counties of Pennsylvania. The unit was assigned to the Main Army on 23 November 1776 and was redesignated on 1 January 1777 as the 8th Pennsylvania Regiment. The regiment saw action at the Battle of Brandywine
, Battle of Germantown
, and the Brodhead Expedition. It was assigned to the Western Department on 19 May 1778 and was reorganized on 1 July 1778 to consist of nine companies {Fort Laurens
}. The regiment was consolidated with the 2nd Pennsylvania Regiment, and the consolidated unit was redesignated as the 2nd Pennsylvania Regiment, on 17 January 1781. The regiment was disbanded on 15 November 1783.
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
for frontier defense in the Northern Department during the American Revolutionary War. Originally designated as Mackay's Battalion, the unit was organized from 15 July to 15 September 1776 at Kittanning
Kittanning
Kittanning may refer to:* Kittanning, Pennsylvania, United States* West Kittanning, Pennsylvania, United States* Kittanning Township, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, United States...
in present-day western Pennsylvania to consist of eight companies of troops from western counties of Pennsylvania. The unit was assigned to the Main Army on 23 November 1776 and was redesignated on 1 January 1777 as the 8th Pennsylvania Regiment. The regiment saw action at the Battle of Brandywine
Battle of Brandywine
The Battle of Brandywine, also known as the Battle of the Brandywine or the Battle of Brandywine Creek, was fought between the American army of Major General George Washington and the British-Hessian army of General Sir William Howe on September 11, 1777. The British defeated the Americans and...
, Battle of Germantown
Battle of Germantown
The Battle of Germantown, a battle in the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War, was fought on October 4, 1777, at Germantown, Pennsylvania between the British army led by Sir William Howe and the American army under George Washington...
, and the Brodhead Expedition. It was assigned to the Western Department on 19 May 1778 and was reorganized on 1 July 1778 to consist of nine companies {Fort Laurens
Fort Laurens
Fort Laurens was an American Revolutionary War fort in what is now the U.S. state of Ohio.-Overview:The fort was built by General Lachlan McIntosh, in 1778, on the west bank of the Tuscarawas River, now in Tuscarawas County near the town of Bolivar. The fort was intended to be a staging point for...
}. The regiment was consolidated with the 2nd Pennsylvania Regiment, and the consolidated unit was redesignated as the 2nd Pennsylvania Regiment, on 17 January 1781. The regiment was disbanded on 15 November 1783.
Sources
Wright, R. K., Jr., 1983, The Continental Army. Washington, D.C., United States Army Center of Military History, CMH Pub 60-4-1, U.S. Government Printing Office, p. 261, 265.External links
- Bibliography of the Continental Army in Pennsylvania compiled by the United States Army Center of Military History