New Hampshire Militia
Encyclopedia
The New Hampshire Militia was first organized in March 1680, by New Hampshire Colonial
President John Cutt
. The King of England authorized the Provincial President to give commissions to persons who shall be best qualified for regulating and discipline of the militia. President Cutt placed Major Richard Waldron
of Dover
in command of the Militia
. In 1879, the Militia was designated by the state as the New Hampshire National Guard
.
in 1745 and Port Royal, Nova Scotia
in 1710. During the last four wars of the French and Indian Wars
, the New Hampshire Militia furnished about 5,000 men for six different campaigns, including men who served with Major Robert Rogers
and his Rangers
. Regiments of the New Hampshire provincial soldiers were at the Battle of Lake George
, the Siege of Fort William Henry, the Siege of Louisbourg (1758)
, the 1758 Battle of Carillon
and the fall of Fort Carillon
(subsequently Fort Ticonderoga
) in 1759, the Battle of the Plains of Abraham
and the Battle of Sainte-Foy
near Quebec
, and were present at the final capitulation of New France
at Montreal
. They also saw action in countless small battles from the Hudson River
to Nova Scotia
.
The Militia was also heavily involved in the American Revolution
when it furnished men for the New Hampshire regiments in Washington's Continental Army
. John Stark
, an officer in Rogers' Rangers
, raised the 1st New Hampshire Regiment
and took it to the Siege of Boston
in 1775 along with James Reed's
3rd New Hampshire Regiment
. These two regiments along with Enoch Poor's
2nd New Hampshire Regiment
would enter service with the Continental Army and see action all through the war. In 1777 John Stark led a force of 1,500 New Hampshire
, Massachusetts
and Vermont
militia at the Battle of Bennington
in a surprise attack against over 1,400 Hessian, British
, Tory
and Indians
and win a stunning victory that help the Continental Army win the Saratoga Campaign
. Two New Hampshire militia regiments were at the Battle of Saratoga
serving in Ebenezer Learned's Brigade
helping to defeat General John Burgoyne
. New Hampshire militia would help in Gen. John Sullivan
's unsuccessful Battle of Rhode Island
in 1778.
the Militia was virtually nonexistent. The state had to raise volunteer regiments, such as the 3rd New Hampshire Volunteer Regiment
, to aid in the war. In 1879, New Hampshire designated the Militia as the New Hampshire National Guard
prior to the mandatory name change required by the National Defense Act of 1916
.
New Hampshire Continental Army Regiments
New Hampshire Revolutionary War era militia Units
Province of New Hampshire
The Province of New Hampshire is a name first given in 1629 to the territory between the Merrimack and Piscataqua rivers on the eastern coast of North America. It was formally organized as an English royal colony on October 7, 1691, during the period of English colonization...
President John Cutt
John Cutt
John Cutt was the first President of the Province of New Hampshire. John Cutt was born in Wales, emigrated to the colonies in 1646, and became a successful merchant and mill-owner in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He was married to Hannah Starr, daughter of Dr...
. The King of England authorized the Provincial President to give commissions to persons who shall be best qualified for regulating and discipline of the militia. President Cutt placed Major Richard Waldron
Richard Waldron
Major Richard Waldron dominated the society and economy of early colonial Dover, New Hampshire and had a substantial presence in greater New Hampshire and in neighbouring Massachusetts...
of Dover
Dover, New Hampshire
Dover is a city in Strafford County, New Hampshire, in the United States of America. The population was 29,987 at the 2010 census, the largest in the New Hampshire Seacoast region...
in command of the Militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
. In 1879, the Militia was designated by the state as the New Hampshire National Guard
New Hampshire National Guard
The New Hampshire National Guard is a component of the New Hampshire Adjutant General's Department. It consists of the:*New Hampshire Army National Guard*New Hampshire Air National Guard*157th Air Refueling Wing-External links:**...
.
Colonial era
The New Hampshire Militia served in all of the Colonial Wars, and was part of expeditions that captured the Fortress of LouisbourgSiege of Louisbourg (1745)
The Siege of Louisbourg took place in 1745 when a New England colonial force aided by a British fleet captured Louisbourg, the capital of the French province of Île-Royale during the War of the Austrian Succession, known as King George's War in the British colonies.Although the Fortress of...
in 1745 and Port Royal, Nova Scotia
Siege of Port Royal (1710)
The Siege of Port Royal , also known as the Conquest of Acadia, was conducted by British regular and provincial forces under the command of Francis Nicholson against a French Acadian garrison under the command of Daniel d'Auger de Subercase, at the Acadian capital, Port Royal...
in 1710. During the last four wars of the French and Indian Wars
French and Indian Wars
The French and Indian Wars is a name used in the United States for a series of conflicts lasting 74 years in North America that represented colonial events related to the European dynastic wars...
, the New Hampshire Militia furnished about 5,000 men for six different campaigns, including men who served with Major Robert Rogers
Robert Rogers (soldier)
Robert Rogers was an American colonial frontiersman. Rogers served in the British army during both the French and Indian War and the American Revolution...
and his Rangers
Rogers' Rangers
Rogers' Rangers was an independent company of colonial militia, attached to the British Army during the Seven Years War . The unit was informally trained by Major Robert Rogers as a rapidly deployable light infantry force tasked with reconnaissance and conducting special operations against distant...
. Regiments of the New Hampshire provincial soldiers were at the Battle of Lake George
Battle of Lake George
The Battle of Lake George was fought on 8 September 1755, in the north of the Province of New York. The battle was part of a campaign by the British to expel the French from North America in the French and Indian War....
, the Siege of Fort William Henry, the Siege of Louisbourg (1758)
Siege of Louisbourg (1758)
The Siege of Louisbourg was a pivotal battle of the Seven Years' War in 1758 which ended the French colonial era in Atlantic Canada and led directly to the loss of Quebec in 1759 and the remainder of French North America the following year.-Background:The British government realized that with the...
, the 1758 Battle of Carillon
Battle of Carillon
The Battle of Carillon, also known as the 1758 Battle of Ticonderoga, was fought on July 8, 1758, during the French and Indian War...
and the fall of Fort Carillon
Battle of Ticonderoga (1759)
The 1759 Battle of Ticonderoga was a minor confrontation at Fort Carillon on July 26 and 27, 1759, during the French and Indian War...
(subsequently Fort Ticonderoga
Fort Ticonderoga
Fort Ticonderoga, formerly Fort Carillon, is a large 18th-century fort built by the Canadians and the French at a narrows near the south end of Lake Champlain in upstate New York in the United States...
) in 1759, the Battle of the Plains of Abraham
Battle of the Plains of Abraham
The Battle of the Plains of Abraham, also known as the Battle of Quebec, was a pivotal battle in the Seven Years' War...
and the Battle of Sainte-Foy
Battle of Sainte-Foy
The Battle of Sainte-Foy, sometimes called the Battle of Quebec, was fought on April 28, 1760 near the British-held town of Quebec in the French province of Canada during the Seven Years' War . It was a victory for the French under the Chevalier de Lévis over the British army under General Murray...
near Quebec
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
, and were present at the final capitulation of New France
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
at Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. They also saw action in countless small battles from the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
to Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
.
The Militia was also heavily involved in the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
when it furnished men for the New Hampshire regiments in Washington's Continental Army
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...
. John Stark
John Stark
John Stark was a New Hampshire native who served as a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. He became widely known as the "Hero of Bennington" for his exemplary service at the Battle of Bennington in 1777.-Early life:John Stark was born in Londonderry, New...
, an officer in Rogers' Rangers
Rogers' Rangers
Rogers' Rangers was an independent company of colonial militia, attached to the British Army during the Seven Years War . The unit was informally trained by Major Robert Rogers as a rapidly deployable light infantry force tasked with reconnaissance and conducting special operations against distant...
, raised the 1st New Hampshire Regiment
1st New Hampshire Regiment
The 1st New Hampshire Regiment was an infantry unit that came into existence on 22 May 1775 at the beginning of the American Revolutionary War. John Stark was the regiment's first commander. The unit fought at Chelsea Creek and Bunker Hill in 1775. On 1 January 1776, while engaged in the Siege of...
and took it to the Siege of Boston
Siege of Boston
The Siege of Boston was the opening phase of the American Revolutionary War, in which New England militiamen—who later became part of the Continental Army—surrounded the town of Boston, Massachusetts, to prevent movement by the British Army garrisoned within...
in 1775 along with James Reed's
James Reed (soldier)
James Reed was a military officer in the French and Indian War and the American Revolution, rising to the rank of brigadier general in the latter conflict....
3rd New Hampshire Regiment
3rd New Hampshire Regiment
The 3rd New Hampshire Regiment, also known as the 2nd Continental Regiment, was authorized on 22 May 1775, organized 1-8 June 1775, and adopted into the Continental Army on 14 June, 1775, as the third of three regiments raised by the state of New Hampshire during the American Revolution...
. These two regiments along with Enoch Poor's
Enoch Poor
Enoch Poor was a brigadier general in the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. He was a ship builder and merchant from Exeter, New Hampshire.-Biography:...
2nd New Hampshire Regiment
2nd New Hampshire Regiment
The 2nd New Hampshire Regiment, also known as the 8th Continental Regiment, was formed in early May of 1775, as the second of three Continental Army regiments raised by the state of New Hampshire during the American Revolutionary War. Its first commander was Colonel Enoch Poor, with Joseph Cilley...
would enter service with the Continental Army and see action all through the war. In 1777 John Stark led a force of 1,500 New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
and Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
militia at the Battle of Bennington
Battle of Bennington
The Battle of Bennington was a battle of the American Revolutionary War that took place on August 16, 1777, in Walloomsac, New York, about from its namesake Bennington, Vermont...
in a surprise attack against over 1,400 Hessian, British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
, Tory
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
and Indians
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
and win a stunning victory that help the Continental Army win the Saratoga Campaign
Saratoga campaign
The Saratoga Campaign was an attempt by Great Britain to gain military control of the strategically important Hudson River valley in 1777 during the American Revolutionary War...
. Two New Hampshire militia regiments were at the Battle of Saratoga
Battle of Saratoga
The Battles of Saratoga conclusively decided the fate of British General John Burgoyne's army in the American War of Independence and are generally regarded as a turning point in the war. The battles were fought eighteen days apart on the same ground, south of Saratoga, New York...
serving in Ebenezer Learned's Brigade
Ebenezer Learned
Ebenezer Learned was a brigadier general in the American Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.-Early life and career:...
helping to defeat General John Burgoyne
John Burgoyne
General John Burgoyne was a British army officer, politician and dramatist. He first saw action during the Seven Years' War when he participated in several battles, mostly notably during the Portugal Campaign of 1762....
. New Hampshire militia would help in Gen. John Sullivan
John Sullivan
John Sullivan was the third son of Irish immigrants, a United States general in the Revolutionary War, a delegate in the Continental Congress and a United States federal judge....
's unsuccessful Battle of Rhode Island
Battle of Rhode Island
The Battle of Rhode Island, also known as the Battle of Quaker Hill and the Siege of Newport, took place on August 29, 1778. Continental Army and militia forces under the command of General John Sullivan were withdrawing to the northern part of Aquidneck Island after abandoning their siege of...
in 1778.
Civil War era (1860-1880)
At the beginning of the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
the Militia was virtually nonexistent. The state had to raise volunteer regiments, such as the 3rd New Hampshire Volunteer Regiment
3rd New Hampshire Volunteer Regiment
3rd New Hampshire Volunteer Regiment was an infantry regiment in the Union army during the American Civil War.It was organized at Camp Berry in Concord and mustered in on August 23, 1861, for three years service, 1047 officers and men. The regiment served most of its time on the Atlantic coast in...
, to aid in the war. In 1879, New Hampshire designated the Militia as the New Hampshire National Guard
New Hampshire National Guard
The New Hampshire National Guard is a component of the New Hampshire Adjutant General's Department. It consists of the:*New Hampshire Army National Guard*New Hampshire Air National Guard*157th Air Refueling Wing-External links:**...
prior to the mandatory name change required by the National Defense Act of 1916
National Defense Act of 1916
The National Defense Act of 1916, , provided for an expanded army during peace and wartime, fourfold expansion of the National Guard, the creation of an Officers' and an Enlisted Reserve Corps, plus the creation of a Reserve Officers' Training Corps in colleges and universities...
.
Units
French and Indian War Provincial Units- New Hampshire Provincial RegimentNew Hampshire Provincial RegimentThe New Hampshire Provincial Regiment was a composite regiment made up of units of the New Hampshire Militia during the French and Indian War for service with the British Army in North America. It was first formed in 1754 with the start of hostilities with France.-1755:In 1755 Col...
New Hampshire Continental Army Regiments
- 1st New Hampshire Regiment1st New Hampshire RegimentThe 1st New Hampshire Regiment was an infantry unit that came into existence on 22 May 1775 at the beginning of the American Revolutionary War. John Stark was the regiment's first commander. The unit fought at Chelsea Creek and Bunker Hill in 1775. On 1 January 1776, while engaged in the Siege of...
- 2nd New Hampshire Regiment2nd New Hampshire RegimentThe 2nd New Hampshire Regiment, also known as the 8th Continental Regiment, was formed in early May of 1775, as the second of three Continental Army regiments raised by the state of New Hampshire during the American Revolutionary War. Its first commander was Colonel Enoch Poor, with Joseph Cilley...
- 3rd New Hampshire Regiment3rd New Hampshire RegimentThe 3rd New Hampshire Regiment, also known as the 2nd Continental Regiment, was authorized on 22 May 1775, organized 1-8 June 1775, and adopted into the Continental Army on 14 June, 1775, as the third of three regiments raised by the state of New Hampshire during the American Revolution...
- Bedel's RegimentBedel's RegimentBedel's Regiment was first raised as a single company of rangers in Coos, New Hampshire on May 26, 1775 under the command of Timothy Bedel for the protection of northern New Hampshire during the early days of the American Revolutionary War...
- Long's RegimentLong's RegimentLong's Regiment was raised on May 14, 1776 at New Castle, New Hampshire under Colonel Pierse Long for service with the Continental Army. The regiment was stationed at Fort Ticonderoga and Mount Independence on Lake Champlain and fought a delaying action at Fort Ann, New York on July 8, 1777 against...
- Whitcomb's RangersWhitcomb's RangersWhitcomb's Rangers were authorized on October 15, 1776, and formed in November 1776 at Fort Ticonderoga in New York. The unit consisted of two companies of New Hampshire rangers for service with the Continental Army under the command of Benjamin Whitcomb, a veteran of Bedel's Regiment. They saw...
New Hampshire Revolutionary War era militia Units
- Langdon's Company of Light Horse VolunteersLangdon's Company of Light Horse VolunteersLangdon's Company of Light Horse Volunteers was formed on July 21, 1777 at Portsmouth, New Hampshire for Gen. John Stark's Brigade gathering at Charlestown, New Hampshire during the Saratoga Campaign. The company was formed by picked volunteers from other New Hampshire militia units. The company...
- Peabody's New Hampshire State RegimentPeabody's New Hampshire State RegimentPeabody's New Hampshire State Regiment was raised on January 1, 1778 under Col. Stephen Peabody at Hampstead, New Hampshire for service with Gen. John Sullivan in Rhode Island. The term of enlistment was one year. The regiment marched to Newport, Rhode Island and took part in the Battle of Rhode...
- Bellow's Regiment of MilitiaBellow's Regiment of MilitiaBellow's Regiment of Militia also known as the 16th New Hampshire Militia Regiment was called up at Walpole, New Hampshire on September 21, 1777 as reinforcements for the Continental Army during the Saratoga Campaign. The regiment marched quickly to join the gathering forces of Gen. Horatio Gates...
- Chase's Regiment of MilitiaChase's Regiment of MilitiaChase's Regiment of Militia also known as the 13th New Hampshire Regiment of Militia was called up at Cornish, New Hampshire on September 22, 1777 as reinforcements for the Continental Army during the Saratoga Campaign. The regiment marched quickly to join the gathering forces of Gen. Horatio Gates...
- Drake's Regiment of MilitiaDrake's Regiment of MilitiaDrake's Regiment of Militia also known as the 2nd New Hampshire Militia Regiment was called up at Portsmouth, New Hampshire on September 8, 1777 as reinforcements for the Continental Army during the Saratoga Campaign. The regiment marched quickly to join the gathering forces of General Horatio...
- Evans' Regiment of MilitiaEvans' Regiment of MilitiaEvans' Regiment of Militia also known as the 4th New Hampshire Militia Regiment was called up at Exeter, New Hampshire on September 8, 1777 as reinforcements for the Continental Army during the Saratoga Campaign. The regiment marched quickly to join the gathering forces of General Horatio Gates as...
- Hale's Regiment of MilitiaHale's Regiment of MilitiaHale's Regiment of Militia also known as the 15th New Hampshire Militia Regiment was at Fort Ticonderoga during the spring and summer of 1776 reinforcing the Continental Army garrison. The regiment was again called up on July 21, 1777 at Rindge, New Hampshire for Gen. John Stark's Brigade gathering...
- Hobart's Regiment of MilitiaHobart's Regiment of MilitiaHobart's Regiment of Militia also known as the 12th New Hampshire Militia Regiment was called up on July 21, 1777 at Plymouth, New Hampshire for Gen. John Stark's Brigade gathering at Charlestown, New Hampshire during the Saratoga Campaign...
- Moore's Regiment of MilitiaMoore's Regiment of MilitiaMoore's Regiment of Militia also known as the 9th New Hampshire Militia Regiment was called up at Lyndeborough, New Hampshire on September 29, 1777 as reinforcements for the Continental Army during the Saratoga Campaign. The regiment marched quickly to join the gathering forces of Gen. Horatio...
- Moulton's Regiment of MilitiaMoulton's Regiment of MilitiaMoulton's Regiment of Militia also known as the 3rd Regiment of New Hampshire Militia was first called up in April of 1775 at Hampton, New Hampshire under the command of Col. Jonathan Moulton. The regiment garrisoned the New Hampshire seacoast after the British burned the town of Falmouth, Maine...
- Nichols' Regiment of MilitiaNichols' Regiment of MilitiaNichols' Regiment of Militia also known as the 5th New Hampshire Militia Regiment was called up on July 21, 1777 at Winchester, New Hampshire for Gen. John Stark's Brigade gathering at Charlestown, New Hampshire during the Saratoga Campaign...
- Stickney's Regiment of MilitiaStickney's Regiment of MilitiaStickney's Regiment of Militia, also known as the 11th New Hampshire Militia Regiment, was at Fort Ticonderoga during the spring of 1777 reinforcing the Continental Army garrison. The regiment was again called up on July 21, 1777, at Pembroke, New Hampshire for Gen. John Stark's Brigade gathering...
- Welch's Regiment of MilitiaWelch's Regiment of MilitiaWelch's Regiment of Militia also known as the 10th New Hampshire Militia Regiment was called up at Candia, New Hampshire on September 27, 1777 as reinforcements for the Continental Army during the Saratoga Campaign. The regiment marched quickly to join the gathering forces of Gen. Horatio Gates as...
External links
- The ranger service in the upper valley of the Connecticut, and the most northerly regiment of the New Hampshire militia in the period of the revolution : an address delivered before the New Hampshire Society of Sons of the American Revolution at Concord, N.H., April 26, 1900
- State Builders: An Illustrated Historical and Biographical Record of the State of New Hampshire. State Builers Publishing Manchester, NH 1903
- Bibliography of the Continental Army in New Hampshire compiled by the United States Army Center of Military History