The Virginia Continental Line

ONLY SOME REVOLUTIONARY WAR SOLDIERS WERE CONTINENTALS.  They were authorized by the Continental Congress, paid by Congress, and led by officers whose commissions were signed by the president of Congress.   They were not the only full-time, professional (“regular") troops. There were state regulars as well. Most of Virginia's Continentals began as provincial (“state" after Independence) troops before transitioning into Congressional pay. The first Virginia Continentals were two companies of riflemen sent to Boston in the summer of 1775. Virginia then produced 15 regiments in three authorizations of troops between 1775 and 1777. The Virginia Continental Line contracted in 1778 and 1779 as recruiting got harder and enlistments expired. Virginia implemented a draft in 1777 and grew increasingly dependent on it through the end of the war.   Most of the Line was captured at Charleston in 1780.  The numbered regiments were preserved on paper to track officer seniority, but late war field operations were conducted by various  “detachments," “battalions," and ad hoc “regiments."

Independent Rifle Companies and the Maryland & Virginia Rifle Regiment

Two companies of Virginia riflemen under Hugh Stephenson and Daniel Morgan were recruited in the summer of 1775 and taken directly into Continental service. Maryland and Pennsylvania raised independent rifle companies at the same time.  Enlistments were for one year. When that time was up, the marksmen were asked to reenlist for two years while enough additional rifle companies were authorized to form a  Maryland and Virginia Rifle Regiment (Pennsylvania's companies formed their own rifle regiment). Most of this regiment's men were captured at the fall of Fort Washington in November 1776. Some who evaded capture helped form  Daniel Morgan's 11th Virginia Regiment during the winter of 1777, and many went into Morgan's Provisional Rifle Corps that summer.

“The Beeline March: The Birth of the American Army."  (John Grady, JAR)   The rush to recruit and march to Boston.

“Patriot Riflemen During the Ammunition Crisis at the Siege of Boston, 1775,"  (Hugh T. Harrington,  AmericanRevolution.org)   What they did when they got there.

“Unit History of the Maryland and Virginia Rifle Regiment (1776–1781): Insights from the Service Record of Capt. Adamson Tannehill" (Tucker F. Hentz, VMHC) A good analysis of the rifle companies from Maryland and Virginia from their origins as independent units through their later service in the Maryland & Virginia Rifle Regiment and Daniel Morgan's Provisional Rifle Corps.

Frederick County Company (Capt. Daniel Morgan)

Berkeley County Company (Capt. Hugh Stephenson)

First Authorization of Troops

1st Virginia Regiment* (Col. William Christian)

​2nd Virginia Regiment* (Col. William Woodford)

*Previously in provincial service

Second Authorization of Troops

3rd  Virginia Regiment* (Col.  George Weedon)

4th Virginia Regiment* (Col. Adam Stephen)

5th Virginia Regiment* (Col.  Charles Scott)

6th Virginia Regiment* (Col. Mordecai Buckner)

7th Virginia Regiment* (Col.  William Daingerfield)

8th Virginia Regiment* (Col. Peter Muhlenberg)

​9th Virginia Regiment* (Col. Thomas Fleming)

*Previously in provincial service

Third Authorization of Troops

10th Virginia Regiment (Col. Edward Stevens)

11th Virginia Regiment (Col. Daniel Morgan)

12th Virginia Regiment (Col. James Wood)

13th Virginia Regiment (Col. William Russell)

14th Virginia Regiment (Col.   Charles Lewis)

15th Virginia Regiment (Col. David Mason)

Woodford's Provisional Battalions

Brigadier General William Woodford marched the Virginia Continental Line from the 1779-1780 Morristown, New Jersey winter encampment to join the defense of Charleston, South Carolina.  At Philadelphia, he received permission to further consolidate his troops into three "provisional" battalions. The existing regiments continued to exist on paper, but many officers were told to go home until they were needed.  "Battalion" and "regiment" are functionally synonymous  terms for American troops, but these three units are usually called the 1st through 3rd Virginia Battalions to distinguish them from other organzations.

1st Virginia Battalion (Col. William Russell)

2nd Virginia Battalion (Col. John Neville)

​3rd Virginia Battalion (Col. Nathiel Gist)

Scott's Recruit Detachment Battalions

Brigadier General Charles Scott oversaw recruiting in Virginia in 1779 and early 1780.  He organized new men into three "recruit detachment battalions." This was just a descriptive term. These units are usually referred to as the 1st through 3rd Virginia "Detachments" to distinguish them from other organizations.  Soldiers returning from winter furloughs were mixed in with the recruits. They followed the rest of the Virginia Continental Line to South Carolina when their ranks were filled.

"Scott's Levies: The Virginia Detachments, 1779-1780" (John Settle, JAR) After the Virginia Continental Line was captured at Charleston, survivors and recruits were thrown together into ad hoc "detachments."

1st Virginia Detachment (Col. Richard Parker)

2nd Virginia Detachment (Col. William Heth)

​3rd Virginia Detachment (Col. Abraham Buford)

Late War Ad Hoc Regiments

John Green's Regiment

Richard Campbell's  Regiment
​
Thomas Gaskins' Regiment