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History of the (First) Delaware Regiment 

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Structure of the Regiment   At full authorized strength a Continental Regiment was supposed to have eight companies, each made up of eight squads containing ten privates each (80 per company). In addition to the privates there were non-commissioned officers, commissioned officers, and musicians (who provided the signals required to organize the troops when marching and when changing positions during battle). The Continental Congress appointed the field-grade commissioned officers: colonel, lieutenant colonal, major. The Delaware Council of Safety appointed the staff officers: captain, lieutenant, ensign. Pay ranged from $26.67/month for the captain to $5/month for the privates. Enlistment was for one year early in the war, but was soon extended to longer terms. Each man also got a hunting shirt, a blanket, and regular food rations. [Ward pp 4-6] In addition to the military force there would be a band of camp followers to help with cooking, sewing, and washing and to tend to the sick and wounded. The regiments were supported by specialized units such as quartermaster corps, which bought or foraged for food and firewood and handled the wagons that carried injured troops, food, ammunition, and other supplies.

Commissioned Field Grade Officers Military Rank per Co. per Regt. Regt Total Colonel -- 1 1 Lt. Colonel -- 1 1 Major -- 1 1 Surgeon -- 1 1 Adjutant -- 1 1 Quartermaster -- 1 1 SUBTOTAL 1     6 Commissioned Staff Officers Military Rank per Co. per Regt Regt Total Captain 1 -- 8 Lieutenant 1 -- 8 Ensign 1 -- 8 SUBTOTAL 2     24 Non-commissioned Officers Military Rank per Co. per Regt. Regt Total Sergeants 4 -- 32 Corporals 4 -- 32 SUBTOTAL 3     64 Musicians Military Rank per Co. per Regt. Regt Total Drum Major -- 1 1 Drummer or Fifer 2 -- 16 SUBTOTAL 4     17 Privates Military Rank per Co. per Regt. Regt Total Private 80 -- 640 Military Rank per Co. per Regt. Regt Total TOTAL     751

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Commissioned Officers (highest rank on active duty)   Names and service are from [Green, Hill, and Ward]. Several Delaware residents who served in neighboring states are listed below with suitable notations. The first major re-organization occurred at the end of 1776, when all the initial one-year enlistments were up [Ward p 160]. On Dec 30 the Regiment in the field (Trenton NJ) consisted of Col. Haslet, Capt. Holland, Ensign John Wilson, D. Gilder, and two privates. The remaining officers had been sent back to Delaware to recruit a new regiment for 1777. Haslet was killed at Princeton NJ on Jan 3, 1777, causing a change in all the staff officers in the regiment. A moderate re-organization occurred due to the Philadelphia campaign of September to December 1777, during which a number of officers were wounded or captured and had to be replaced Another moderate re-organization occurred in May 1778, when Congress established a new pattern of officers for the regiments. The last major reorganization occurred in August 1781 due to the disastrous defeat at Camden SC, when all the staff officers were captured and what was left of the eight companies were condensed into two companies under Captains Jaquett and Kirkwood.

In the above graphic the red surnames are for officers who died due to battle wounds.
The red vertical stripes mark major battles in which the regiment participated.

Colonel: 76-+--77-+--78-+--79-+--80-+--81-+--82-+--83-+ 1_____12_______23__________3       1) John Haslet (killed at Princeton NJ 1777 Jan)       2) David Hall (badly wounded at Germantown PA Oct 1777, stayed home thereafter)       3) Lt Col. Joseph Vaughn in effective command       after Camden there was no senior staff, DE Regt was under command of MD Regiments Lieutenant Colonel: 76-+--77-+--78-+--79-+--80-+--81-+--82-+--83-+ 1____12________23__________3       1) Gunning Bedford (wounded at White Plains 1776, declined further service in 1777)       2) Charles Pope (went on furlough; commanded DE navy 1779-1783)       3) Joseph Vaughn (captured at Camden SC in 1780 and paroled)       after Camden there was no senior staff, DE Regt was under command of MD Regiments Major: 76-+--77-+--78-+--79-+--80-+--81-+--82-+--83-+ 1____12________23__________3       1) Thomas McDunough (declined further service in 1777)       2) Joseph Vaughn (became Lt Col in 1779)       3) John Patten (captured and paroled at Camden SC in 1780)       after Camden there was no senior staff, DE Regt was under command of MD Regiments -------- majors in other units --------------------       Daniel Adams [7th MD Continentals] Surgeon: 76-+--77-+--78-+--79-+--80-+--81-+--82-+--83-+ 1_______12___________________________________2       1) Dr. James Tilton (very sick in 1777, then served with the general staff hospital       2) Dr. Reuben Gilder (Peden is uncertain of service after 1779) ------- surgeons in other units ------------------------       Dr. James Jones [4th and 6th PA Continentals]       Dr. Henry Latimer [Flying Hosital, with Washington from Brandywine to Yorktown]       Dr. George Monroe [VA Continentals 1779-1782]       Dr. Ebenezer Augustus Smith (with Flying Camp 1776-1780 when he left due to illness) Adjutant: 76-+--77-+--78-+--79-+--80-+--81-+--82-+--83-+ 1____12____________________2       1) Thomas Holland (became Captain of 5th Co in Jan 1777)       2) (Lt) George Purvis (captured at Camden in 1780 and exchanged)       after Camden there was no senior staff, DE Regt was under command of MD Regiments Quartermaster:       1776 Robert Ball       1780 (Lt) Thomas Anderson Chaplain:       1776-17??: Rev. Joseph Montgomery Captain 1st Co: 76-+--77-+--78-+--79-+--80-+--81-+--82-+--83-+ 1____12__________23________3       1) Joseph Stidham (apparently declined further service in 1777)       2) John Patten (became Major in 1778)       3) William McKennan (had been wounded severely at Germantown Oct 1777) until Camden in Aug 1780 (he returned to DE to recruit)       discontinued after this Captain 2nd Co: 76-+--77-+--78-+--79-+--80-+--81-+--82-+--83-+ 1____12______________________________________23       1) Jonathan Caldwell (wounded at White Plains 1776)       2) Robert Kirkwood, Jr.       3) mustered out when company was disbanded Captain 3rd Co: 76-+--77-+--78-+--79-+--80-+--81-+--82-+--83-+ 1_____12____23_______34____4       1) David Hall Jr. (promoted to Colonel in 1777)       2) James Moore (captured at Newtown Square in Jan 1778, exchanged in 1780)       3) reverted to Col Hall with John Wilson as Capt-Lt (he moved to 4th Co in June 1779)       4) Col Hall with John Rhodes as Capt-Lt (captured at Camden SC in Aug 1780 and died at Charlestown SC in Oct 1780)       discontinued after this Captain 4th Co: 76-+--77-+--78-+--79-+--80-+--81-+--82-+--83-+ 1____12______________2       1) Henry Darby (became a Colonel in the New Castle County militia)       2) Enoch Anderson (resigned June 1779)       3) John Wilson discontinued after this Captain 5th Co: 76-+--77-+--78-+--79-+--80-+--81-+--82-+--83-+ 1____12__23________________3       1) Charles Pope (became Lt Col in 1777)       2) Thomas Holland (he had been a captain in British service); died of wounds received at Germantown Oct 1777)       3) taken over by Major Vaughan until capture at Camden in Aug 1780       discontinued after this Captain 6th Co: 76-+--77-+--78-+--79-+--80-+--81-+--82-+--83-+ 1____12____________________2       1) Nathan Adams 6th Co (killed at White Plains in Oct 1776)       2) John Learmonth (captured at Camden SC in Aug 1780, prisoner until end of war)       discontinued after this Captain 7th Co: 76-+--77-+--78-+--79-+--80-+--81-+--82-+--83-+ 1____12_____23_____________3       1) Samuel Smith (became sheriff of New Castle County in 1779)       2) Cord Hazzard (resigned Jan 1778 due to deafness from shell blast at Ft. Mifflin)       3) taken over by Lt. Col Pope until capture at Camden in Aug 1780       discontinued after this Captain 8th Co: 76-+--77-+--78-+--79-+--80-+--81-+--82-+--83-+ 1____12______________________________________23       1) Joseph Vaughn 8th Co (became Major in 1777)       2) Peter Jaquett (wounded three times)       3) mustered out when company was disbanded Captain 9th Co: In response to Congress' May 1778 request for a light infantry company the 1st Company was designated as light infantry and a 9th Company was added, with the still-captured Captain James Moore designated as commander. The unit was disbanded in June 1779. 76-+--77-+--78-+--79-+--80-+--81-+--82-+--83-+ 1____12______________________________________23       1) Joseph Vaughn 8th Co (became Major in 1777)       2) Peter Jaquett (wounded three times)       3) mustered out when company was disbanded ------ captains in other units -----------------------------------       1776-1783: Allen McLane (mostly on detached duty or leading partisan corps)       1776: Nathaniel Mitchell [Captain in the DE Flying Camp in 1776, Major in VA in 1777, retired in 1781]       Joseph Anderson [1st and 3rd NJ Continentals]       David Kirkpatrick [NY Sappers and Miners, wounded at Yorktown VA in 1781] Lieutenant:       1776: Enoch Anderson (wounded at Long Island as Lt in 1776; became Capt in 1777)       1776-1783: Thomas Anderson (present at Trenton)       1776-1783: Caleb Bennett       1776-1783: James Campbell       1776-1780: Henry Duff (captured at Camden SC in 1780)       1776-1780: Joseph Hossman (disappeared after Camden SC in 1780)       1776-??: Lewis Howell (no mention after this)       1776-1778, 1781-3: John Vance Hyatt (captured in 1778 and exchanged in 1781)       1776: Robert Kirkwood, Jr. 4th Co (became Capt in 1777)       1776: James McDunough 7th Co (no further note -- War of 1812???)       1776: James Moore 6th Co (became Capt in 1777)       1776: John Patten 2nd Co (became Capt in 1777)       1776-1780: Edward Roche (1776-captured at Camden SC in 1780 and paroled)       1777-1780: Charles Kidd       1779-1780: Stephen McWilliam (captured at Camden SC in 1780, never fought again) Ensign:       Hazzard (wounded at White Plains 1776)       1776-1783: John Platt (served whole war) -----------------------------------------       William Anderson [1st and 4th NJ Continentals, served for whole war]

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Timeline of Strength Based on Muster Rolls   Like the rest of the Continental Army the Delaware Regiment never attained its full authorized strength. Enlistments did not keep up with injury, death, desertion, and completion of enlistment obligations. The muster rolls listed all but the commissioned officers, so a full strength regiment would have a muster roll of 690 privates, musicians, sergeants and corporals.

[based on data compiled from the Delaware Archives, Military by Michael Gallagher, Delaware Society SAR]

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Organizational History 

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Latest changes: 06Jul16 - rearrange and add jump links / 06Jul20 - add officer tenure graphic / 06Dec01 - revise for porting to RSAR, add troop strength graphic /