The 6th Massachusetts Regiment also known as the 4th Continental Regiment was raised on April 23, 1775, under Colonel John Nixon outside of Boston, Massachusetts. The regiment would see action at the

Battle of Bunker Hill The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought on June 17, 1775, during the Siege of Boston in the first stage of the American Revolutionary War. The battle is named after Bunker Hill in Charlestown, Massachusetts, which was peripherally involved in ...

New York Campaign The New York and New Jersey campaign in 1776 and the winter months of 1777 was a series of American Revolutionary War battles for control of the Port of New York and the state of New Jersey, fought between British forces under General Sir Willia ...

Battle of Trenton The Battle of Trenton was a small but pivotal American Revolutionary War battle on the morning of December 26, 1776, in Trenton, New Jersey. After General George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American m ...

Battle of Princeton The Battle of Princeton was a battle of the American Revolutionary War, fought near Princeton, New Jersey on January 3, 1777, and ending in a small victory for the Colonials. General Lord Cornwallis had left 1,400 British troops under the comman ...

and the

Battle of Saratoga The Battles of Saratoga (September 19 and October 7, 1777) marked the climax of the Saratoga campaign, giving a decisive victory to the Americans over the British in the American Revolutionary War. British General John Burgoyne led an invasion ...

. The regiment was furloughed June 12, 1783, at

West Point, New York West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States. Located on the Hudson River in New York, West Point was identified by General George Washington as the most important strategic position in America during the Ame ...

and disbanded on November 3, 1783.

Bunker Hill

During the battle of Bunker Hill the 6th Massachusetts Regiment, under the command of Colonel John Nixon, was positioned in the redoubt on

Breeds Hill The Bunker Hill Monument is a monument erected at the site of the Battle of Bunker Hill in Boston, Massachusetts, which was among the first major battles between the Red Coats and Patriots in the American Revolutionary War. The 221-foot (67 m) gran ...

near Captain Jonathan Brewer and Captain

William Prescott William Prescott (February 20, 1726 – October 13, 1795) was an American colonel in the Revolutionary War who commanded the patriot forces in the Battle of Bunker Hill. Prescott is known for his order to his soldiers, "Do not fire until y ...

regiments. During

General William Howe William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe, Order of the Bath, KB Privy Council of Great Britain, PC (10 August 172912 July 1814) was a British Army officer who rose to become Commander-in-Chief, North America#Commanders-in-Chief, America 1775–1783, C ...

's first attack on Breed's Hill, Nixon was wounded and was withdrawn from the battle. The remaining members of the regiment withdrew when the redoubt was overtaken by Howe's second attack.

Later service

The 6th Massachusetts participated in the New York campaign by helping fortify

Governors Island Governors Island is a island in New York Harbor, within the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is located approximately south of Manhattan Island, and is separated from Brooklyn to the east by the Buttermilk Channel. The National Park ...

in New York Harbor in August 1776. They later fought in the

Battle of Harlem Heights The Battle of Harlem Heights was fought during the New York and New Jersey campaign of the American Revolutionary War. The action took place on September 16, 1776, in what is now the Morningside Heights area and east into the future Harlem neigh ...

and the

under General

Nathanael Greene Nathanael Greene (June 19, 1786, sometimes misspelled Nathaniel) was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. He emerged from the war with a reputation as General George Washington's most talented and dependabl ...

. The regiment reinforced General

Philip Schuyler Philip John Schuyler (; November 18, 1804) was an American general in the Revolutionary War and a United States Senator from New York. He is usually known as Philip Schuyler, while his son is usually known as Philip J. Schuyler. Born in Alba ...

Stillwater, New York Stillwater is a town in Saratoga County, New York, United States, with a population of 8,287 at the 2010 census. The town contains a village called Stillwater. The town is at the eastern border of the county, southeast of Saratoga Springs and ...

, in July 1777. The 6th Massachusetts composed part of the main body of General

Horatio Gates Horatio Lloyd Gates (July 26, 1727April 10, 1806) was a British-born American army officer who served as a general in the Continental Army during the early years of the Revolutionary War. He took credit for the American victory in the Battles ...

at the

Battles of Saratoga The Battles of Saratoga (September 19 and October 7, 1777) marked the climax of the Saratoga campaign, giving a decisive victory to the Americans over the British in the American Revolutionary War. British General John Burgoyne led an invasion ...

.Carrington p.336

Peter Salem Peter Salem (October 1, 1750 – August 16, 1816)BlackPast.org
"Salem, Peter" was an < ...

, a freed African-American slave, served in the regiment from April 24, 1775, to December 31, 1779.

Commanding officers

Colonel John Nixon - Commanded the regiment from May 19, 1775, until August 9, 1776, when he was promoted to brigadier general. Colonel Thomas Nixon - Brother of John Nixon. Served as lieutenant colonel of the 6th Massachusetts from May 19, 1775, until he took command of the regiment on August 6, 1776, and was promoted to colonel. Retired January 1, 1781. Lieutenant Colonel Calvin Smith - Commanded the regiment as a lieutenant colonel from January 1, 1781, to January 1, 1783. Colonel

Benjamin Tupper Benjamin Tupper (March 11, 1738 – June 7, 1792) was a soldier in the French and Indian War, and an officer of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, achieving the rank of Brevet (military), brevet Brigadier general (United ...

- Commanding officer January 1, 1783, until the unit was disbanded on June 12, 1783.

Other officers

Thomas Barnes- Served as captain from January 1777 to March 1779, when he was promoted to major with the 12th Massachusetts. Richard Buckmaster- Served as lieutenant, 2d lieutenant and captain from December 1775 until his death in November 1779. William Buckmaster- Served as lieutenant-colonel from December 1776 until his death on November 1776. Japhet Daniels- Served as captain from January 1777 to June 1783. Samuel Frost- Served as sergeant-major, ensign, 1st lieutenant, captain lieutenant and captain from January 1776 to June 1783. Peter Harwood- Served as captain and major from November 1776 until he resigned October 1780. Benjamin Heywood- Served as lieutenant, captain from December 1775 until June 1783. Abel Holden- Served as lieutenant and captain from December 1775 until he resigned May 1781. John Holden- Served as captain lieutenant and captain from January 1777 until he resigned April 1780.

Moses Porter Moses Porter (20 March 1756 – 14 April 1822) was a general in the United States Army during the War of 1812. His career lasted for over 40 years and he is one of the few officers who served in both the American Revolution and the War of 1812. ...

- Served as ensign from 1 January 1777 to 23 April 1779. Commanded the Light Artillery Regiment in the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

. Calvin Smith- Served as lieutenant-colonel from November 1776 to March 1779 and lieutenant-colonel commandant from January 1781 to June 1783. John Spur- Served as captain and major from January 1777 until he retired January 1781. Joseph Thompson- Served as captain and major from January 1776 until he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel in the 10th Massachusetts in December 1777. William Toogood- Served as 1st lieutenant and captain from January 1776 until he resigned April 1779. Joseph Butler- Served as a captain from January 1776 until December 31, 1776. Jabez Lane - Served as a captain in Col. Thomas Nixon's 6th MA Reg., Nixon's Brigade at Saratoga

Notes

References and further reading

* Fleming, Thomas J. ''The Story of Bunker Hill''. New York: Collier Books, 1960. * Carrington, Henry B. ''Battles of the American Revolution, 1775-1781''. New York: Promontory Press, 1877 (reprint 1974). * Heitman, Francis B. ''Historical Register of Officers of the Continental Army During the War of the Revolution''. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1914 (reprint 1982). * ''Collections of The New York Historical Society: Muster and Pay Rolls of the War of the Revolution, 1775-1783''. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1914.

External links

* Continental Lin

* Massachusetts Revolutionary War Soldier

External links

Bibliography of the Continental Army in Massachusetts
compiled by the

United States Army Center of Military History The United States Army Center of Military History (CMH) is a directorate within the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command. The Institute of Heraldry remains within the Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Arm ...

{{MassLine Massachusetts regiments of the Continental Army Military units and formations established in 1775 Military units and formations disestablished in 1783

Bunker Hill

Later service

Commanding officers

Other officers

See also

Notes

References and further reading

External links

External links