Gloucester Light Infantry is an active independent military organization of the

Rhode Island militia The Rhode Island Army National Guard (RIARNG) is the land force militia for the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It operates under Title 10 and Title 32 of the United States Code and operates under the command of the state governor while not in fede ...

that was founded in 1774 and currently serves primarily as a ceremonial honor guard and educational group. The Gloucester Light Infantry operates an

armory Armory or armoury may mean: * An arsenal, a military or civilian location for the storage of arms and ammunition Places *National Guard Armory, in the United States and Canada, a training place for National Guard or other part-time or regular mili ...

museum behind the town hall at 33 Dorr Drive in

Chepachet, Rhode Island Chepachet is a village and census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Glocester in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It is centered at the intersection of U.S. Route 44 ( Putnam Pike) and Rhode Island Route 102 (also k ...

which was the former ell of the Chepachet Elementary School. The Gloucester Light Infantry was first organized in Chepachet through an “Act of the Colonial Legislature” which was passed in October 1774 creating the “Company of Light Infantry of the Town of Gloucester.” During the Revolutionary War in December 1776 the Infantry was reorganized as the 5th Company of the 1st Regiment of the Brigade to defend Rhode Island during the War. Later in the War on May 6, 1780, the company was mustered out and reverted to being Gloucester Light Infantry. The history Infantry group participated in most American wars and armed conflicts including 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 ...

, The

Dorr Rebellion The Dorr Rebellion (1841–1842) (also referred to as Dorr's Rebellion, Dorr's War or Dorr War) was an attempt by disenfranchised residents to force broader democracy in the U.S. state of Rhode Island, where a small rural elite was in control of ...

of 1842,

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

(as Company 1, 2nd Rhode Island Volunteers),

Spanish American War Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

(1898), and

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. In 1923 The Gloucester Light Infantry was reorganized as Battery F, 243rd Artillery. The Gloucester Light Infantry still remains part of the Rhode Island militia but serves a largely ceremonial role using period muskets and cannon for special events and helping to educate the public.

References

{{reflist Military in Rhode Island Historical reenactment groups Organizations established in 1774 1774 establishments in the Thirteen Colonies Organizations based in Rhode Island