Knowlton's Rangers was a reconnaissance and espionage detachment of the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

established by

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of t ...

. Named after its commander, Thomas Knowlton, the unit was formed in 1776.

History

On August 12, 1776, General of the Army

promoted Knowlton to

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...

. He was ordered to select a group of 130 men and 20 officers from Connecticut, Rhode Island, and

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

regiments to carry out reconnaissance missions. The famous American spy, Captain

Nathan Hale Nathan Hale (June 6, 1755 – September 22, 1776) was an American Patriot, soldier and spy for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He volunteered for an intelligence-gathering mission in New York City but was captured ...

, of

Coventry Coventry ( or ) is a city in the West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its city status until the Middle Ages. The city is governed b ...

, Connecticut, was under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Knowlton. Besides providing tactical intelligence, Knowlton's Rangers, outfitted as a regiment of

light infantry Light infantry refers to certain types of lightly equipped infantry throughout history. They have a more mobile or fluid function than other types of infantry, such as heavy infantry or line infantry. Historically, light infantry often fought ...

, took part in several battles of the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. That is why Knowlton's Rangers are considered the predecessor to modern special forces units such as Army Rangers,

Delta Force The 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment–Delta (1st SFOD-D), referred to variously as Delta Force, Combat Applications Group (CAG), Army Compartmented Elements (ACE), "The Unit", or within Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), Task F ...

, and other special operations units.

Battle of Harlem Heights

On September 16, 1776, Knowlton's Rangers were scouting in advance of Washington's Army at Harlem Heights, New York. While reconnoitering the British outposts they were engaged by elements of the light infantry brigade commanded by Major General Alexander Leslie. The rangers managed a successful retreat and later mounted a counter attack with the support of three companies of Weedon's Regiment led by Major Andrew Leitch. General Washington ordered Knowlton to fall on the enemy's rear, while a feint in front engaged the British troops' attention. The attacking force turned prematurely and made contact with the British right flank instead, losing the element of surprise. In the face of heavy enemy fire, Knowlton rallied his troops to carry on the attack. He fell mortally wounded in front of his men; Leitch was also wounded and died in a few days. Knowlton's loss was lamented by Washington in his general orders for September 17, 1776 with the statement, "The gallant and brave Col Knowlton, ... would have been an Honor to any Country, having fallen yesterday, while gloriously fighting...". Captain Stephen Brown succeeded Knowlton in command of the unit.

Battle of Fort Washington

Knowlton's Rangers were a part of Fort Washington's garrison, defending the last stronghold of the Continental Army in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

. On November 16, 1776, yielding to prevailing force, American troops surrendered and were taken as

prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of w ...

Legacy

Knowlton's Rangers are considered the

United States of America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

's first organized

intelligence service An intelligence agency is a government agency responsible for the collection, analysis, and exploitation of information in support of law enforcement, national security, military, public safety, and foreign policy objectives. Means of inform ...

organization, as well as the first American Ranger unit formed after America declared its independence from the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and No ...

. The date "1776" on the modern

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...

's intelligence service seal refers to the formation of Knowlton's Rangers. The ''Order of Knowlton's Rangers'' at the

Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a public state-related land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvania. Founded in 1855 as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania, Penn State bec ...

raises awareness about history and traditions of the unit.Knowlton’s Rangers at Penn State University
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References

External links