The New Jersey Line was a formation within the Continental Army. A "New Jersey Line" was the quota of numbered infantry regiments that the Congress of the Confederacy assigned to New Jersey at various times.
New Jersey Line, 1776
The first two regiments were authorized by Congress on October 9, 1775. The Third New Jersey Regiment was authorized on January 1, 1776.
Not all Continental infantry regiments raised in a state were part of a state quota, however. On December 27, 1776, the Continental Congress gave
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
temporary control over certain military decisions that the Congress ordinarily regarded as its own prerogative. These "dictatorial powers" included the authority to raise sixteen additional Continental infantry regiments at large.
New Jersey Line, 1777
Forman's Additional Continental Regiment, under the command of Colonel
David Forman
David Forman is an English actor, stuntman, puppeteer and internet entrepreneur who has played several suit roles in Jim Henson's Creature Shop, notably as the character of Leonardo in the ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' film (1990). He also s ...
, was authorized on September 16, 1776. Another unit, known formally as
Spencer's Additional Continental Regiment
Spencer's Additional Continental Regiment, sometimes referred to as the 5th New Jersey Regiment, was an Extra Continental regiments and Additional Continental regiments, American infantry unit that served for four years in the Continental Army d ...
, under the command of Colonel Oliver Spencer, was sometimes referred to as the Fifth New Jersey Regiment. Neither unit was ever allotted to the New Jersey Line although they contained a large proportion of troops from New Jersey.
Early in 1777, Washington offered command of one of these additional regiments to
David Forman
David Forman is an English actor, stuntman, puppeteer and internet entrepreneur who has played several suit roles in Jim Henson's Creature Shop, notably as the character of Leonardo in the ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' film (1990). He also s ...
of New Jersey, who accepted. Forman had formerly been a New Jersey militia leader.
Washington also offered command of an additional regiment to
Oliver Spencer of New Jersey, who accepted. In 1776, Spencer had also served in the New Jersey militia. Spencer's Regiment was unofficially designated the "5th New Jersey Regiment." One company was recruited in Pennsylvania, however.
Patton's Additional Continental Regiment
Patton's Additional Continental Regiment was an American infantry unit that existed for two years during the American Revolutionary War. Authorized on 11 January 1777, the unit was recruited from the colonies of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Del ...
was also partially drawn from New Jersey.
[Wright, ''Continental Army'', 323.]
Still other Continental infantry regiments and smaller units, also unrelated to a state quota, were raised as needed for special or temporary service.
Under the command of Brigadier General
William Maxwell, it was also known as "Maxwell's brigade" or simply, the "Jersey Line." As with preceding military units from New Jersey, the regiments that comprised the New Jersey Line were often referred to as the "Jersey Blues."
List of the regiments of the New Jersey Line:
*
1st New Jersey Regiment, Colonel
Matthias Ogden
Matthias Ogden (October 22, 1754 – March 31, 1791) was an American soldier and politician. He fought in the American Revolutionary War, and served in various political positions afterwards.
Family
Matthias Ogden was a son of Robert Ogden, ...
*
2nd New Jersey Regiment, Colonel
Israel Shreve
Israel Shreve (December 24, 1739 – December 14, 1799) was a colonel in the 2nd New Jersey Regiment during the American Revolution. He fought at the Battle of Brandywine and at the Battle of Germantown and wintered at Valley Forge.
Early ...
*
3rd New Jersey Regiment, Colonel
Elias Dayton
Elias Dayton (May 1, 1737 – October 22, 1807) was an American merchant and military officer who served as captain and colonel of the local militia and in 1783 rose to become a brigadier general during the American Revolutionary War. Afterw ...
*
4th New Jersey Regiment, Colonel Ephraim Martin
*
Spencer's Additional Continental Regiment
Spencer's Additional Continental Regiment, sometimes referred to as the 5th New Jersey Regiment, was an Extra Continental regiments and Additional Continental regiments, American infantry unit that served for four years in the Continental Army d ...
, Colonel
Oliver Spencer
*
Forman's Additional Continental Regiment, Colonel
David Forman
David Forman is an English actor, stuntman, puppeteer and internet entrepreneur who has played several suit roles in Jim Henson's Creature Shop, notably as the character of Leonardo in the ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' film (1990). He also s ...
See also
*
Fort Billingsport
Fort Billingsport (Fort Billings in some sources), at Billingsport in Paulsboro, Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States, was an American Revolutionary War fort on the Delaware River. The site of the fort is now a public park of the same n ...
*
List of United States militia units in the American Revolutionary War
References
*
Wright, Robert K. ''The Continental Army''. Washington, D.C.: Center of Military History, 1983. Availabl
online
External links
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 ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:New Jersey Line
New Jersey regiments of the Continental Army