The Virginia Line was a formation within the Continental Army. The term "Virginia Line" referred to the quota of numbered infantry regiments assigned to Virginia at various times by the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America, and the newly declared United States just before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. ...

. These, together with similar contingents from the other twelve states, formed the Continental Line. The concept was particularly important in relation to the promotion of commissioned officers. Officers of the Continental Army below the rank of brigadier general were ordinarily ineligible for promotion except in the line of their own state. 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 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. Early in 1777, Washington offered command of one of these additional regiments to

Nathaniel Gist Nathaniel Gist (15 October 1733 – 1812) was born in Maryland and fought during the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War. He was reputed to be the father of Sequoyah the famous Cherokee by Wurteh Watts. Like his father Christ ...

of Virginia, who accepted. He also offered command of an additional regiment to

William Grayson William Grayson (1742 – March 12, 1790) was a planter, lawyer and statesman from Virginia. After leading a Virginia regiment in the Continental Army, Grayson served in the Virginia House of Delegates before becoming one of the first two U ...

of Virginia, who accepted. In 1776, Grayson had served as one of Washington’s personal aides. Finally, Washington offered command of an additional regiment to Charles Mynn Thruston of Virginia, who accepted. Still other Continental infantry regiments and smaller units, also unrelated to a state quota, were raised as needed for special or temporary service. The independent companies raised by Virginia in 1777 to garrison Fort Pitt and Fort Randolph were examples of such “extra” units. In January 1781, Virginia's

General Assembly A general assembly or general meeting is a meeting of all the members of an organization or shareholders of a company. Specific examples of general assembly include: Churches * General Assembly (presbyterian church), the highest court of presby ...

passed a measure which announced that voluntary enlistees in the Virginia Line's regiments would be given a

slave Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to per ...

as a reward.

Virginia Provincial Regiments, 1775

In August 1775 the Virginia Convention voted to raise fifteen companies to serve one year. The companies were raised in the fall of 1775 and organized into two regiments. The Continental Congress resolved, on November 1, 1775, to place these two regiments on the Continental establishment. The regiments were designated the 1st and 2d Virginia Regiments. *The 1st Virginia Regiment was commanded by

Patrick Henry Patrick Henry (May 29, 1736June 6, 1799) was an American attorney, planter, politician and orator known for declaring to the Second Virginia Convention (1775): " Give me liberty, or give me death!" A Founding Father, he served as the first a ...

. *The 2d Virginia Regiment was commanded by

William Woodford William Woodford (October 6, 1734 – November 13, 1780) was a Virginia planter and militia officer who distinguished himself in the French and Indian War, and later became general of the 2nd Virginia Regiment in the American Revolutionary War ...

Virginia Line, 1776

On December 28, 1775, the Continental Congress voted to raise four more regiments in Virginia. The Virginia Convention concurred on January 11, 1776. The Convention ordered that an additional 72 companies be raised and that the term of service of the original fifteen companies be extended. The 87 companies were to be organized into nine regiments of ten companies each (the 9th Virginia Regiment having at first only seven companies). The new force was to serve for not exceeding two and a half years. The 1st and 2d Virginia Regiments were reconstituted; the 3d through 6th Virginia Regiments were raised as Continental regiments; and the 7th through 9th Virginia Regiments were raised as state troops. In the course of 1776 the state regiments were placed on the Continental establishment. *The

1st Virginia Regiment The 1st Virginia Regiment was an infantry regiment of the Virginia Line that served with the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. History Origins The regiment originated from the Charles City-Henrico County Regiment of M ...

. *The 2nd Virginia Regiment. *The 3rd Virginia Regiment. *The 4th Virginia Regiment. *The 5th Virginia Regiment. *The

6th Virginia Regiment The 6th Virginia Regiment was raised on December 28, 1775, at Williamsburg, Virginia, for service with the Continental Army. The regiment would see action at the Battle of Trenton, Battle of Princeton, Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown, ...

. *The 7th Virginia Regiment. *The 8th Virginia Regiment. *The

9th Virginia Regiment The 9th Virginia Regiment was authorized in the Virginia State Troops on January 11, 1776. It was subsequently organized between February 5 and March 16, 1776, and comprised seven companies of troops from easternmost Virginia. The unit was adopte ...

Virginia Line, 1777

On September 16, 1776, the Continental Congress resolved to raise an army of eighty-eight infantry regiments which were to serve for the duration of the war. Virginia was called upon to contribute fifteen of these regiments. The 1st through 9th Virginia Regiments were reconstituted in the Continental Army as regiments raised to serve for the duration of the war. The cadres for these regiments were drawn from the regiments which Virginia had sent to the field in 1775 and 1776. The remaining six regiments (the 10th through 15th Virginia Regiments) were entirely new. *The

*The 2nd Virginia Regiment *The 3rd Virginia Regiment *The 4th Virginia Regiment *The 5th Virginia Regiment *The

*The 7th Virginia Regiment *The 8th Virginia Regiment *The

*The 10th Virginia Regiment *The

11th Virginia Regiment The 11th Virginia Regiment was a Continental Army regiment that fought in the American Revolutionary War. Authorized by the Second Continental Congress on 16 September 1776, it was organized on 3 February 1777 and consisted of four companies from ...

*The 12th Virginia Regiment *The 13th Virginia Regiment *The 14th Virginia Regiment *The

15th Virginia Regiment The 15th Virginia Regiment was authorized on September 16, 1776, as a part of the Virginia Line for service with the Continental Army under the command of Col. David Mason of Sussex County. All or part of the regiment saw action at Brandy ...

Three Additional Continental regiments were raised and allotted to Virginia in 1777. There were 16 Additional regiments planned of which only 14 were actually raised. The responsibility for raising these units did not rest with the states, but with the

which gave

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 ...

almost complete control over them. The colonels were

, and Charles Mynn Thruston. In 1779 the three units were consolidated into Gist's regiment. *

Gist's Additional Continental Regiment Gist's Additional Continental Regiment was an American infantry unit that served for four years in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Authorized in January 1777, the unit was intended to be made up of four companies of l ...

Grayson's Additional Continental Regiment Grayson's Additional Continental Regiment was an American infantry unit that served for two years and three months in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Like other Additional Regiments, Grayson's remained directly under ...

Thruston's Additional Continental Regiment Thruston's Additional Continental Regiment was an American infantry unit that served for a little more than two years in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Authorized in March 1777, four companies were organized in Virgi ...

Reorganization of the Virginia Line, 1778-1779

The Continental Congress ordered a reorganization of the Continental Army on May 27, 1778. Under this resolve, the Virginia quota was reduced from fifteen infantry regiments to eleven. In September 1778 the Virginia Line was in the vicinity of White Plains, New York, after serving at the

Battle of Monmouth The Battle of Monmouth, also known as the Battle of Monmouth Court House, was fought near Monmouth Court House in modern-day Freehold Borough, New Jersey on June 28, 1778, during the American Revolutionary War. It pitted the Continental Army, co ...

. New commissions issued at this time were dated September 14, 1778.Heitman In the White Plains rearrangement the Virginia Line was reorganized thus: *The

absorbed the

of 1777. *The 2nd Virginia Regiment absorbed the

of 1777. *The 3rd Virginia Regiment absorbed the 5th Virginia Regiment of 1777. *The 4th Virginia Regiment absorbed the 8th Virginia Regiment of 1777. :(The 5th Virginia Regiment was consolidated with the 3rd Virginia Regiment). :(The

was consolidated with the 2nd Virginia Regiment). *The 7th Virginia Regiment of 1777 was redesignated the 5th Virginia Regiment of 1779. :(The 8th Virginia Regiment was consolidated with the 4th Virginia Regiment). :(The

was consolidated with the

). *The 10th Virginia Regiment of 1777 was redesignated the 6th Virginia Regiment of 1779. *The

of 1777 was redesignated the 7th Virginia Regiment of 1779. *The 12th Virginia Regiment of 1777 was redesignated the 8th Virginia Regiment of 1779. *The 13th Virginia Regiment of 1777 was redesignated the 9th Virginia Regiment of 1779. *The 14th Virginia Regiment of 1777 was redesignated the 10th Virginia Regiment of 1779. *The

of 1777 was redesignated the 11th Virginia Regiment of 1779. The Virginia regiments were still understrength and continued to dwindle in 1779, reduced to a fraction of their paper strength; at this point, regimental history becomes very confusing to track. Given the number of men fit for duty, these “regiments” are not really “regiments” at all any more, yet they are still named as such. In 1780, the word “Detachment” comes into use, describing a 700-man conglomeration of these “regiments.” The 1st Virginia Detachment was led by Richard Parker. The 2nd Virginia Detachment was formed out of various regiments under the 2d Virginia Regiment’s original colonel, Brigadier General

, including elements of the 2nd Virginia Regiment. The 3rd Virginia Detachment would be formed under Colonel

Abraham Buford Abraham Buford (July 21, 1747 – June 30, 1833) was an American soldier. He was a Continental Army officer during the American Revolutionary War, best known as the commanding officer of the American forces at the Battle of Waxhaws. After th ...

and was composed of elements of the 7th Virginia, as well as various pieces of other units. The first two Detachments of the Virginia Line served at the

Siege of Charleston The siege of Charleston was a major engagement and major British victory in the American Revolutionary War, fought in the environs of Charles Town (today Charleston), the capital of South Carolina, between March 29 and May 12, 1780. The British ...

in South Carolina and were surrendered to the British Army on 12 May 1780. The 3rd Detachment was cut to pieces at the

Battle of Waxhaws The Waxhaw massacre, (also known as the Waxhaws, Battle of Waxhaw, and Buford's massacre) took place during the American Revolutionary War on May 29, 1780, near Lancaster, South Carolina, between a Continental Army force led by Abraham Buford an ...

; the Virginia line had effectively ceased to exist. The single exception was the two-company 9th Virginia Regiment of 1779, which was stationed at Fort Pitt (the present

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; (Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

Reorganization of the Virginia Line, 1781

In October 1780 the Continental Congress, in consultation with

, ordered a further reorganization of the Continental Army. Under this reorganization, which was to be effective on January 1, 1781, Virginia was assigned a quota of eight infantry regiments. The Virginia Line was reorganized thus: *1st Virginia Regiment. *2d Virginia Regiment. *3d Virginia Regiment. *4th Virginia Regiment. *5th Virginia Regiment (1779). *6th Virginia Regiment (1779), :(The 7th Virginia Regiment of 1779 was disbanded). *The 7th Virginia Regiment (1781) (Constituted by redesignation of the 9th Virginia Regiment of 1779). *The 8th Virginia Regiment (1779). :(The 9th Virginia Regiment of 1779 was redesignated the 7th Virginia Regiment of 1781). :(The 10th Virginia Regiment of 1779 was disbanded). :(The 11th Virginia Regiment of 1779 was disbanded).

Notes

References

*Heitman, Francis B. Historical Register of Officers of the Continental Army During the War of the Revolution, April 1775 to December 1783. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1967 (Originally published, 1914). * Wright, Robert K. ''The Continental Army''. Washington, D.C.:

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 ...

, 1983. Availabl
online

West Virginians in the American Revolution
*Sanchez-Saavedra, E.M. A Guide to Virginia Military Organizations in the American Revolution, 1774-1787, (c) Virginia State Library, Richmond, VA, 1978

External links

compiled by the

{{Authority control Virginia regiments of the Continental Army Military units and formations of the Continental Army