The Continental Artillery Regiment, also known as Gridley's Continental Artillery Regiment or Knox's Continental Artillery Regiment, was the only large American unit of artillery in the early part 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 ...

. It was authorized on 10 May 1775 as the Regiment of the Train of Artillery in the Massachusetts State Troops. In May and June, the regiment assembled at

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston, ...

in the strength of 10 batteries. Men from five counties were recruited. It became part 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 ...

on 14 June 1775 as the Continental Artillery Regiment with Colonel

Richard Gridley Richard Gridley (3 January 1710 – 21 June 1796) was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He was a soldier and engineer who served for the British Army during the French and Indian Wars and for the Continental Army during the American Revolutiona ...

in command. A few days later at Bunker Hill, the American artillery was not handled well. The regiment was reorganized into 11 companies at the end of June. Colonel

Henry Knox Henry Knox (July 25, 1750 – October 25, 1806), a Founding Father of the United States, was a senior general of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, serving as chief of artillery in most of Washington's campaigns. Following th ...

took over command from the elderly Gridley on 17 November 1775. He immediately began the task of hauling the noble train of artillery from captured

Fort Ticonderoga Fort Ticonderoga (), formerly Fort Carillon, is a large 18th-century star fort built by the French at a narrows near the south end of Lake Champlain, in northern New York, in the United States. It was constructed by Canadian-born French milit ...

to Cambridge. This assignment was completed by the end of January. On 1 January 1776 the Rhode Island Train of Artillery merged with the Continental Artillery Regiment to form 12 companies altogether. There were two Rhode Island companies, those of Captains

Ebenezer Stevens Ebenezer Stevens (August 11, 1751 – September 2, 1823) was a lieutenant colonel in the Continental Army during the American Revolution, a major general in the New York state militia, and a New York City merchant. Early life Stevens was born ...

and Jotham Drury. The

Fortification of Dorchester Heights The Fortification of Dorchester Heights was a decisive action early in the American Revolutionary War that precipitated the end of the siege of Boston and the withdrawal of British troops from that city. On March 4, 1776, troops from the Contin ...

in March 1776, in which Knox's artillery regiment was a critical component, hastened the end of the

Siege of Boston The siege of Boston (April 19, 1775 – March 17, 1776) was the opening phase of the American Revolutionary War. New England militiamen prevented the movement by land of the British Army, which was garrisoned in what was then the peninsular town ...

. Knox's regiment participated in the

New York and New Jersey 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 Willi ...

during the summer and fall of 1776. The actions in which cannons were employed were the battles of

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United States and the 18 ...

, White Plains, and Fort Washington. Elements of the regiment also defended

Lake Champlain , native_name_lang = , image = Champlainmap.svg , caption = Lake Champlain-River Richelieu watershed , image_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = , location = New York/ Vermont in the United States; and Quebec in Canada , coords = , type ...

. Knox's guns were crucial in winning the

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's crossing of the Delaware River north of Trenton the previous night, ...

in late December 1776. The regiment was disbanded on 1 January 1777 and replaced by four newly raised artillery regiments.

Service record

Notes

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Continental Artillery Regiment Military units and formations of the Continental Army