When the Revolutionary War erupted in Massachusetts in April 1775, no American army existed. Each colony had its own militia that required inhabitants, typically free men between the ages of sixteen to fifty years old, to defend the colony when needed. Few colonists imagined prior to 1775 that such colonial militia would be pitted against the professional regulars of the British army, but that is precisely what occurred as a result of the bloodshed at Lexington and Concord.
Within two months of the start of the war, the Continental Congress moved to strengthen the colonies by creating a Continental Army under General George Washington of Virginia. Aside from providing a commander-in-chief for this new, regular army of American troops (who were to serve until the end of the year), Virginia initially supplied just two companies of riflemen to the continental army.
This soon changed, however, as both Congress and Virginia realized the need for vastly more continental soldiers. By the end of 1775, Congress called upon Virginia to supply six continental regiments of over 700 officers and men each to the Continental Army. Within another year, that number more than doubled to sixteen regiments and also included two regiments of light dragoons (cavalry) and one regiment of artillery.
This book explores the formation and service of Virginia's continental troops during the first several years of the Revolutionary War. Readers will discover that Virginia continentals played a pivotal role in a number of important battles including: Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine, Germantown, and Saratoga.
Maps, a bibliography, and an index to full-names, places and subjects add to the value of this work.
2022, 51/2x81/2, paper, index, 340 pp.