New York Line
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The New York Line was an administrative division within the Continental Army. It comprised the New York quota of ordinary infantry regiments raised for general service which, together with similar quotas from other states, formed the Continental Army. Officers of the Continental Army below the rank of brigadier general were ineligible for promotion except in the line of their own state.
The New York Line was created in consequence of the capture of Fort Ticonderoga by Ethan Allen on May 10, 1775. The Second Continental Congress resolved on May 25, 1775, to permit the Province of New York to maintain as many as 3,000 troops at Continental expense. Under this authority, New York raised four regiments, each of some 750 men, which were designated the 1st, 2d, 3d, and 4th New York Regiments. The enlistments in this first establishment ended on December 31, 1775.
After the first enlistments of the four regiments ended, the remaining men were to be formed into two regiments, but Colonel Ritzema informed the New York Provincial Congress that the remaining men could not be usefully formed into even one regiment.[1]
The Continental Congress authorized the second establishment of the four regiments on January 19, 1776, and a third establishment in the summer of 1776.
The number of regiments was reduced from five to two on January 1, 1781.
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[edit] New York Brigade
The New York Brigade was first established from the New York regiments on July 22, 1778 to defend the New York frontier.
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Fernow, pg. 74
[edit] References
- Fernow, Berthold, New York in the Revolution, 1887
[edit] See Also
Category:New York Line for list of the regiments.
