page_title: Hartley's Additional Continental Regiment
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Hartley's Additional Continental Regiment / History
caption_attribution_description: English: I took photo of Richard Henry Lee, who died in 1794, at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., using Canon camera.
context_page_description: Hartley's Additional Continental Regiment was an American infantry unit of the Continental Army that served for two years during the American Revolutionary War. The regiment was authorized in January 1777 and Colonel Thomas Hartley was appointed its commander. The unit comprised eight companies from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware. When permanent brigades were formed in May 1777, the regiment was transferred to the 1st Pennsylvania Brigade. Hartley's Regiment fought at Brandywine, Paoli, and Germantown in 1777. The unit helped defend the Pennsylvania frontier against Indian raids in the Summer and early Fall of 1778. In January 1779, following a resolution of the Continental Congress the regiment, along with Patton's Additional Continental Regiment and part of Malcolm's Additional Continental Regiment, were combined to form a complete battalion known as the "new" 11th Pennsylvania Regiment. The new 11th participated in the Sullivan Expedition in the summer of that year. In January 1781 the new 11th merged with the 3rd Pennsylvania Regiment and ceased to exist.
context_section_description: Hartley's Additional Continental Regiment was authorized on 12 January 1777 for service with the Continental Army. In December 1776, as his army retreated across New Jersey under British pressure, George Washington appealed to the Continental Congress for more soldiers. In September 1776, Congress had authorized an army of 88 infantry battalions. In the crisis, Congress acceded to Washington's requests on 27 December 1776. The delegates gave Washington sweeping authority to appoint officers and recruit an additional 16 battalions of infantry, three regiments of artillery, an engineer corps, and light cavalry formations. Unlike the original 88 battalions which were to be raised by the states, the "additional" regiments were solely under Washington's command.
  Upon the recommendation of delegate Richard Henry Lee, Washington appointed Thomas Hartley as colonel of one "additional" regiment. Hartley was the former lieutenant colonel of the 6th Pennsylvania Battalion. Hartley had broad authority to select his own officers. Accordingly, Hartley chose as his lieutenant colonel Morgan Connor, major of the 1st Pennsylvania Regiment. Initially, Hartley's Regiment was to contain ten companies, however, Hartley seems only to have recruited eight; four from Pennsylvania, three from Maryland and one from Virginia. Hartley's Regiment included a grenadier company, which was unusual for an American unit. The troops assembled at Philadelphia in the spring of 1777. On 22 May 1777 the regiment became part of the 1st Pennsylvania Brigade in Washington's main army.
  On 11 September 1777, Hartley's Regiment fought at the Battle of Brandywine as part of a 2,000-man division led by Brigadier General Anthony Wayne. Since the division commander Major General Benjamin Lincoln was absent, Wayne moved up from the command of the 1st Pennsylvania Brigade and Hartley took his place as acting brigadier. Wayne drew up the division in line with the 1st Brigade on the right flank and the 2nd Pennsylvania Brigade on its left. From right to left, Hartley's units were drawn up in the order: 1st and 7th Pennsylvania Regiments, Hartley's Regiment, 10th and 2nd Pennsylvania Regiments. The right-most unit was deployed on the Great Road with Colonel Thomas Proctor's artillery lunette about 200 yards (183 m) in front. The Anglo-Hessian division led by Lieutenant General Wilhelm von Knyphausen attacked across Brandywine Creek at Chadds Ford. After a struggle, von Knyphausen's men overran the lunette and then advanced on Wayne's position.
  In the firefight that followed, Major Lewis Bush of Hartley's Regiment had his horse killed under him. Shortly after mounting a second horse, he was fatally struck by a projectile and fell into the arms of Lieutenant Colonel Adam Hubley of the 10th Pennsylvania. Bush was the highest-ranking American officer killed at Brandywine. When the British and Hessians threatened to turn both of Wayne's flanks, he withdrew his division 600 yards (549 m) to a hill while successfully bringing off the brigade artillery. Nightfall ended the British pursuit.
  The regiment also was present at the Battle of Paoli on 20 September. The Americans were alerted to the night-time attack, and began to retire in marching column. However, a cannon broke down, blocking the road and the 2nd and 1st Brigades halted. In a bayonet charge, the British routed the 1st Pennsylvania which was covering the retreat and burst among the Americans. The 7th Pennsylvania was the rear-most unit with Hartley's immediately ahead of it. In the chaos that followed, the British inflicted heavy casualties on their adversaries. Hubley admitted that 52 Americans died and total casualties numbered about 300 men, while the British lost only three killed and eight wounded.
  On 4 October 1777, the regiment was in action at Battle of Germantown, still in the 1st Pennsylvania Brigade and Wayne's division. Major General John Sullivan's right wing, led by Brigadier General Thomas Conway's brigade bumped into the British 2nd Light Infantry Regiment near Mount Airy at the start of the engagement. Af
caption: Richard Henry Lee urged the appointment of Thomas Hartley as colonel.
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