page_title: Army National Guard units with campaign credit for the War of 1812
section_title: 276th Engineer Battalion (ARNG VA)
hierarchical_section_title: Army National Guard units with campaign credit for the War of 1812 / 276th Engineer Battalion (ARNG VA)
caption_attribution_description: English: Distinctive Unit Insignia of the 276th Engineer Battalion (ARNG VA)
context_page_description: Twenty-four current units of the Army National Guard perpetuate the lineages of militia units mustered into federal service during the War of 1812. Militia units from nine states that were part of the Union by the end of the War of 1812, plus the District of Columbia, are the predecessors of eighteen units that currently exist in the Army National Guard. Two of the four units derived from Virginia militias are in the West Virginia National Guard; at the time of the War of 1812, West Virginia was still part of Virginia. Only two current units, the 155th Infantry, a component of the Mississippi National Guard derived from militia units organized in the Mississippi Territory and the 130th Infantry, a component of the Illinois National Guard derived from militia units formed in the Illinois Territory, are from states or territories west of the Appalachians. Unfortunately, no militia units from the states of Kentucky, Louisiana, Ohio or Tennessee, or from the Indiana, Michigan, Missouri or Louisiana Territories, where militia units played a major role in the fighting, have survived as units in the modern Army National Guard.
context_section_description: Campaigns: Virginia 1813
  The 276th Engineers trace their origin to the Richmond City Regiment organized in May 1791 from existing elements of the Virginia Militia. The Richmond City Regiment was reorganized and redesignated as the 19th Regiment on December 31, 1791. While remaining in state service, the 19th Regiment formed the First Corps d'Elite Brigade of Virginia Militia (Colonel Thomas Mann Randolph commanding), which was mustered into federal service in 1813 and mustered out in 1814. The First Corps d'Elite Brigade consisted of the Richmond Volunteers, the Flying Artillery (Captain William Wirt commanding), the Rifle Company (Captain William H. Richardson commanding) and the Richmond Light Infantry Blues.
  The First Corps d'Elite Brigade, along with other Virginia militia units from Chesterfield and Henrico Counties, was federalized in March and June 1813, at a time when the British seemed to be preparing an invasion of Virginia along the James River and possibly even attacking Richmond. The invasion along the James never materialized, but the British did threaten Norfolk and Portsmouth. The threat to Norfolk ended when the British attempt to occupy Craney Island in June was soundly defeated (see HHT/2-183 Cavalry above). Some elements of the Richmond militia were mobilized again during the summer of 1814 and sent to Richmond and Norfolk, at a time when increased activity of the British fleet along the eastern seaboard had stoked invasion fears in coastal cities.
caption: Distinctive Unit Insignia: 276 Eng Bn
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