New Hampshire Line The New Hampshire Line was a formation within the Continental Army . The term " New Hampshire Line " referred to the quota of numbered infantry regiments assigned to New Hampshire at various times by the Continental Congress . These , together with similar contingents from the other twelve states , formed the Continental Line . The concept was particularly important in relation to the promotion of commissioned officers . Officers of the Continental Army below the rank of brigadier general were ordinarily ineligible for promotion except in the line of their own state . Not all Continental infantry regiments raised in a state were part of a state quota , however . On December 27 , 1776 , the Continental Congress gave Washington temporary control over certain military decisions that the Congress ordinarily regarded as its own prerogative . These “ dictatorial powers ” included the authority to raise sixteen additional Continental infantry regiments at large . Early in 1777 , Washington offered command of one of these additional regiments to Alexander Scammel of New Hampshire . Scammel declined in order to become colonel of the newly raised 3d New Hampshire Regiment . Still other Continental infantry regiments and smaller units , also unrelated to a state quota , were raised as needed for special or temporary service . Bedel ' s Regiment and Long ' s Regiment , both raised in New Hampshire in 1776 , were examples of such “ extra ” regiments . New Hampshire Provincial Regiments , 1775 . On April 23 , 1775 , the Massachusetts Provincial Congress voted to raise a volunteer force of 13 , 600 men , and it called upon the other New England colonies for assistance in raising an army of 30 , 000 men . In response , on May 22 , 1775 , the New Hampshire Provincial Congress voted to raise a volunteer force of 2 , 000 men to join the patriot army at Boston . These “ provincials ” were organized into three regiments , each regiment having an official establishment of 648 officers and men in ten companies . The troops were enlisted to serve until December 31 , 1775 . The New England delegates to the Continental Congress urged that the Congress assume responsibility for the provincial troops of New Hampshire , Massachusetts , Rhode Island , and Connecticut , that were blockading Boston . This was done on June 14 , 1775 , and these troops were designated the Continental Army . George Washington was selected as commander in chief of this force , and all other Continental Army troops , the following day . In an effort to weld the separate New England armies into a single " Continental " Army , on August 5 , 1775 , General Washington ordered that a board be convened to determine the rank of the regiments at Boston . The board was to consist of a brigadier general as moderator and six field officers as members . It completed its task on August 20 , 1775 , and reported its decision to Washington . The regiments of infantry in the Continental Army were accordingly numbered without reference to their colony of origin . There were thirty - nine " Regiments of Foot in the Army of the United Colonies . " In General Orders , Washington often referred to his regiments by these numbers ; and they appear in the strength reports compiled by Adjutant General Horatio Gates . The 1st New Hampshire Regiment ( 1775 ) was commanded by Colonel John Stark , of Derryfield . In August 1775 , Stark ' s Regiment was designated " The 7th Regiment of Foot . " It served in the Siege of Boston until its disbandment . The 2d New Hampshire Regiment ( 1775 ) was commanded by Colonel Enoch Poor , of Exeter . In August 1775 , Poor ' s Regiment was designated " The 11th Regiment of Foot . " It served in the Siege of Boston until its disbandment . The 3d New Hampshire Regiment ( 1775 ) was commanded by Colonel James Reed , of Fitzwilliam . In August 1775 , Reed ' s Regiment was designated " The 3d Regiment of Foot . " It served in the Siege of Boston until its disbandment . Numbered Continental Regiments , 1776 . On November 4 , 1775 , the Continental Congress resolved that on January 1 , 1776 , the Continental Army , exclusive of artillery and extras , should consist of 27 infantry regiments : 1 from Pennsylvania , 3 from New Hampshire , 16 from Massachusetts , 2 from Rhode Island , and 5 from Connecticut . Each regiment was to have an official establishment of 728 officers and men in eight companies . The regiments were to receive numbers instead of names , and the troops were to be enlisted to serve until December 31 , 1776 . The three New Hampshire regiments raised in 1775 were used as cadres for the new Continental regiments from New Hampshire , and the same colonels remained in command . The old 1st New Hampshire Regiment became the 5th Continental Regiment , under Colonel John Stark . It initially served in the Siege of Boston , then moved to New York City with the Main Army , served in the Northern Theater , and rejoined the Main Army for the Battles of Trenton and Princeton . The old 2d New Hampshire Regiment became the 8th Continental Regiment , under Colonel Enoch Poor . It initially served in the Siege of Boston , then moved to New York City with the Main Army , served in the Northern Theater , and rejoined the Main Army for the Battles of Trenton and Princeton . The old 3d New Hampshire Regiment became the 2nd Continental Regiment , under Colonel James Reed . It initially served in the Siege of Boston , then moved to New York City with the Main Army , served in the Northern Theater , and rejoined the Main Army for the Battles of Trenton and Princeton . The low number given to Reed ’ s regiment was meant to resolve a dispute with Colonel Poor from the preceding year over Reed ’ s seniority in the New Hampshire line . Colonel Reed was made a Continental brigadier general on August 9 , 1776 , and , for the remainder of the year , the 2d Continental Regiment was commanded by its next senior officer , Lieutenant Colonel Nicholas Gilman . During 1776 , the Continental Congress gradually overcame its ideological objections to a standing army , and , on September 16 , 1776 , it resolved that , on January 1 , 1777 , the Continental Line should consist of 88 infantry regiments , to be maintained for the duration of the war : 3 from New Hampshire , 15 from Massachusetts , 2 from Rhode Island , 8 from Connecticut , 4 from New York , 4 from New Jersey , 12 from Pennsylvania , 1 from Delaware , 8 from Maryland , 15 from Virginia , 9 from North Carolina , 6 from South Carolina , and 1 from Georgia . The quotas for states outside New England included regiments that had been on the Continental establishment earlier , but the term Continental Line was now broadened to include the lines of all the states . New Hampshire Line , 1777 . As in January 1776 , the three old New Hampshire regiments were used as cadres for three new regiments . The 5th Continental Regiment became the new 1st New Hampshire Regiment ( 1777 ) , under Colonel John Stark . Stark resigned from the Continental Army on March 23 , 1777 . Command of the 1st New Hampshire Regiment passed to its next senior officer , Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Cilley , who was promoted to colonel on April 2 , 1777 . Stark returned to the Continental Army on October 4 , 1777 , with the rank of brigadier general . The 8th Continental Regiment became the new 2d New Hampshire Regiment ( 1777 ) , under Colonel Enoch Poor . Poor was made a Continental brigadier general on February 21 , 1777 . Command of the 2d New Hampshire Regiment passed to its next senior officer , Lieutenant Colonel Nathan Hale , who was promoted to colonel on April 2 , 1777 . Colonel Hale was captured at the Battle of Hubbardton on July 7 , 1777 , and died in captivity on September 23 , 1780 . ( He was not related to Nathan Hale of Connecticut , who was hanged as a spy in 1776 ) . The 2d Continental Regiment became the new 3d New Hampshire Regiment ( 1777 ) , under Colonel Alexander Scammell . Scammell served as Adjutant General of the Continental Army from January 5 , 1778 , to January 1 , 1781 . On the latter date , he assumed command of the 1st New Hampshire Regiment . He was mortally wounded and captured at Yorktown , September 30 , 1781 , and died in captivity on October 6 , 1781 . Reorganization of the New Hampshire Line , 1778 - 1779 . While the Main Army , that portion of Washington ’ s army under his immediate command , was in winter quarters at Valley Forge , the Congress acted to reduce the size and increase the tactical efficiency of the Continental Army . On May 27 , 1778 , it resolved that the number of infantry regiments be reduced from 88 to 80 : 3 from New Hampshire , 15 from Massachusetts , 2 from Rhode Island , 8 from Connecticut , 5 from New York , 3 from New Jersey , 11 from Pennsylvania , 1 from Delaware , 8 from Maryland , 11 from Virginia , 6 from North Carolina , 6 from South Carolina , and 1 from Georgia . The official establishment of a regiment was reduced to 582 officers and men . Each regiment was to consist of nine rather than eight companies . The ninth company was to be a company of light infantry , and was to be kept up to strength by drafting men from the regiment ’ s eight other companies if necessary . During the campaigning season , the light infantry companies of the regiments in a field army were to be combined into a special corps of light infantry . Because the Continental Congress passed this resolve at the beginning of the campaigning season , it was nearly a year before this reorganization was completed . Reorganization of the New Hampshire Line , 1781 . In October 1780 , the Continental Congress passed resolutions providing for what would be the last reorganization of the Continental Army before its final disbandment . The Congress determined that on January 1 , 1781 , the Continental Line should be reduced from 80 regiments to 50 : 2 from New Hampshire , 10 from Massachusetts , 1 from Rhode Island , 5 from Connecticut , 2 from New York , 2 from New Jersey , 6 from Pennsylvania , 1 from Delaware , 5 from Maryland , 8 from Virginia , 4 from North Carolina , 2 from South Carolina , 1 from Georgia , and 1 regiment raised at large ( Colonel Moses Hazen ’ s Canadian Regiment ) . The official establishment of an infantry regiment was increased to 717 officers and men . Each regiment continued to have nine companies , including a light infantry company , but the companies were made larger . For the first time , each regiment was to have a permanent recruiting party of 1 lieutenant , 1 drummer , and 1 fifer . Thus , there were to be two recruiting parties in New Hampshire to systematically find and forward recruits to the New Hampshire regiments in the field . Under this reorganization , the New Hampshire line was reduced from three regiments to two by disbanding the 3d New Hampshire Regiment . Alexander Scammell completed his tour as Adjutant General of the Continental Army and became the commander of the 1st New Hampshire Regiment . The 2nd New Hampshire Regiment was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel George Reid . The prolonged period of peace negotiations following the surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown , on October 19 , 1781 , presented the Continental Congress with the dilemma of keeping up a military force until the definitive peace treaty was signed , even though the national finances were exhausted . It accomplished this by reducing and consolidating the state Lines whenever possible , and by placing units on furlough , subject to recall . The preliminary peace treaty was signed on November 30 , 1782 . Great Britain signed preliminary articles of peace with France and Spain on January 20 , 1783 , and on February 4 , 1783 , Britain announced the cessation of hostilities . Demobilization of the New Hampshire Line . On March 1 , 1783 , the New Hampshire line was reduced to one full regiment of nine companies and a battalion of four companies . The 1st New Hampshire Regiment was retained as a full regiment and redesignated the New Hampshire Regiment . The 2d New Hampshire Regiment was reduced to four companies and redesignated the New Hampshire Battalion . The Continental Congress received the text of the preliminary peace treaty on March 13 , 1783 , and the Continental Congress announced the cessation of hostilities on April 11 , 1783 . It ratified the preliminary peace treaty on April 15 , 1783 . The New Hampshire Battalion was merged into the New Hampshire Regiment on June 22 , 1783 , and the consolidated unit , of five companies , was redesignated the New Hampshire Battalion . The final treaty of peace was signed in Paris on September 3 , 1783 . On October 18 , 1783 , the Continental Congress proclaimed that Continental troops on furlough were to be discharged on November 3 , 1783 . The Main Army , with the exception of a small observation force in the Hudson Highlands under the command of General Knox , was disbanded on November 3 , 1783 . The Northern Army was disbanded on November 5 , 1783 , and the Southern Army was disbanded on November 15 , 1783 . New York City was evacuated by British troops on November 25 , 1783 . The British fleet left New York City on December 4 , 1783 , and on the same day Washington bid farewell to his officers at Fraunces Tavern . On January 1 , 1784 , the Continental Line was reduced to a single regiment , under the command of Colonel Henry Jackson . The New Hampshire Battalion was disbanded at New Windsor , New York , and the New Hampshire Line ceased to exist . The Continental Congress ratified the Treaty of Paris on January 14 , 1784 . The United States and Great Britain exchanged ratifications of the Treaty of Paris on May 12 , 1784 .