1st Continental Artillery Regiment The 1st Continental Artillery Regiment also known as Harrison ' s Continental Artillery Regiment was authorized on 26 November 1776 as Colonel Charles Harrison ' s Continental Artillery Regiment . As originally organized , the regiment comprised 10 artillery companies from Virginia . Two of the artillery companies existed since early 1776 . The regiment was first assigned to the Southern Department , but in March 1778 it was reassigned to George Washington ' s main army . On 10 August 1779 the unit was renamed the 1st Continental Artillery Regiment . It continued to serve with the main army until April 1780 when it was transferred to the Southern Department . In May 1780 , Maryland artillery companies formally joined the regiment , making a total of 12 companies . On 1 January 1781 the regiment was reorganized with 10 companies . Furloughed in the summer of 1783 , the regiment was disbanded in November the same year . History . Harrison ' s Continental Artillery Regiment became part of the Continental Army on 26 November 1776 with Colonel Charles Harrison as commanding officer . The regiment consisted of two companies that were previously in existence . The first was the Virginia State Artillery Company which was authorized on 11 January 1776 and organized in the spring of that year at Williamsburg , Virginia . It became part of Harrison ' s Regiment on 26 November . The second was the Virginia Continental Artillery Company which was created on 19 March 1776 and formed in the summer of 1776 at Williamsburg . It joined Harrison ' s Regiment on 27 November . Harrison ' s second - in - command was Lieutenant Colonel Edward Carrington . The regiment defended Virginia during the remainder of 1777 . Each artillery company was composed of four officers , one sergeant , four corporals , four bombardiers , eight gunners , and 48 matross es . This differed from the organization in the other artillery regiments . The regiment was initially assigned to the Southern Department . On 13 March 1778 it was transferred to Washington ' s main army where elements fought at the Battle of Monmouth on 28 June 1778 . In 1778 , three 106 - man Maryland artillery companies joined the regiment on a provisional basis . The 1st and 2nd Maryland State Artillery Companies were authorized on 14 January 1776 and joined by the 3rd Company on 23 October 1776 . They joined the main army on 22 November 1777 as the 1st , 2nd , and 3rd Maryland Continental Artillery Companies . On 9 May 1780 , the 1st Maryland Company formally became the 11th Company in the regiment and the 2nd and 3rd Maryland Companies became the 12th Company . The four artillery regiments received numbers on 10 August 1779 . Two boards of generals determined that the artillery regiments of John Lamb and John Crane could not trace continuity from Henry Knox ' s old Continental Artillery Regiment . Therefore , Harrison ' s Regiment became the 1st Continental Artillery Regiment while Lamb ' s was renamed the 2nd Continental Artillery Regiment and Crane ' s was numbered the 3rd Continental Artillery Regiment . The regiment of Thomas Proctor became the 4th Continental Artillery Regiment . Henry Knox , Washington ' s artillery chief , planned to have four 3 - pound or 6 - pound cannons attached to each infantry brigade . Though Knox preferred the more versatile French 4 - pound cannon , he had to abandon a plan to adopt the piece because so much ammunition and material for the other guns were available . The army also maintained an artillery park of two 24 - pound cannons , four 12 - pound cannons , four 8 - inch howitzers , eight 5 . 5 - inch howitzers , and 10 smaller field guns . Knox rotated the artillery companies between infantry brigades , artillery park , and garrisons so the men could be sufficiently trained . He discouraged artillery duels and encouraged his artillerymen to reserve their fire for infantry targets . This tactic proved very effective at Monmouth . Service record . < br >