14th Continental Regiment
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Glover's Regiment 14th Continental Regiment | |
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Active | 1775–1776 |
Allegiance | ![]() |
Type | Infantry |
Role | amphibious |
Size | 728 soldiers |
Part of | Massachusetts Line |
Nickname(s) | Marblehead Regiment |
Engagements | Battle of Long Island Battle of Pell's Point Battle of White Plains Battle of Trenton |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | John Glover |
The 14th Continental Regiment, also known as the Marblehead Regiment and Glover's Regiment, was raised as a
Background
The
On February 26, 1775, members of the Marblehead militia confronted 240 British troops under the command of Colonel Alexander Leslie after a standoff at the North Bridge in Salem, Massachusetts. Leslie landed his troops in Marblehead, under orders of General Thomas Gage to proceed to Salem and confiscate artillery that was hidden there. Word quickly spread through Marblehead and Salem, and the Salem militia was waiting at the bridge when Leslie arrived. After a tense standoff, Leslie ended up retreating back to Marblehead where he was met by the Marblehead militia, which had fallen in to reinforce the troops in Salem. The Marbleheaders followed Leslie's troops back to their boats, mocking them as they marched.[2][3]
Although the Marblehead militia was not present at the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the event had a significant impact on its command. Lee and Glover met with Elbridge Gerry, Samuel Adams, and John Hancock at Weatherby's Black Horse Tavern in Menotomy on April 18. Lee and Glover planned on staying for the night, but in the early morning of April 19, they were forced to flee in their bed clothes as the oncoming British troops searched the tavern. Lee fell sick from exposure after hiding in a nearby field, and died days later. Glover then took over command of the militia.[4][5]
The Marblehead militia was formally adopted as a regiment of the Continental Army in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on June 22, 1775, with 10 companies totalling 505 officers and men. On July 1, Glover received a colonel's commission from the Continental Congress and the unit was designated the 23rd Massachusetts Regiment. In mid-December, Glover's regiment left Cambridge and returned to Marblehead and Beverly at the end of their terms of enlistment. The unit was reorganized as the 14th Continental Regiment on January 1, 1776.
Washington's fleet
In the summer of 1775 during the
As the small naval force began to return to port with prize vessels, Washington became concerned that the Beverly base would gain the attention of the British. In December 1775, Washington dispatched the Marblehead Regiment from Cambridge to fortify and defend Beverly. By mid-1776 Beverly Harbor was protected by five separate forts, with the 14th Continental responsible for much of the task of defending them.[8]
Combat
Battle of Long Island
On July 11, 1776, Glover was ordered to rejoin the main army in
Kip's Bay
In early September 1776, Washington intended to use Glover's men in another amphibious operation to remove the sick, wounded and additional military supplies from Manhattan. A call went out to the New York legislature to send four Albany Sloops for the purpose, but these never arrived.
Pell's Point and White Plains
On October 14, 1776, Washington ordered the 14th and three other Massachusetts Regiments under Glover to Pell's Point to guard against a potential enemy landing. On October 18, while Washington was withdrawing the remainder of his troops to
Battle of Trenton
As the end of 1776 approached, Washington faced a desperate situation. Morale was low, and the enlistments for many of his regiments, including the 14th, were set to expire at the end of the year. Washington decided to get one more battle in before these troops left the service. Howe had pursued Washington through New Jersey, but as Washington crossed the
After the crossing of the Delaware was completed, the 14th Regiment joined the other regiments in Glover's brigade in General John Sullivan's division and were part of the American victory at the Battle of Trenton that immediately followed. The 14th Regiment then assisted in they ferrying of Washington's force and approximately 900 Hessian prisoners back across the Delaware.[21]
End of service
After the Battle of Trenton, Washington attempted to persuade the Marbleheaders to remain in the army for another six weeks by offering a bounty, but few took him up on the offer. William R. Lee, former brigade major of the 14th was commissioned as a colonel on January 1, 1777, and
The lineage and honors are carried on by the 101st Engineer Battalion.[24]
Memorials
At the entrance to the Trenton Battle Monument in Trenton New Jersey are the bronze statues of two soldiers. One of the statues is of Private John Russell, a member of the 14th Regiment.
Notable members
- Lt. Col.John Gerry
- Captain Nicholson Broughton
- John Selman (privateer)
See also
Notes
- ^ Fogle, p97
- ^ Billias, p64
- ^ Fogle, pp97-98. Fogle places the Marblehead regiment at the North Bridge alongside the Salem regiment.
- ^ Fogle, p98
- ^ Billias, p65
- ^ Billias, p82
- ^ Daughan, pp42-43
- ^ Billias, pp89-90
- ^ Billias, p100
- ^ Daughan, p97
- ^ Billias, p105
- ^ Billias, p106
- ^ Sanborn, p21
- ^ Billias, p108
- ^ Upham, p14
- ^ Sanborn, p23
- ^ Billias, p117
- ^ Billias, p125
- ^ Billias, p7
- ^ Billias, p8
- ^ Upham, p20
- ^ a b Billias, p130
- ^ Billias, p129
- ^ Department of the Army Lineage
References
- Billias, George Athan (1960). General John Glover and his Marblehead Mariners. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
- Daughan, George C. (2008). If By Sea: The Forging of the American Navy - from the Revolution to the War of 1812. New York: Basic Books. ISBN 978-0-465-01607-5.
- Glover's Marblehead regiment in the war of the revolution by Gardner, Frank Augustine
- Fogle, Lauren (2008). Colonial Marblehead: From Rogues to Revolutionaries. Charleston, SC: History Press. ISBN 978-1-59629-411-0.
- Sanborn, Natan P. (1903). Gen. John Glover and his Marblehead Regiment. Marblehead, MA: Marblehead Historical Society.
- Upham, William P. (1863). A Memoir of General John Glover of Marblehead. Salem, MA: Charles W. Swasey.
- "Department of the Army, Lineage and Honors, 101st Engineer Battalion". Retrieved 14 January 2022.