14th Continental Regiment
The 14th Continental Regiment was a Revolutionary War regiment of Massachusetts seafarers best known for operating boats during Washington's New York and New Jersey campaigns and the Delaware River crossing before the Battle of Trenton.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
The 14th Continental Regiment was a Massachusetts military unit formed from the militia of Marblehead, a seafaring community on the North Shore. It was also known as the Marblehead Regiment, the Marbleheaders, and Glover's Regiment, after Colonel John Glover, the officer who became its most prominent commander. Although the regiment served as an infantry formation, its sailors and boatmen gave it unusual expertise in maritime transport, amphibious operations, coastal defense, and the handling of vessels. The unit's immediate origins lay in the reorganization of the Marblehead militia in January 1775. Local leaders displaced commanders regarded as sympathetic to the Crown and placed the militia under the authority of Jeremiah Lee, with John Glover serving as a senior officer. In February, Marblehead militiamen were involved in the tense confrontation with British troops at Salem's North Bridge. Following Lee's death after the events surrounding the British march toward Lexington and Concord, Glover assumed command. The militia was incorporated into the Continental Army at Cambridge on June 22, 1775, with ten companies and roughly 505 officers and men. It was initially designated the 21st Massachusetts Regiment. During the Siege of Boston, General George Washington used the unit's maritime capabilities to support the Continental war effort at sea. Glover made available the schooner Hannah, his Beverly wharf, and men from the regiment. The unit later helped outfit and man the Continental vessels Franklin, Hancock, Lee, and Warren. These vessels disrupted British supply routes and captured arms and other military stores, including during operations connected with the 1775 raid on Charlottetown. The regiment was reorganized as the 14th Continental Regiment on January 1, 1776. It spent part of the year defending Beverly Harbor, where several forts were built to protect the Continental naval base, before being ordered to join Washington's main army in New York. During the retreat from Long Island in late August 1776, Glover and his men ferried the Continental Army across the East River to Manhattan. In difficult nighttime conditions, they moved soldiers, horses, artillery, and supplies without losing a life or alerting the British force. The regiment subsequently served in the New York campaign, including the movement through Harlem, the response to the British landing at Kip's Bay, operations around Pell's Point and Eastchester, the Battle of White Plains, and the withdrawal toward New Jersey. Its most celebrated operation came on the night of December 25–26, 1776. Washington selected Glover's brigade and the 14th Continental to transport the army across the ice-choked Delaware River for the attack on Trenton. Using large Durham boats propelled by oars and poles, the regiment carried troops, artillery under Colonel Henry Knox, and equipment through a snowstorm. The crossing finished several hours behind schedule but enabled the American victory over the Hessian garrison. The regiment then helped move the army and approximately 900 prisoners back across the river. The unit's enlistments expired at the end of 1776. Washington offered incentives for an additional six weeks of service, but only a minority accepted. The regiment was disbanded in eastern Pennsylvania on December 31, 1776. Many former members later turned to privateering. Its lineage and honors are associated with the later 101st Engineer Battalion. The regiment is therefore remembered less as a commercial brand than as a historic military organization whose distinctive maritime skills made important contributions to the early Continental Army.
History
The 14th Continental Regiment developed from the Marblehead militia, which was reorganized in January 1775 as political tensions with Britain intensified. The town's militia removed commanders considered loyal to the Crown and selected Jeremiah Lee as commander, with John Glover among its senior officers. In February, the unit confronted British troops commanded by Colonel Alexander Leslie during the North Bridge incident at Salem. The standoff ended without a battle, but it demonstrated the militia's mobilization and local knowledge. After Jeremiah Lee died following the events of April 1775, Glover became the unit's leading officer. On June 22, 1775, the Marblehead force was formally accepted into the Continental Army at Cambridge. It consisted of ten companies and approximately 505 officers and men and was initially designated the 21st Massachusetts Regiment. Its personnel were drawn heavily from the maritime workforce of Marblehead and neighboring Beverly. This background made the regiment particularly valuable to Washington during the Siege of Boston. The unit supported the fitting out and manning of Continental vessels, beginning with the schooner Hannah and later including the Franklin, Hancock, Lee, and Warren. These vessels attacked or intercepted British supply traffic and acquired weapons and other provisions for the American army. The regiment returned to Marblehead and Beverly toward the end of 1775 as enlistments expired, but it was reorganized as the 14th Continental Regiment on January 1, 1776. Much of its early 1776 service involved protecting Beverly Harbor and the associated Continental naval facilities. By midyear, a network of forts defended the harbor, with the regiment responsible for a significant portion of the local defense. On July 11, Glover received orders to bring the unit to New York, where it arrived on August 3. The regiment was not committed to Long Island until after the principal battle there. It took a position near Fort Putnam and Wallabout Bay on August 28 and engaged in skirmishing. Washington then ordered a withdrawal from Brooklyn to Manhattan. During the night of August 29–30, Glover's men used their boat-handling skills to ferry the Continental Army across the East River. They transported troops, horses, artillery, and stores under stormy conditions and completed the evacuation without casualties or detection. In September and October, the regiment operated in the campaigns around Manhattan, Eastchester, Pell's Point, and White Plains. Its role included movement, defensive positioning, rear-guard duty, reconnaissance, and support for artillery. At Pell's Point, Glover commanded Massachusetts units during a strategically important delaying action, while the 14th was apparently held largely in reserve and helped cover the eventual withdrawal. The regiment also participated in raids and patrols around Eastchester and encountered Hessian troops during scouting operations. At the end of 1776, the regiment's short enlistment term was about to expire. Washington's plan to strike the Hessian garrison at Trenton depended on reliable boat crews, and the 14th was chosen to ferry the army across the Delaware. On the night of December 25–26, the men operated large Durham boats through heavy snow, ice, darkness, and strong current. They carried the troops and Knox's artillery to the New Jersey shore, completing the crossing around 3 a.m. The regiment then took part in the Battle of Trenton and helped transport the victorious army and captured prisoners back across the river. The unit did not remain intact after Trenton. Washington's appeal for an additional six weeks of service produced limited reenlistment, with only nine of the regiment's thirty-two officers returning. The 14th Continental Regiment was disbanded in eastern Pennsylvania on December 31, 1776. Many of its veterans subsequently entered privateering, drawing on the maritime experience that had defined the regiment. Its institutional lineage and honors are carried forward by the 101st Engineer Battalion.
- 1776
Redesignated the 14th Continental Regiment
[1]The regiment was reorganized under its 14th Continental designation on January 1.
- 1776
East River evacuation
[1]On August 29–30, Glover's men ferried Washington's army from Brooklyn to Manhattan without loss of life or detection by the British.
- 1776
Delaware River crossing and Battle of Trenton
[1]The regiment transported Washington's force, artillery, and equipment across the Delaware during the night of December 25–26 and then participated in the American victory at Trenton.
- 1776
Regiment disbanded
[1]The unit was dissolved in eastern Pennsylvania on December 31 after its enlistments expired.
- 1775
Marblehead militia reorganized
[1]Marblehead reorganized its militia, replacing Tory-aligned commanders and placing the unit under Jeremiah Lee, with John Glover as a senior officer.
- 1775
Adopted into the Continental Army
[1]The unit entered Continental service at Cambridge on June 22 with ten companies and about 505 officers and men, initially as the 21st Massachusetts Regiment.
- 1775
Supported Continental naval operations
[1]Men from the regiment helped man and outfit Continental vessels that disrupted British supply traffic and captured military stores.
Products and positioning
A colonial Massachusetts military regiment distinguished by its concentration of seafarers and its specialized role in naval support, boat operations, amphibious transport, and Revolutionary War logistics.
Marketing campaigns
- 1776New York and New Jersey campaign
New York · New Jersey · Pennsylvania
The regiment served in the Continental Army's withdrawal from New York, including the evacuation across the East River, operations near Harlem and Eastchester, the response to the landing at Kip's Bay, Pell's Point, White Plains, and the movement toward New Jersey.
Outcome. Its boat crews enabled the successful evacuation from Brooklyn and later supported Washington's winter counteroffensive.
- 1776Delaware River crossing and Trenton operation
Pennsylvania · New Jersey
The regiment ferried soldiers, artillery, supplies, and later prisoners across the Delaware in severe winter weather before the attack on Trenton.
Outcome. The operation enabled the American victory at Trenton, although the regiment soon dissolved when its enlistments ended.
- 1775Siege of Boston and Continental naval support
Massachusetts · Atlantic coast
The regiment supported the Continental war effort around Boston and supplied crews and maritime expertise for vessels including Hannah, Franklin, Hancock, Lee, and Warren. These operations targeted British supply lines and obtained arms and provisions.
Outcome. The small Continental naval force disrupted British logistics and demonstrated the military value of the regiment's seafaring personnel.
Brand decisions
1776
Assigned to the Delaware crossingStrategyBackground
Washington needed experienced boatmen to move the army across the Delaware for a surprise attack on the Hessian garrison at Trenton.
Action taken
The 14th Continental operated Durham boats and transported the army, artillery, and supplies through ice and a snowstorm.
Aftermath
The crossing was completed before dawn and made the subsequent American victory at Trenton possible.
1776
Disbandment after enlistments expiredStrategyBackground
The regiment's approximately one-and-a-half-year enlistment period ended at the close of 1776.
Action taken
Washington offered incentives for a short extension, but insufficient numbers reenlisted and the regiment was dissolved on December 31.
Aftermath
Some veterans joined successor formations, while many returned to Marblehead and entered privateering.
Sources1 sources
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