1st Rhode Island Regiment
A Continental Army regiment from Rhode Island that served throughout the American Revolutionary War and became known for its substantial complement of Black soldiers.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The 1st Rhode Island Regiment was a military unit raised by Rhode Island during the American Revolutionary War. It was created in May 1775 as part of Rhode Island's Army of Observation under Colonel James Mitchell Varnum and was soon incorporated into the Continental Army. Because the Continental Army repeatedly reorganized its units, the regiment operated under several designations, including Varnum's Regiment, the 9th Continental Regiment, the 1st Rhode Island Regiment, the Rhode Island Regiment, and finally the Rhode Island Battalion. The regiment's service began around Boston during the siege that forced the British evacuation in March 1776. It subsequently joined the Continental Army in the New York and New Jersey campaign, fighting at Long Island and Harlem Heights and participating in the army's retreat from New York. In 1777 it received the designation 1st Rhode Island Regiment. That year it helped defend Fort Mercer at Red Bank, New Jersey, where Rhode Island troops and other Continental forces repelled a major Hessian assault. The regiment later endured the winter at Valley Forge and returned to Rhode Island in preparation for operations against British-occupied Newport. The unit is especially associated with Black military service during the Revolution. In February 1778, facing difficulty meeting its troop quota, Rhode Island authorized the enlistment of enslaved Black, mixed-race, and Indigenous men. Enlisted slaves were promised immediate emancipation, while their owners were compensated by the state. Approximately 88 enslaved men joined during the following months, alongside free Black and Native American soldiers. At its peak, the regiment contained roughly 225 men, perhaps 140 of them Black. It was unusual within the Continental Army because its Black soldiers were initially concentrated in separate companies; later replacements made the unit more integrated. The nickname “Black Regiment” remained in use even after recruitment practices changed. At the Battle of Rhode Island in August 1778, the regiment defended a redoubt on West Main Road against repeated British and Hessian attacks. Its resistance helped cover the American withdrawal from Aquidneck Island. The unit later spent much of the war guarding Rhode Island and the lower Hudson region while the principal fighting moved south. In May 1781, Loyalist troops associated with Colonel James De Lancey attacked a detachment at Pine's Bridge. Colonel Christopher Greene, Major Ebenezer Flagg, and several Black soldiers were killed. Lieutenant Colonel Jeremiah Olney then assumed command. Following the Battle of Yorktown in October 1781, the regiment returned to the main army at Newburgh. It participated in a 1783 winter expedition intended to attack Fort Ontario, although the operation was abandoned immediately before the planned assault. On March 1, 1783, the unit was reduced and renamed the Rhode Island Battalion. Its remaining veterans were discharged at Saratoga, New York, and the battalion disbanded on December 25, 1783. The regiment was therefore one of the relatively few Continental Army units to remain in service from the army's creation until its final dissolution. The regiment's legacy includes both military and social history. Its Black veterans were promised freedom, but many experienced difficulty obtaining pay, pensions, and other benefits after the war. Former commander Jeremiah Olney continued advocating for their claims. The regiment's colors were presented to the Rhode Island General Assembly in 1784 and remain associated with the state's Revolutionary heritage. Although it is sometimes described as the first Black military unit, that characterization is debated because Black soldiers served in other American formations before and during the Revolution; the 1st Rhode Island is more precisely remembered as one of the earliest predominantly Black units in the Continental Army.
History
The regiment was authorized by the Rhode Island Assembly on May 6, 1775, and organized two days later under James Mitchell Varnum. Initially composed of volunteers from Kent and Kings Counties, it marched to Roxbury, Massachusetts, and joined the siege of Boston. Congress adopted it into the Continental Army in June 1775. Its first enlistments ended with the close of that year, after which the unit was reorganized as the 9th Continental Regiment. In 1776 the regiment remained in the Boston area until the British evacuation and then moved with the main army to New York. It fought at Long Island and Harlem Heights during the campaign that culminated in the American withdrawal from New York and New Jersey. At the next reorganization it received the designation 1st Rhode Island Regiment. When Varnum became a brigadier general in February 1777, Christopher Greene succeeded him as colonel. The regiment's 1777 service included the defense of Fort Mercer at Red Bank, where it and the 2nd Rhode Island Regiment helped defeat a large Hessian attack. The unit spent the winter at Valley Forge and returned to Rhode Island in 1778. Rhode Island's inability to meet its Continental quota led the Assembly to authorize the enlistment of enslaved Black, mixed-race, and Indigenous men. Those who enlisted were to be freed, and slaveholders were compensated. The resulting force included a large Black majority, making the regiment one of the most distinctive units in the Continental Army. At the Battle of Rhode Island in August 1778, the regiment held a defensive position against repeated attacks by British and Hessian troops. Its stand contributed to the orderly American withdrawal. For the next several years it largely performed defensive duties in Rhode Island and the Hudson region. In May 1781, Loyalist forces attacked its position at Pine's Bridge and killed Colonel Christopher Greene, Major Ebenezer Flagg, and several Black soldiers. Jeremiah Olney assumed command and led the regiment at Yorktown later that year. The regiment was consolidated with the 2nd Rhode Island Regiment on January 1, 1781, and became the Rhode Island Regiment. It served in the Hudson Valley, including the area later called the Neutral Ground, and remained with the main army after Yorktown. A planned 1783 expedition against Fort Ontario was abandoned just before the attack. The unit was reduced to six companies and renamed the Rhode Island Battalion on March 1, 1783. Veterans with at least three years of service were discharged in June, while the remaining two-company battalion continued until December 25, 1783. After disbandment, former Black soldiers faced particular difficulty securing promised compensation and benefits. Rhode Island legislation had guaranteed their freedom, but claims for back pay and pensions required further advocacy. In 1784, former soldiers employed an agent to pursue claims before federal officials, and Jeremiah Olney supported their efforts. The regiment's colors were presented to the Rhode Island Assembly and became a lasting state historical artifact.
- 1783
Final reorganization and dissolution
[1]The unit became the Rhode Island Battalion and disbanded at Saratoga on December 25.
- 1781
Pine's Bridge and Yorktown
[1]Colonel Christopher Greene was killed at Pine's Bridge; under Jeremiah Olney, the regiment later participated in the Siege of Yorktown.
- 1778
Recruitment of Black and Indigenous soldiers
[1]Rhode Island authorized enslaved men to enlist in exchange for emancipation, creating a predominantly Black regiment.
- 1778
Battle of Rhode Island
[1]The regiment repeatedly repelled British and Hessian attacks at a defensive position, helping cover the American withdrawal.
- 1777
Redesignation as the 1st Rhode Island Regiment
[1]The regiment received its best-known formal designation and helped defend Fort Mercer at Red Bank against Hessian forces.
- 1776
Redesignation as the 9th Continental Regiment
[1]The unit was reorganized and fought in the New York and New Jersey campaign, including Long Island and Harlem Heights.
- 1775
Formation and Continental adoption
[1]Rhode Island authorized and organized the regiment under James Mitchell Varnum. Congress adopted it into the Continental Army during the siege of Boston.
Products and positioning
Not applicable as a commercial brand; historically, the regiment functioned as a Rhode Island infantry formation within the Continental Army.
Marketing campaigns
- 1781Hudson Valley and Pine's Bridge
New York
The regiment guarded the unstable Neutral Ground and defended Pine's Bridge from Loyalist raiders.
Outcome. The position was surprised; Christopher Greene and other defenders were killed.
- 1781Siege of Yorktown
Virginia
Under Jeremiah Olney, the regiment joined the Continental Army's decisive operations against British forces at Yorktown.
Outcome. The British army capitulated in October 1781.
- 1778Battle of Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The regiment defended a redoubt on West Main Road and resisted three Hessian charges during the American campaign on Aquidneck Island.
Outcome. Its defense helped enable Sullivan's nighttime withdrawal.
- 1777Defense of Fort Mercer
New Jersey
The regiment and the 2nd Rhode Island Regiment helped defend Fort Mercer at Red Bank against a major Hessian assault.
Outcome. The Hessian attack was repulsed.
- 1776New York and New Jersey campaign
New York and New Jersey
As the 9th Continental Regiment, it fought at Long Island and Harlem Heights and withdrew with Washington's main army.
Outcome. The American army lost New York but preserved its field force through the retreat.
- 1775Siege of Boston
Massachusetts
The newly formed regiment served around Roxbury as part of the American forces blockading British-held Boston.
Outcome. The British evacuated Boston in March 1776.
Brand decisions
1781
Consolidation with the 2nd Rhode Island RegimentGeneration changeBackground
Continental Army force reductions required the reorganization of Rhode Island's depleted regiments.
Action taken
The 1st and 2nd Rhode Island Regiments were combined and redesignated the Rhode Island Regiment.
Aftermath
The consolidated unit continued service through the final years of the war and was later reduced to the Rhode Island Battalion.
1778
Authorization of emancipation-based enlistmentStrategyBackground
Rhode Island struggled to supply the number of soldiers required by the Continental Congress and considered recruiting enslaved men.
Action taken
The Assembly authorized able-bodied Black, mixed-race, and Indigenous enslaved men to enlist, with freedom promised upon successful muster and compensation paid to enslavers.
Aftermath
The regiment acquired a large Black contingent and became known as the Black Regiment, although the policy was controversial and further non-white recruitment ended later in 1778.
Sources1 sources
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