Hartley's Additional Continental Regiment

Hartley's Additional Continental Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. It was authorized on 12 January 1777, during a critical period when George Washington's army was retreating across New Jersey under pressure from British forces. Congress responded to Washington's request for reinforcements by granting him authority to raise additional infantry regiments whose organization and appointments were controlled directly by the commander in chief rather than by the individual states. Thomas Hartley, a former lieutenant colonel of the 6th Pennsylvania Battalion, was selected as the regiment's colonel on the recommendation of Richard Henry Lee. Hartley selected Morgan Connor, a major in the 1st Pennsylvania Regiment, as lieutenant colonel and was given substantial discretion over the appointment of subordinate officers. The regiment was initially intended to contain ten companies, but recruitment appears to have produced eight. Four companies came from Pennsylvania, three from Maryland, and one from Virginia. The unit also included a grenadier company, an unusual feature for an American formation of the period. Its soldiers assembled at Philadelphia during the spring of 1777, and on 22 May the regiment joined the 1st Pennsylvania Brigade in Washington's main army. The regiment saw extensive action during the Philadelphia Campaign of 1777. At the Battle of Brandywine on 11 September, it served in Anthony Wayne's division and occupied a position within the 1st Pennsylvania Brigade. Major Lewis Bush was killed during the engagement after his horse was shot and he was struck by a projectile while mounting another horse. The regiment was also involved in the Battle of Paoli on 20 September, where a British night attack caused severe American losses and disrupted the Pennsylvania brigades. At Germantown on 4 October, Hartley's men participated in the forceful American attack against British light infantry. The advance was eventually confused by battlefield fog, artillery fire against Chew House, and a friendly-fire incident involving another American division. In January 1778 the regiment was assigned to the Middle Department, and in March it became part of the Pennsylvania Line. A company from Thruston's Additional Continental Regiment was absorbed into Hartley's unit in April. The regiment was subsequently sent to the Pennsylvania frontier, where it helped respond to raids by Indigenous warriors and American Loyalists. In the late summer of 1778, elements took part in a counter-raid that destroyed several Indigenous villages, recovered property taken during attacks in the Wyoming Valley, and skirmished with Seneca forces. Colonel Hartley eventually withdrew his much smaller column after learning that a larger force was assembling at Unadilla. On 13 January 1779, Congress directed the regiment to be consolidated with Patton's Additional Continental Regiment and three companies from Malcolm's Additional Continental Regiment. The resulting nine-company formation was designated the New 11th Pennsylvania Regiment. Hartley resigned his commission in February 1779, while the reorganized unit continued to serve under Pennsylvania Line commanders. It joined the Sullivan Expedition in 1779 and fought at the Battle of Newtown on 29 August. In 1780 it transferred to the 2nd Pennsylvania Brigade. On 17 January 1781, the New 11th Pennsylvania Regiment was consolidated with the 3rd Pennsylvania Regiment, bringing Hartley's original regimental lineage to an end. The subject is therefore a historical military unit rather than a commercial brand, and it has no known products, corporate owner, website, or current operations.

Hartley's Additional Continental Regiment emerged from the Continental Congress's emergency expansion of the Continental Army in late 1776 and early 1777. As Washington's army retreated through New Jersey, he argued that the existing force was insufficient to resist British operations. Congress consequently authorized Washington on 27 December 1776 to raise additional infantry battalions, artillery regiments, engineers, and cavalry. Unlike the regular state-raised battalions authorized earlier in 1776, these additional regiments were placed under Washington's authority. On 12 January 1777, Thomas Hartley was appointed colonel of one of the new regiments. Hartley had previously served as lieutenant colonel of the 6th Pennsylvania Battalion. He selected Morgan Connor, a major in the 1st Pennsylvania Regiment, as lieutenant colonel and recruited across several colonies. Although the planned establishment called for ten companies, the regiment appears to have formed eight: four from Pennsylvania, three from Maryland, and one from Virginia. The formation included a grenadier company, an uncommon organizational feature among American units. The troops assembled at Philadelphia in the spring of 1777. On 22 May, the regiment was assigned to the 1st Pennsylvania Brigade of Washington's main army. Its first major campaign was the British advance into Pennsylvania. At Brandywine on 11 September, the regiment formed part of Anthony Wayne's division near Chadds Ford. The engagement forced the Americans to withdraw, but Wayne's division preserved its artillery while retiring. Major Lewis Bush of Hartley's Regiment was killed during the battle and was reportedly the highest-ranking American officer killed there. The regiment was present at Paoli on 20 September, when a British night assault struck American troops attempting to withdraw. The attack caused substantial American casualties, particularly among the Pennsylvania formations. Hartley's men were positioned near the rear of the column and were caught in the disorder that followed. On 4 October, at Germantown, the regiment again fought in Wayne's division. The Americans initially drove back British light infantry, but fog, difficult coordination, the resistance of British troops occupying Chew House, and an accidental clash with another American division contributed to the collapse of the advance. In early 1778 the unit's administrative position changed. It was assigned to the Middle Department on 8 January and became part of the Pennsylvania Line in March. On 4 April, Captain William Scott's company from Thruston's Additional Continental Regiment was incorporated into it. The regiment then moved toward the Pennsylvania frontier following Indigenous and Loyalist attacks, including the violence surrounding the Wyoming Valley. During a September counter-raid, portions of the regiment destroyed several villages, recovered property, and skirmished with Seneca warriors. Hartley withdrew a column of approximately 130 men after receiving intelligence that a much larger Indigenous force was gathering near Unadilla. Congress reorganized the regiment on 13 January 1779. Hartley's unit was combined with Patton's Additional Continental Regiment and three companies from Malcolm's Additional Continental Regiment. The consolidated force became the New 11th Pennsylvania Regiment, with nine companies. Hartley resigned his commission on 13 February 1779. The new regiment was assigned to Edward Hand's Brigade in April and took part in the Sullivan Expedition against Iroquois communities allied with the British. Its principal engagement was the Battle of Newtown on 29 August 1779, where the American force defeated an attempted ambush by Butler's Rangers, Brant's Volunteers, and Seneca and Cayuga warriors. The expedition subsequently destroyed settlements, crops, and orchards across Iroquois territory, actions that intensified the humanitarian crisis and frontier warfare of the period. The New 11th Pennsylvania Regiment transferred to the 2nd Pennsylvania Brigade in August 1780. On 17 January 1781, it was consolidated with the 3rd Pennsylvania Regiment and ceased to exist as a separate unit. Hartley's original regiment therefore had no postwar corporate continuity, commercial successor, or continuing institutional identity documented in the cited sources.

1. 1781Final consolidation

   On 17 January, the New 11th Pennsylvania Regiment merged with the 3rd Pennsylvania Regiment and ceased to exist separately.

   Source
2. 1779Consolidated into the New 11th Pennsylvania Regiment

   On 13 January, Hartley's Regiment was combined with Patton's regiment and three companies from Malcolm's regiment.

   Source
3. 1779Sullivan Expedition

   The New 11th Pennsylvania participated in the Sullivan Expedition and fought at Newtown on 29 August.

   Source
4. 1778Transferred to frontier service

   After assignment to the Middle Department and Pennsylvania Line, the regiment helped defend the Pennsylvania frontier and participated in a counter-raid.

   Source
5. 1777Regiment authorized and organized

   Hartley's Additional Continental Regiment was authorized on 12 January, recruited from several colonies, and assembled at Philadelphia during the spring.

   Source
6. 1777Assigned to the 1st Pennsylvania Brigade

   On 22 May, the regiment joined the 1st Pennsylvania Brigade in Washington's main army.

   Source
7. 1777Philadelphia Campaign battles

   The regiment fought at Brandywine on 11 September, Paoli on 20 September, and Germantown on 4 October.

   Source
8. 1776Congress authorizes emergency military expansion

   On 27 December, Congress granted George Washington authority to raise additional infantry and other formations in response to the Continental Army's military crisis.

   Source

A wartime Continental Army infantry formation organized as one of Washington's additional regiments and later absorbed into Pennsylvania Line formations.

• 1779Sullivan Expedition

  Iroquois territory

  After consolidation into the New 11th Pennsylvania Regiment, the unit joined the Continental campaign against Iroquois communities allied with Britain and fought at Newtown.

  Outcome. The American force defeated the attempted ambush, and the wider expedition destroyed numerous settlements, crops, and orchards.

  Source
• 1778Pennsylvania frontier operations

  Pennsylvania frontier · Wyoming Valley

  The regiment responded to raids by Indigenous warriors and American Loyalists, including a counter-raid that destroyed villages, recovered property, and involved clashes with Seneca forces.

  Outcome. Hartley's approximately 130-man column withdrew after learning that a larger force was gathering near Unadilla.

  Source
• 1777Philadelphia Campaign

  Pennsylvania

  Hartley's Regiment served in Washington's main army during the British campaign for Philadelphia. It fought at Brandywine, Paoli, and Germantown as part of the 1st Pennsylvania Brigade.

  Outcome. The British captured Philadelphia, while the regiment remained in Continental service after the campaign.

  Source

• 1779Congress orders consolidation into the New 11th Pennsylvania RegimentStrategy

  The Continental Army reorganized several understrength additional regiments to create a more complete Pennsylvania Line battalion.

  What changed. Hartley's Regiment was combined with Patton's Additional Continental Regiment and three companies from Malcolm's Additional Continental Regiment.

  Aftermath. The resulting New 11th Pennsylvania Regiment served in the Sullivan Expedition and was later merged with the 3rd Pennsylvania Regiment in 1781.

  Source

1. Hartley's Additional Continental Regiment
2. The Continental Army