Henley's Additional Continental Regiment

Henley's Additional Continental Regiment was a military unit of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. It was raised on January 12, 1777, in Boston, Massachusetts, for service in the Continental Army. Its recruits came from both Massachusetts and New Hampshire, reflecting the regional recruitment patterns used to expand the revolutionary army after the early campaigns of the war. The regiment formed part of the group of additional Continental regiments created to supplement the state-based Continental Line and provide the army with additional manpower. The regiment served during the middle phase of the war and is associated with two significant operations in the northern theater. It took part in the Battle of Monmouth in New Jersey on June 28, 1778. That engagement was fought between the Continental Army and British forces during the British withdrawal from Philadelphia. The battle was notable for the scale of the opposing forces and for the difficult conditions in which the fighting took place. Henley's regiment also participated in the Battle of Rhode Island on August 29, 1778, an Allied attempt to challenge British control of Newport and the surrounding area. The operation involved American and French forces, although the French fleet was unable to provide the expected support after a storm and subsequent British naval movements. The unit's independent existence ended during the Continental Army's reorganization in 1779. On April 9, 1779, Henley's Additional Continental Regiment was merged into the 16th Massachusetts Regiment. This consolidation reflected the Continental Army's continuing effort to reduce administrative complexity, combine depleted formations, and align units with the Massachusetts regimental structure. After the merger, the regiment no longer operated as a separate organization. It is therefore a historical military formation rather than a contemporary commercial brand, company, or operating organization.

Henley's Additional Continental Regiment was organized at Boston, Massachusetts, on January 12, 1777, during the American Revolutionary War. Its personnel were drawn from Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The regiment belonged to the additional regiments raised for the Continental Army, which supplemented the regular state-associated regiments of the Continental Line and helped address the army's need for more troops. The regiment served during the war's middle period, when Continental forces were operating across the northeastern and middle colonies against British armies and their loyalist auxiliaries. It participated in the Battle of Monmouth in New Jersey on June 28, 1778. The battle followed the British evacuation of Philadelphia and their movement toward New York. Fighting took place in severe summer heat and produced no decisive tactical victory, but the engagement demonstrated the Continental Army's ability to confront British forces in a large field action. Henley's Additional Continental Regiment also served at the Battle of Rhode Island on August 29, 1778. American forces, supported by French cooperation, attempted to dislodge the British from Newport and gain control of Rhode Island. The broader operation was disrupted by weather and naval developments, including the departure of the French fleet from the area. The American army subsequently withdrew from Aquidneck Island after the battle. The regiment's participation places it among the Continental units involved in this important but unsuccessful campaign. The regiment was reorganized out of existence on April 9, 1779, when it was merged into the 16th Massachusetts Regiment. Such consolidations were part of the Continental Army's broader wartime administrative and manpower adjustments. The merger ended Henley's Additional Continental Regiment as a separate formation, while its soldiers and service history became part of the successor Massachusetts organization. No current corporate, commercial, or institutional operation descends directly from the regiment in the supplied reference material.

1. 1779Merged into the 16th Massachusetts Regiment

   On April 9, 1779, the regiment was merged into the 16th Massachusetts Regiment, ending its independent existence.

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2. 1778Battle of Monmouth

   The regiment saw action at the Battle of Monmouth in New Jersey on June 28, 1778.

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3. 1778Battle of Rhode Island

   The regiment participated in the Battle of Rhode Island on August 29, 1778.

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4. 1777Regiment raised

   Henley's Additional Continental Regiment was raised at Boston, Massachusetts, on January 12, 1777, with troops from Massachusetts and New Hampshire for service in the Continental Army.

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A wartime Continental Army regiment created to provide additional troops during the American Revolutionary War.

• 1778Battle of Monmouth

  New Jersey · United States

  Henley's Additional Continental Regiment fought at Monmouth on June 28, 1778, during the Continental Army's confrontation with British forces moving from Philadelphia toward New York.

  Outcome. The battle ended without a decisive strategic victory, and the British continued their movement toward New York.

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• 1778Battle of Rhode Island

  Rhode Island · United States

  The regiment participated in the American operation against British positions around Newport on August 29, 1778.

  Outcome. The American army withdrew after the battle, and the effort to remove the British from Rhode Island did not succeed.

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• 1779Consolidation into the 16th Massachusetts RegimentStrategy

  The Continental Army reorganized units during the war in order to consolidate formations and manage its available manpower.

  What changed. Henley's Additional Continental Regiment was merged into the 16th Massachusetts Regiment on April 9, 1779.

  Aftermath. The regiment ceased to exist as an independent unit, while its personnel and service were absorbed into the successor Massachusetts regiment.

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1. Henley's Additional Continental Regiment
2. The Continental Army Bibliography: Additional Regiments