Peabody's New Hampshire State Regiment

Peabody's New Hampshire State Regiment was a New Hampshire military formation raised on January 1, 1778, at Hampstead under Colonel Stephen Peabody for service in the American Revolutionary War. The regiment was organized for a one-year term of enlistment and formed part of New Hampshire's contribution to the wider American war effort. After its establishment, it marched south to Newport, Rhode Island, where it served with General John Sullivan's forces during the Rhode Island campaign. The regiment participated in the Battle of Rhode Island on August 29, 1778, an engagement in which American forces attempted to challenge British control of Newport and Rhode Island while coordinating with French support that ultimately did not materialize as planned. The unit's active service was therefore concentrated in a single campaigning season rather than extending across the entire Revolutionary War. Its soldiers completed their enlistments at the beginning of 1779, and the regiment was disbanded on January 1, 1779. The formation is principally remembered as a temporary New Hampshire regiment associated with Sullivan's Rhode Island expedition and the Battle of Rhode Island. It was not a commercial brand or continuing institution, and there is no evidence in the available reference material of later organizational continuity, surviving corporate ownership, or an active successor operating under the same name.

The regiment was raised at Hampstead, New Hampshire, on January 1, 1778, under Colonel Stephen Peabody. Its creation took place during the American Revolutionary War, when New Hampshire and other American jurisdictions organized temporary formations to meet military manpower requirements and support Continental operations. Unlike a permanent peacetime regiment, this unit was established for a defined one-year enlistment period. Its soldiers were intended to serve in a specific wartime campaign cycle and then return to civilian life or enter other military formations when their terms ended. Following its organization, Peabody's regiment marched from New Hampshire to Newport, Rhode Island. It joined the forces commanded by General John Sullivan during the Rhode Island campaign of 1778. The campaign focused on the strategically important British-held position at Newport. American forces sought to pressure the British garrison and cooperate with French naval assistance, but the French fleet withdrew after encountering a storm and British naval forces. The resulting circumstances weakened the allied operation and contributed to the American decision to withdraw from the island. The regiment took part in the Battle of Rhode Island on August 29, 1778. The battle followed the American withdrawal from the area around Newport and involved American forces attempting to hold their position against British and German troops. Although the engagement did not produce a decisive American victory, the American army conducted an orderly retreat and avoided the destruction of its field force. Peabody's New Hampshire State Regiment's participation places it among the New Hampshire units that supported Sullivan's expedition during this important but ultimately inconclusive campaign. The regiment's men served under a one-year enlistment arrangement. Their terms ended at the start of 1779, and the regiment was disbanded on January 1, 1779. The available reference material does not identify a later reconstitution, permanent successor, commercial identity, or continuing institutional body using the regiment's name. Its historical significance rests on its brief wartime service, its New Hampshire origin, its association with Colonel Stephen Peabody, and its participation in the Battle of Rhode Island.

1. 1779Disbandment

   The regiment was disbanded on January 1, 1779, when the men's one-year enlistments ended.

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2. 1778Regiment raised at Hampstead

   Peabody's New Hampshire State Regiment was organized at Hampstead, New Hampshire, on January 1, 1778, under Colonel Stephen Peabody.

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3. 1778March to Rhode Island

   The regiment marched to Newport, Rhode Island, to join General John Sullivan's forces during the Rhode Island campaign.

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4. 1778Battle of Rhode Island

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

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A temporary Revolutionary War military regiment raised by New Hampshire for Continental service.

• 1778Rhode Island campaign

  Rhode Island · New Hampshire

  The regiment marched to Newport and served with General John Sullivan's forces during the 1778 American campaign against the British position in Rhode Island.

  Outcome. The campaign ended with an American withdrawal after the planned French naval cooperation failed to develop. The regiment remained in service through the end of its enlistment term.

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1. Peabody's New Hampshire State Regiment