Rhode Island Military Units - American Revolution

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Rhode Island

Note: The Commanding Officers below are all Colonels, except for a few others whose rank is shown.

Rhode Island Line (Continental Regiments) (1775-1783)

Military Regiment	Commanding Officers	Comments
1st Rhode Island Regiment	James Varnum
9th Continental Regiment	James Varnum, Christopher Greene, Archibald Crary, Adam Comstock	1st Regiment called 9th Continental in 1776; became 1st Regiment again in 1777
2nd Rhode Island Regiment	Daniel Hitchcock
11th Continental Regiment	Daniel Hitchcock, Israel Angell	2nd Regiment called 11th Continental in 1776; became 2nd Regiment again in 1777
Rhode Island Regiment (1781)	Jeremiah Olney	1st and 2nd Regiments Merged
Sherburne's Additional Regiment	Henry Sherburne
Richmond's Regiment	William Richmond	Formed in State Troops in 1775; placed in Continental Troops in 1776

Rhode Island State Troops (1775-1783)

Military Regiment	Commanding Officers	Comments
1st Regiment of Infantry	John Cook, Benjamin Tallman, Joseph Stanton, Jr., William Barton	Reorganized as 1st Battalion of Infantry in 12/77 under Col. Archibald Crary
2nd Regiment of Infantry	Joseph Stanton, Jr., Archibald Crary	Reorganized as 2nd Battalion of Infantry in 12/77 under Col. William Barton
Rhode Island Battalion	John Topham	1st and 2nd Regiments of Infantry combined into Rhode Island Battalion in 6/79
Regiment of Artillery	Robert Elliot
Babcock's Regiment	Henry Babcock
Lippitt's Regiment	Christopher Lippitt

Rhode Island Militia (1775-1783)

Note: Captains for companies in the county militias can be found here: Organization of the Rhode Island Militia

Militia County	Regiments	Commanding Officers	Locations Served
Providence
	1st Regiment	James Angell, Jabez Brown, John Mathewson, Amos Atwell, Lt. Col. Eleazer Jenckes, Lt. Col. Christopher Almy, Lt. Col. Christopher Olney	Providence, Johnston, North Providence, Smithfield (See 2nd), Cranston
	2nd Regiment	Chad Brown, Lt. Col. Edward Thompson, Lt. Col. Peleg Arnold, Lt. Col. George Peck	Smithfield (See 1st), Gloucester, Cumberland
	3rd Regiment	Christopher Lippitt, William West, Stephen Kimball	Scituate, Cranston (See 1st)
	4th Regiment	Chad Brown, Lt. Col. Asa Kimball, Lt. Col. Stephen Winsor	Gloucester (See 2nd)
	Senior Class Regiment (1780)	Lt. Col. Amos Atwell, Lt. Col. Simeon Thayer
Kings County
(Washington County after 1782)
	1st Regiment	Joseph Noyes, Joseph Stanton, Jr., Jesse Maxson	Westerly,Charlestown, Hopkinton
	2nd Regiment	Robert Brown, Charles Dyer	North Kingstown, South Kingstown (See 3rd), Exeter, Richmond (See 3rd)
	3rd Regiment	Thomas Potter	South Kingstown (See 2nd), Richmond (See 2nd)
	Senior Class Regiment	Lt. Col. Gideon Hoxsie, Lt. Col. Sylvester Gardner, Lt. Col. George Thurston
Newport County
	1st Regiment	John Malbone, George Irish	Newport, Portsmouth, New Shoreham, Middletown, Jamestown
	2nd Regiment	Joseph Belcher, John Cooke, Lt. Col. Nathaniel Church, Lt. Col. Lemuel Bailey	Tiverton, Little Compton
Bristol County
	Bristol County Regiment	Nathaniel Martin	Bristol, Warren, Barrington
	Senior Class Regiment	Maj. Jonathan Peck, Maj. Robert Carr
Newport & Bristol
	3rd Regiment	Nathan Miller	All Newport and Bristol combined - May 1777 (Returned to separate counties in 1778)
Kent County
	1st Regiment	John Waterman, Thomas Holden, Lt. Col. Thomas Tillinghast, Lt. Col. Job Pierce	Warwick, East Greenwich
	2nd Regiment	Stephen Potter, Nathaniel Brown, Archibald Kasson	West Greenwich, Coventry
	Senior Class Regiment	Maj. Samuel Wall, Maj. Isaac Johnson
Other Local Independent Companies
	Kingston Reds
	Kentish Guards	Richard Fry
	Pawtuxet Rangers	Captain Benjamin Arnold
	Captain General Cavaliers
	Providence Cadets
	Smithfield & Cumberland Rangers	George Peck
	Providence Light Infantry
	Providence Artillery
	North Providence Rangers
	Glocester Light Infantry
	Scituate Hunters

Sources:

• Rhode Island War Military Records Rhode Island Historical Society Manuscripts Division, Compiled by Rick Stattler, April 1997; Additions by Robin Flynn, November 2000.
• The Organization of the Rhode Island Militia 1774-1783 Journal of the American Revolution by John K. Robertson
• Wright, Robert K., Jr. The Continental Army Washington, D.C.: Center of Military History, U.S. Army: 1983., pp. 227-231.