An “Unsurpassed Soldiery” – The Delaware Regiment During the American Revolution

During the American Revolution, the Delaware Regiment established a record for military discipline, efficiency, and dependability on the battlefield. The regiment’s characteristics and prowess in combat in many ways reflect developments within the Continental Army as that force became the professionalized military organization Washington sought to create during the course of the war.

While the contours of this regiment’s battle history are generally well-known, other aspects of its history are not. Complex questions, such as who were the men that composed the enlisted ranks, who were the officers and where did they come from, how were the soldiers trained, were there African-Americans, Indians, and women present, how did these change over time (if they did at all), and how did Delaware veterans fare after the war, remain unanswered.

Employing a deep social history approach, ongoing research is attempting to answer those and other questions about the regiment’s history. This presentation will offer some of the findings of this study, and will describe some of the distinctive features of the Delaware Regiment and its service during America’s war for independence.

Presented by Chuck Fithian