2nd New Hampshire Regiment
Encyclopedia
The 2nd New Hampshire Regiment, also known as the 8th Continental Regiment, was formed in early May of 1775, as the second of three Continental Army
regiments raised by the state of New Hampshire
during the American Revolutionary War
. Its first commander was Colonel
Enoch Poor
, with Joseph Cilley
as major. The 2nd NH would see action at the Battle of Trois-Rivières
, Battle of Trenton
, Battle of Princeton
, Battle of Hubbardton
, Battle of Saratoga
, Battle of Monmouth
, the Sullivan Expedition
and the Battle of Yorktown
. At Hubbardton Col. Nathan Hale
and part of the regiment were captured by the British Army
. During the summer of 1783, the 2nd NH and the 3rd NH
were merged into the 1st New Hampshire Regiment
and were disbanded on January 1, 1784.
The 2nd New Hampshire's Regimental colours that were captured at Hubbardton and returned to the state of New Hampshire
are now housed at the New Hampshire State House
in Concord, New Hampshire
. It is one of only a few American battle flags from the American Revolution
known to still exist.
This idea is under some dispute. The colors containing the motto "The Glory Not the Prey." likely served the New Hampshire Brigade. The other colors captured at the time, the linked 13 rings, were likely divisional colors.
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
regiments raised by the state of New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. Its first commander was Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Enoch Poor
Enoch Poor
Enoch Poor was a brigadier general in the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. He was a ship builder and merchant from Exeter, New Hampshire.-Biography:...
, with Joseph Cilley
Joseph Cilley (state senator)
Joseph Cilley was a New Hampshire state senator and general.Cilley was born in 1734 at Nottingham, New Hampshire to Captain J. Cilley of the Isles of Shoals and his wife Alice Rawlings. In 1758 Joseph Cilley joined Rogers' Rangers and served in northern New York and Canada...
as major. The 2nd NH would see action at the Battle of Trois-Rivières
Battle of Trois-Rivières
The Battle of Trois-Rivières was fought on June 8, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War. A British army under Quebec Governor Guy Carleton defeated an attempt by units from the Continental Army under the command of Brigadier General William Thompson to stop a British advance up the Saint...
, Battle of Trenton
Battle of Trenton
The Battle of Trenton took place on December 26, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War, after General George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River north of Trenton, New Jersey. The hazardous crossing in adverse weather made it possible for Washington to lead the main body of the...
, Battle of Princeton
Battle of Princeton
The Battle of Princeton was a battle in which General George Washington's revolutionary forces defeated British forces near Princeton, New Jersey....
, Battle of Hubbardton
Battle of Hubbardton
The Battle of Hubbardton was an engagement in the Saratoga campaign of the American Revolutionary War fought in the village of Hubbardton, then in the disputed New Hampshire Grants territory . On the morning of July 7, 1777, British forces, under General Simon Fraser, caught up with the American...
, Battle of Saratoga
Battle of Saratoga
The Battles of Saratoga conclusively decided the fate of British General John Burgoyne's army in the American War of Independence and are generally regarded as a turning point in the war. The battles were fought eighteen days apart on the same ground, south of Saratoga, New York...
, Battle of Monmouth
Battle of Monmouth
The Battle of Monmouth was an American Revolutionary War battle fought on June 28, 1778 in Monmouth County, New Jersey. The Continental Army under General George Washington attacked the rear of the British Army column commanded by Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton as they left Monmouth Court...
, the Sullivan Expedition
Sullivan Expedition
The Sullivan Expedition, also known as the Sullivan-Clinton Expedition, was an American campaign led by Major General John Sullivan and Brigadier General James Clinton against Loyalists and the four nations of the Iroquois who had sided with the British in the American Revolutionary War.The...
and the Battle of Yorktown
Siege of Yorktown
The Siege of Yorktown, Battle of Yorktown, or Surrender of Yorktown in 1781 was a decisive victory by a combined assault of American forces led by General George Washington and French forces led by the Comte de Rochambeau over a British Army commanded by Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis...
. At Hubbardton Col. Nathan Hale
Nathan Hale (colonel)
Nathan Hale was an American soldier. Born in Hampstead, New Hampshire, he soon moved with his father to Rindge, New Hampshire. Hale participated in the American Revolutionary War and fought in the Battle of Lexington and Concord, Battle of Bunker Hill, Siege of Fort Ticonderoga, and Battle of...
and part of the regiment were captured by the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
. During the summer of 1783, the 2nd NH and the 3rd NH
3rd New Hampshire Regiment
The 3rd New Hampshire Regiment, also known as the 2nd Continental Regiment, was authorized on 22 May 1775, organized 1-8 June 1775, and adopted into the Continental Army on 14 June, 1775, as the third of three regiments raised by the state of New Hampshire during the American Revolution...
were merged into the 1st New Hampshire Regiment
1st New Hampshire Regiment
The 1st New Hampshire Regiment was an infantry unit that came into existence on 22 May 1775 at the beginning of the American Revolutionary War. John Stark was the regiment's first commander. The unit fought at Chelsea Creek and Bunker Hill in 1775. On 1 January 1776, while engaged in the Siege of...
and were disbanded on January 1, 1784.
The 2nd New Hampshire's Regimental colours that were captured at Hubbardton and returned to the state of New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
are now housed at the New Hampshire State House
New Hampshire State House
The New Hampshire State House is the state capitol building of New Hampshire, located in Concord at 107 North Main Street. The capitol houses the New Hampshire General Court, Governor and Executive Council...
in Concord, New Hampshire
Concord, New Hampshire
The city of Concord is the capital of the state of New Hampshire in the United States. It is also the county seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2010 census, its population was 42,695....
. It is one of only a few American battle flags from the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
known to still exist.
This idea is under some dispute. The colors containing the motto "The Glory Not the Prey." likely served the New Hampshire Brigade. The other colors captured at the time, the linked 13 rings, were likely divisional colors.
External links
- Roster of 2nd New Hampshire Officers
- - Reenactor website
- http://2NHLI.org
- Orderly book kept by Jeremiah Fogg. Adjutant Colonel Enoch Poors Second New Hampshire regiment on Winter Hill, during the siege of Boston, October 28, 1775, to January 12, 1776
- Bibliography of the Continental Army in New Hampshire compiled by the United States Army Center of Military History