Division of Forces: Infantry, Artillery,
Cavalry
Composition of Forces
Continental Line - On active duty
State Line - On active duty
Minute Men - Subject to immediate call
Militia - Subject to call by the General Command
Guards or Invalid Forces - Organized for specific
guard duty.
Age Limits
Most of the men in the Continental and State Line
and Minute Men were under 35 years of age. Militia age limits
- 16 to 50 years. Guards - composed of those unfit for active
duty and invalid soldiers who had previously had duty.
Unit Strength
Legion - Consisted of six companies of infantry
and one troop of calvary of 100 men each. Officers: A captain,
two lieutenants and one ensign with the exception of the cavalry
which had a cornet instead of an ensign. Legion: A Lt. Colonel
and two majors; commanded by a Brigadier General.
Artillery Company - One captain, three lieutenants,
one sergeant, 4 bombardiers, 8 gunners, 48 matrosses.
Infantry Company - Normally 500 men commanded by
a captain, two lieutenants, one ensign, minimum 12 men 12 men
- maximum 68 men.
Battalion - 500 to 1,000 men commanded by a Colonel,
Lt. Colonel and a Major.
How Armed: Colonel, Lt. Colonel, Major - sword;
Captain and Lieutenants - gun, bayonet and sword; Ensign - sword;
Non-Commissioned Officers and Privates - rifle and tomahawk or
bayonet. Each Captain was required to appoint a drummer and fifer
for his company.
Regiment: In addition to general officers, each
regiment had a chaplain, paymaster, adjutant, quartermaster, surgeon,
two surgeon's mates and a sergeant major.
Other Notes from Acts of General
Assembly*
In August 1775 the Virginia Convention divided
the colony into sixteen military districts and required each
district to enlist 500 men.
Gloucester Military District: Composed of the
counties of Gloucester, King and Queen, Essex and Middlesex.
Military District: Committee of Safety composed
of three members from the Committee of Safety for each county
in the district.
Full Acts of General Assembly are found in Henings
Statutes.
Appendix I