A Brief History of the Original Regiment
On 27 June 1775, the Continental Congress recommended to the Colony of New York that they raise "Those called the Green Mountain Boys" as a Regiment of Infantry. The New York Legislature authorized the Regiment on 5 July 1775 to be raised as a Battalion of 500 men in 7 Companies. The Assembly of the New Hampshire Grants, in electing officers for the Regiment, shut out Ethan Allen and made Seth Warner the commander.
The Regiment was fielded in September of 1775 and assigned to BG Montgomery's wing in the invasion of Canada. The Regiment received its baptism of fire while moving around to the North side of the Fort at St. Johns at the beginning of the siege. Later posted between LaPrairie and Longueuil, they were involved in several skirmishes then on 30 October, the British commander in Canada sent an 800 man relieving force for the Fort at St. Johns from Montreal by boat to land at Longueuil. Warner's Regiment and the 2nd New York Regiment, then under Lieutenant Colonel Warner's command, opposed the landing and drove the British off without losing a man.
The Regiment returned home on 24 November 1775, not having winter clothing to continue the campaign. On 6 January 1776 the Regiment was recalled to active duty and by mid February had marched to Montreal with 417 men and was placed under the command of Benedict Arnold. By March, stationed at Orleans, the Regiment was down to 102 effectives, small pox had hit the camp. During the retreat from Canada in June of 1776, the Regiment was posted as the rear guard for the Northern Army.
On 5 July 1776, Warner's Regiment was re-authorized by the Continental Congress as an Extra Continental Regiment and not under any State, being classed with the 1st and 2nd Canadian Regiments, and the German Battalion. A large proportion of the men and officers of the newly re-organized Regiment were veterans of the Canadian Campaign.
On 7 July 1777 the Regiment was part of the Brigade involved in a bitter Rear Guard action at Hubbardton, VT. Colonel Warner was in overall command of the Brigade designated as the Rear Guard in this battle with LTG Burgoyne's flank companies. After 2 hours of pitched battle and a total of 5 hours of fighting, with word that the American main body was safely away, Col. Warner ordered the Brigade to began breaking contact over Pittsford Ridge.
On 16 August 1777 the Regiment was present at the 2nd phase of the Battle of Bennington. German Col. v. Baum's forces had already been over-run by BG Stark's New Hampshire Militia and the Militia Brigade commanded by Colonel Warner but a reinforcing column of 650 men under Col. v. Breymann was coming onto the field. With the militia dispersed looting the prizes of their victory, Breymann's force was driving back the 4 Companies of Herrick's Rangers and was on the verge of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat when Warner's Regiment came onto the field. The 200 men remaining in the Regiment attacked the left flank of the German Line, stopped them, and then, along with Herrick's Rangers and such other militia that BG Stark was able to rally, drove the German forces back. The Germans retreated as darkeness fell.
Warner's Regiment, along with Herrick's Rangers and other Vermont Militia units conducted attacks on British supply routes through the rest of Burgoyne's campaign. After Burgoyne surrendered in October 1777, the Regiment was assigned in the Lake George area scouting, and garrisoning various forts.
All of the Additional Continental Regiments were having troubles getting recruits in 1778 because many of the States were paying additional enlistment bounties to new recruits for their own State Lines. This problem was made worse during that year when General Washington ordered a draft of new recruits for Warner's Regiment to be sent to Rhode Island instead of joining the Regiment. Political interference, from New York, with Vermont's attempts to fill the Regiment was also a problem.
The Regiment was involved in several skirmishes during 1778 and 1779. The only significant one occurred at 14 Mile Island on Lake George where the Regiment lost 7 killed and 7 captured. The Regiment's Major and 2 Company Commanders were lost in this action. The Regiment's final battle was at Ft. George on 11 October 1780. The garrison commander, Captain Chipman, sent a force of 50 men under Captain Sill to investigate the report of 40 or 50 British in the area. Instead they found 800 British and Indians. With no other options available, Captain Sill attacked. In the ensuing battle the Regiment lost 15 killed and 15 captured, the rest fighting their way out. Short on food and lacking sufficient force to defend the fort, Captain Chipman had to surrender his post and 56 more men went into captivity.
The Regiment was disbanded by order of General Washington on 1 January 1781 as part of the Continental Congress' overall re-organization of the American Army.
