"Webb's Regiment" Topic

I was recently reading a first hand account of a skirmish fought around the area of Jenkin's Tavern (now Jenkintown PA) during the Battle of Whitemarsh. The account describes the American militia being roughly handled by the British until Webb's Regiment arrived. From what I can find Webb's Additional Contenintal Regiment was in New York during 1777 and 1778.
To those of you more schooled in this period, was there another Webb's Regiment? Could this be the 2nd Conn?

Thanks

I think I answered my own question.
Colonel Charles Webb – commanded the 2nd Conn.
Thanks anyway.

Agreed. More importantly, Berg--Encyclopedia of Continental Army Units--agrees. He's not 100%, and he has serious problems with state lines. But he's far and away the best single reference.

According the Robert Wright in The Continental Army, page 238, Webb's Additional Continental Regiment was authorized on 11 January 1777. It was organized in the spring of 1777 to consist of eight companies.

The regiment was assigned to the Highlands Department from 14 April 1777 to 22 July 1778 and was then assigned to the Eastern Department until 17 November 1779 when the regiment was assigned to the Main Army.

On 9 April 1780 the regiment was reorganized to consist of nine companies. The regiment was then 'adopted' by Connectifut and was redesignated as the 9th Connecticut Regiment. In October 1780 Stark's Brigade, to which the now 9th Connecticut was assigned was reassigned to the Highlands Department on 7 October 1780.

On 1 January 1781 the 9th Connecticut was consolidated with the 2d Connecticut Regiment.

The following information is from the same volume, pages 233-234:

The 2d Connecticut Regiment was authorized on 16 September 1776 and was organized between 1 January and April 1776 and consisted of eight companies. The regiment was assigned to the Highlands Department on 3 April 1777.

The regiment, in various brigades, was assigned to the Highlands Department until 13 November when the regiment was assigned to the Main Army until 1 May 1779 when it was reassigned to the Highlands Department.

On 11 July 1779 the regiment was reorganized to consist of nine companies.

The 2d Connecticut was consolidated with the 9th Connecticut Regiment on 1 January 1781 and the unit was redesignated the 3d Connecticut and consisted of nine companies. The new unit was furloughed on 15 June 1783 at West Point and was disbanded on 15 November 1783.

Webb's regiment and the 2d Connecticut were not the same regiment until they were consolidated in January 1781 into a redesignated regiment, the 3d Connecticut.

A Colonel Webb did command the 2d Connecticut, but it was Colonel Charles Webb who commanded it from 1 January 1777 until 13 March 1778.

Colonel Samuel Webb was the commander of Webb's Additional Continental Regiment that became the 9th Connecticut Regiment and then was finally consolidated with the 2d Connecticut Regiment to become the 3d Connecticut Regiment.

From The Encyclopedia of Continental Army Units by FA Berg:

'3d Connecticut Regiment of 1781: Created on January 1, 1781a by a merger of the former 2d and 9th Connecticut Regiments. The regiment served until around June 3, 1783 when its veterans were furloughed and its recruits were pooled into the sole surviving Connecticut Regiment.'-19

The regimental commander was Colonel Samuel Webb from 1 January 1781 to June 1783.-19

The 9th Connecticut is listed as having been previously designated Webb's Additional Continental Regiment and was redesignated the 9th Connecticut on 18 July 1780 (page 22).

Berg lists 3 regiments designated the 2d Connecticut, those of 1775, 1777, and 1781.-18-19.

Berg lists three regiments designated as the 3d Connecticut of 1775, 1777, and 1781.-19.

Berg lists only one regiment designated as the 9th Connecticut which was commanded by Colonel Webb-22.

The entry for Webb's Additional Continental Regiment on page 136:

'Webb's Regiment was created on January 1, 1777. It was raised mostly in Connecticut and was perhaps the most successful of all the additional regiments. Somehow Webb's Regiment was always in uniform-they wore scarlet coats and the regiment seems to have been well-trained and effective in battle. It even had a band. In mid-May 1780, Connecticut moved to take the regiment into its quota and this was approved by Congress on June 23. The regiment was numbered the 9th Connecticut on July 18, 1780.'

In Military Uniforms in America, Volume I, edited by John Elting on page 76-77 Webb's Regiment is discussed and the scarlet uniforms shown. It states in the second to the last paragraph that 'In July 1780 it was redesignated the 9th Connecticut Regiment.'

'More importantly, Berg--Encyclopedia of Continental Army Units--agrees. He's not 100%, and he has serious problems with state lines. But he's far and away the best single reference.'

Berg does not agree. He and Robert Wright agree on the lineage of the units concerned. And I would disagree with Berg being the best reference. Wright is much better and he got his unit lineages from the US Army's Center of Military History. Berg is useful and certainly should be consulted along with Wright.

I have a typed five-page addendum to Berg which was done by Colonel John Elting. If anyone would like a copy, email me at home at Boulart198@yahoo.com.

To those of you more schooled in this period, was there another Webb's Regiment? Could this be the 2nd Conn?

The short answer is no and no. I do hope the information provided above from three useful sources is helpful.

Where was Jenkin's Tavern located in modern day Jenkintown?

Thanks for the answers,
Brechtel if not the 2nd Conn. then what would have been Webb's Regiment with the main army December of 1777?

Neil; I have come across the now Jenkintown as both Jenkins Tavern and as Jenkins Mill. Jenkins must have had some $$$ (actually they were different folks in the same family). It was kept by the widow Sarah Jenkins and was on the York Road a few yards below the "Cottman House". "Sarah Jenkins Hotel, built in 1725 and situated on the east side of Old York Road at West Avenue in Jenkintown. "(OLD YORK ROAD HISTORICAL SOCIETY).

After years of studying and gaming wars in the far flung corners of this planet, I've decided to come home and spend some time in by own back yard. Literally my back yard, part of the Battle of Crooked Billet happened there. I've started looking into the actions that occurred in what is now Montgomery County, PA.

Brechtel if not the 2nd Conn. then what would have been Webb's Regiment with the main army December of 1777?

The title for the Regiment until it was retitled the 9th Connecticut Regiment on 24 July 1780 was Webb's Additional Continental Regiment.

It was never the 2d Continental Regiment. The 9th Connecticut Regiment was consolidated with the 2d Connecticut Regiment on 1 January 1781. The regiment was then redesignated the 3d Connecticut Regiment.

I'm not talking about Webb's Additional. From what I can determine Webb's Additional was not the same regiment as the 2nd Conn. in 1777, hence the "Additional" as it was in addition to the State's Line. I know that Webb's Additional was with the Highlands during that period.

I'm trying to identify a regiment that was referred to in a first person account of an action occurring outside of Philadelphia in December of 1777. The writer called the regiment Webb's, but gives no further identification. As the writer was an officer in the Continental Army, I'm sure he was referring to the regiment's commander. From what I can determine the 2nd Conn. was with the Main Army at that time.

It does get a bit confusing with all the consolidations and re-establishing regiments. It is almost as bad as Pennsylvania's reorganization of their militia system at the time, it was a real maze. They went from the Associators, to a class system. Men being assigned to classes, the classes assigned to battalions and the battalions to regiments, but those battalions and regiments changed upon the class being called up for duty. A man could be listed as being in the 2nd battalion of the 4th regiment one time and then is in the 4th battalion of the 2nd regiment a month later. At the same time you could have two Regiment identified the same (4th Regiment Bucks County Militia), that are totally different regiments one is an administrative unit the other a field service unit.

I thought that I had covered the subject quite well, but I guess that's what I get for thinking.

There were two regimental commanders named Webb.

The first, Colonel Charles Webb commanded the 2d Connecticut from 1 January 1777 to 13 March 1778. He was replaced by Colonel Zebulon Butler on 13 March 1778 and commanded the regiment until 1 January 1781.

The second, Colonel Samuel Webb commanded Webb's Additional Continental Regiment from 1 January 1777 to mid-May 1780 when the regiment was taken into the Connecticut Line as the 9th Connecticut Regiment on 23 June 1780. The Regiment was renumbered 9th on 18 July 1780. Colonel Webb was retained in command from 18 July 1780 to 1 January 1781. On that date, the 9th Connecticut was amalgamated with the 2d Connecticut Regiment to form the new 3d Connexticut and the new unit was commanded by Colonel Samuel Webb from 1 January 1781 to June 1783.

So, again, there were two Colonel Webb's. One commanded the 2d Connecticut, the other the Additional Continental Regiment which became the 9th Connecticut Regiment and then amalgamated with the 2d Connecticut to become the 3d Connecticut. All three iterations of the regiment were commanded by Colonel Samuel Webb.

Both regiments served, depending on the date, with both the Main Army and the Highlands Department. The 2d Connecticut, commanded by Colonel Charles Webb, was with the Main Army in December 1777. That is undoubtedly the Webb referred to in the document you found.

I do hope this clears up any confusion on the subject that you may still have had.

Further, have you looked up the action, which was a three-day battle (5-8 December 1777), in Boatner's Encyclopedia on the Revolution?

Boatner takes his account from the Bauermeister Journals.

Unfortunately, Boatner does not mention the 2d Connecticut.

Ward, Volume I mentions 'Webb's Continentals' but not the unit number nor Webb's first name.

Thanks guys

See this link re 19th Connecticut CO Col. Charles Webb:
link