Varnum's Regiment 9th Continental Infantry Regiment 1st Rhode Island Regiment Rhode Island Regiment Rhode Island Battalion | |
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Active | 1775–1783 |
Country | United States of America |
Allegiance | Rhode Island |
Branch | Continental Army |
Type | Infantry |
Part of | Rhode Island Line |
Nickname(s) | Varnum's Continentals (1775–76) Black Regiment (1778–80) |
Colors | white uniforms |
Engagements | Siege of Boston New York campaign Battle of Red Bank Battle of Rhode Island Siege of Yorktown |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | James Mitchell Varnum, Christopher Greene, Jeremiah Olney |
Insignia | |
War Flag |
The 1st Rhode Island Regiment (also known as Varnum's Regiment, the 9th Continental Regiment, the Black Regiment, the Rhode Island Regiment, and Olney's Battalion) was a regiment in the Continental Army raised in Rhode Island during the American Revolutionary War (1775–83). It was one of the few units in the Continental Army to serve through the entire war, from the siege of Boston to the disbanding of the Continental Army on November 3, 1783.
The unit underwent several reorganizations and name changes, like most regiments of the Continental Army. It became known as the "Black Regiment" because it was composed mostly of Black enlistees. However, there were also some Native Americans. Some regard it as the first Black military unit because most of the enlistees after 1778 were non-white.[1]