Revolutionary War:  Colonel Glover's Regiment

HISTORY of COL. GLOVER'S REGIMENT
later renamed the 14th CONTINENTAL REGIMENT

Excerpts from a paper entitled "Memoir" read at a meeting of the Essex Institute, March 9th 1863,
 as a Report upon a donation to the Library of certain books formerly belonging to Gen. Glover:*

"Col. Glover abandoned his extensive business and devoted himself with his whole energy to the patriot cause.  His money was given to aid the enlistment and of the purchase of supplies for the army; and his vessels were turned into privateers.  Associated with him, were such men as Col. Azor Orne and Eldridge Gerry, with whom he was intimately connected, both in town and state affairs.  While in the army, he maintained a constant correspondence with them, as influential members of the State Government, in regard to the conduct of the War, and the forwarding of men and supplies."

"It is sufficient evidence of the high opinion which Glover’s fellow townsmen had of his ability, that they should at once select him as the best fitted to command a Regiment composed of nearly all the able-bodied men of the town; and the sequel justified the selection, for this Regiment, and the 14th Continental, which was formed from it, at the new enlistment of January 1, 1776, became under the careful and constant training of Glover, the best equipped, best disciplined, and most reliable Corps in the Army."

"Frequently called upon in those sudden and critical emergencies, which put to the severest test the soldier’s courage and endurance, its brave men elicited the applause and admiration of all, by their unexampled readiness, skill and intrepidity; engaged in most of the important battles of the War from its commencement to its close, in many instances assigned the post of honor when extraordinary difficulty or peril surrounded the Army, and ever prepared and willing for service either on the land or on the water, this Regiment established that world-wide reputation which Marblehead has, from that time to the present so nobly sustained."

"The sacrifices which Marblehead made for the cause of the Revolution, are, shown by the following facts.  In 1772, the tonnage of Marblehead was upwards of twelve thousand and the number of polls twelve hundred and three; in 1780, the polls were but five hundred and forty four, and the tonnage at the peace, was only fifteen hundred and nine; nearly every able-bodied citizen was abroad engaged in the public service, either 'upon land or water,' and at the close of the contest there were within the borders of this single town, four hundred and forty-eight widows and nine hundred and sixty-six fatherless children.  No other town in the United States of the same population and property, lost so large a proportion of both, probably, as Marblehead."

"The Marblehead Regiment was transferred from the Militia to the Provincial or Continental service about the 22d of May, 1775.  On the 22d they marched to Cambridge, and for duty to Gen’l Ward, then in charge of the gathering forces…"

"The following is a list of the officers of this Regiment:

 

Colonel - John Glover,

Lieutenant Colonel, - John Gerry,

Major - Gabriel Johonot,

Adjutant - William Gibbs,

Captains - Wm. R. Lee, Wm. Courtis, Wm. Bacon, Thomas Grant,. Joel Smith

Nicholson Broughton, Wm. Blackler, John Merritt, John Selman, Francis Symonds.

Lieutenants - John Glover, Robert Harris, Wm. Mills, Wm. Bubier, John Bray,

John Stacey, Nathaniel Clark, Joshua Prentice, Wm. Russell.

Ensigns - Edward Archbold, Thomas Courtis, Seward Lee, Ebenezer Graves, Joshua Orne,

J. Devereaux, Jr, Nathaniel Pearce, Robert Nimblett, Edward Holman, George Lingrass."
 

"John Glover was the eldest son of the Colonel, and was subsequently Captain in 14th Regiment."

*********

The uniform of the Regiment, a blue round jacket and trousers with leather buttons. (Lossing Am. Rev. Vol. 2nd, 606.)


"The Marine Regiment"

"It received the name of the 21st Regiment, but was afterwards also known as the 'Marine Regiment.'  While at Cambridge it had in important share in that series of operations which finally resulted in the evacuation of Boston by the 'ministerial army,' and its officers were often honored with those temporary appointments which in a new army require so much skill and experience. (Ord. Book, No.1.)

"On the 4th of Oct, 1775, Col. Glover with Stephen Moylan (one of Washington's Aids and Muster Master General), at the request of Washington, took charge of the equipment and manning of the armed vessels and cruisers which did such invaluable service in the early part of the war.  He and his Regiment were stationed at Beverly, for this purpose, from the latter part of the year 1775, until July 20th, 1776, when they left that place for New York.


Sources:

"...namely one, containing copies of the letters written by Gen. Glover herein referred to as "The Letter Book"; and the other six are "Orderly Books", kept in the 21st Provincial Regiment, afterwards the 14th Continental Regiment, commanded by Col. John Glover from the commencement of the Revolution until the 21st of February 1777, when he was made a Brigadier General."



Acknowledgements:
Revolutionary War:  History of Colonel Glover's Regiment
Copyright © 2013  14th Infantry Regiment Association
Last modified: February 04, 2017