The 4th Georgia Regiment was an American infantry unit raised for service with the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Co ...

in the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

. The regiment was formed in February 1777 at

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

from British deserters and Colonel John White was appointed its commander. The unit soon acquired a bad reputation for plundering the area in which it camped and was moved far from Philadelphia. In December 1777 it was assigned to the Georgia Brigade and took part in operations in Florida in 1778. It fought at

Savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...

in 1779 and was captured by the British at Charleston in May 1780.

History

The 4th Georgia Regiment was authorized for service with the

by the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislature, legislative bodies, with some executive function, for the Thirteen Colonies of British America, Great Britain in North America, and the newly declared United States before, during, and after ...

on 1 February 1777. The unit was assigned to the Southern Department. The regiment organized in a strength of eight companies at

during the summer and fall of 1777.Wright, 314 The unit was recruited from British deserters. In early August one of its soldiers was murdered in Philadelphia and the authorities moved the regiment into camp west of the city along the Lancaster Road. Immediately, the people of

Lower Merion Township Lower Merion Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Philadelphia Main Line. The township's name originates with the county of Merioneth in north Wales. Merioneth is an English-language transc ...

began to complain of marauding by the soldiers. They reported that the troops robbed travelers, broke into houses, burned fences, chopped down trees, stole things, and killed livestock. When confronted, the soldiers threatened the inhabitants with violence. The regiment was ordered to

Lancaster, Pennsylvania Lancaster ( ) is a city in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 58,039 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, eighth-most populous ci ...

where the problems continued. Some soldiers robbed Colonel White of his money, his papers, and his officer's commission. They were caught and sentenced to death, but the colonel's wife asked for clemency and the men received 300 lashes instead.McGuire (2006), 118-119 On 23 December 1777, the 4th Georgia was assigned to the Georgia Brigade. In 1778, the regiment participated in the unsuccessful Florida Campaign and in the loss of Savannah. In 1779 the unit fought at the

Siege of Savannah The siege of Savannah or the second battle of Savannah was an encounter of the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) in 1779. The year before, the city of Savannah, Georgia, had been captured by a British expeditionary corps under Lieutena ...

. At the

Siege of Charleston The siege of Charleston was a major engagement and major British victory in the American Revolutionary War, fought in the environs of Charles Town (today Charleston), the capital of South Carolina, between March 29 and May 12, 1780. The British ...

the regiment was captured by the British army along with the rest of the American southern army at

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint of South Carolina's coastline on Charleston Harbor, an inlet of the Atla ...

on 12 May 1780. The 4th Georgia was officially disbanded on 1 January 1781.

Service record

Notes

References

* *{{cite book, last=Wright , first=Robert K. Jr. , author-link=Robert K. Wright Jr. , year=1989 , title=The Continental Army , location=Washington, D.C. , publisher=US Army Center of Military History , id=CMH Pub 60-4

External links

Bibliography of the Continental Army in Georgia
compiled by the

United States Army Center of Military History The United States Army Center of Military History (CMH) is a directorate within the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command. The Institute of Heraldry remains within the Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Arm ...

Military units and formations established in 1777 Military units and formations disestablished in 1781 Georgia regiments of the Continental Army