The 5th Massachusetts Regiment also known as the 19th Continental Regiment was raised on April 17, 1775, under Colonel Mansfield outside of

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

. The regiment saw action at the Battle of Concord, the

Battle of Bunker Hill The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought on June 17, 1775, during the Siege of Boston in the first stage of the American Revolutionary War. The battle is named after Bunker Hill in Charlestown, Boston, Charlestown, Massachusetts, which was peri ...

, the

New York Campaign New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...

, the

Battle of Trenton The Battle of Trenton was a small but pivotal American Revolutionary War battle on the morning of December 26, 1776, in Trenton, New Jersey. After General George Washington's George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River, crossing of the ...

, and the

Battle of Princeton The Battle of Princeton was a battle of the American Revolutionary War, fought near Princeton, New Jersey on January 3, 1777, and ending in a small victory for the Colonials. General Lord Cornwallis had left 1,400 British troops under the comma ...

. Colonel

Rufus Putnam Rufus Putnam (April 9, 1738 – May 4, 1824) was an American military officer who fought during the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War. As an organizer of the Ohio Company of Associates, he was instrumental in the initial co ...

took command in January 1777 and participated in the

Battle of Saratoga The Battles of Saratoga (September 19 and October 7, 1777) were two battles between the American Continental Army and the British Army fought near Saratoga, New York, concluding the Saratoga campaign in the American Revolutionary War. The Battle ...

. The regiment was commanded by Colonel John Mansfield, of Lynn, who left the service on September 15, 1775 - after a court martial for failing to take the unit across the neck to support units on the Charlestown peninsula during the

. From then until the end of the year the regiment was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Israel Hutchinson, of Danvers. It served in the

siege of Boston The siege of Boston (April 19, 1775 – March 17, 1776) was the opening phase of the American Revolutionary War. In the siege, Patriot (American Revolution), American patriot militia led by newly-installed Continental Army commander George Wash ...

, and afterwards was designated the 27th Continental Regiment in the 1776 establishment. Under the command of Colonel Jonathan Holman, the regiment was sent to Rhode Island and then to New York, arriving on July 27, 1776. They fought at the

Battle of Long Island The Battle of Long Island, also known as the Battle of Brooklyn and the Battle of Brooklyn Heights, was an action of the American Revolutionary War fought on August 27, 1776, at and near the western edge of Long Island in present-day Brooklyn ...

on August 27, and then White Plains. Afterward, the regiment was sent to Vermont to help defend against the approach of British army under Gen. John Burgoyne. The regiment was furloughed on June 12, 1783, at

New Windsor, New York New Windsor is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 27,805 at the 2020 census. It is located on the eastern side of the county and is adjacent to the Hudson River and the City of Newburgh. History The region wa ...

, and disbanded on November 3, 1783.

Notable members

Daniel Shays Daniel Shays (August 1747 – September 29, 1825) was an American soldier, revolutionary and farmer famous for allegedly leading Shays' Rebellion, a populist uprising against controversial debt collection and tax policies that took place in Mass ...

Notes

External links

Bibliography of the Continental Army in Massachusetts
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 ...

{{MassLine Military units and formations established in 1775 Military units and formations disestablished in 1783 Massachusetts regiments of the Continental Army 1775 establishments in the Province of Massachusetts Bay