The Northern Theater of the American Revolutionary War, also known as the Northern Department of 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 ...

, was a theater of operations during 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 ...

. It was originally called the New York Department, and consisted of all of

New York State New York, also called New York State, is a state in the northeastern United States. Bordered by New England to the east, Canada to the north, and Pennsylvania and New Jersey to the south, its territory extends into both the Atlantic Ocean and ...

. On November 12, 1776, after the British occupation of

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, the Highlands Department was created out of the Northern Department. The Northern Department then stopped 30 miles south of Albany. After that, it was always referred to as the Northern Department. The Highlands Department was the smallest in area, and was formed around the defenses on the

Hudson River The Hudson River, historically the North River, is a river that flows from north to south largely through eastern New York (state), New York state. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains at Henderson Lake (New York), Henderson Lake in the ...

north of New York City.

Continental Northern Department

In 1777, the Northern Department was organised into: George Nafziger,
Continental Troops in Northern Department 7 September 1777
', United States Army Combined Arms Center. * Commanding Officer of the Northern Department,

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

Philip Schuyler Philip John Schuyler (; November 20, 1733 - November 18, 1804) was an American general in the American Revolutionary War, Revolutionary War and a United States Senate, United States Senator from New York (state), New York. He is usually known as ...

British Northern Army

During the Battles of Saratoga, the British northern army consisted of: * Commanding Officer,

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

John Burgoyne General (United Kingdom), General John "Gentleman Johnny" Burgoyne (24 February 1722 – 4 August 1792) was a British Army officer, playwright and politician who sat in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1761 to 1792. He first saw acti ...

* Commander of Artillery & Engineers,

Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

G. Williams ** detachments of artillery forming 4 composite Companies from the 4th Battalion,

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

** Artilleriekompagnie von Pausch ( Hesse-Hanau) ** (Captured during the

Capture of Fort Ticonderoga The capture of Fort Ticonderoga occurred during the American Revolutionary War on May 10, 1775, when a small force of Green Mountain Boys led by Ethan Allen and Colonel Benedict Arnold surprised and captured the fort's small British garrison. T ...

) No.6 Company, 4th Battalion,

* Advanced Corps (vanguard), commanded by Brigadier General S. Fraser ** 24th Regiment of Foot ** Canadian Provincial Troops (2 coys) ** Indians led by Chief Joseph Brant * Right Division, commanded by Major General William Phillips ** 1st Brigade, commanded by Brigadier General James Inglis Hamilton *** 20th Regiment of Foot *** 21st Regiment of Foot *** 62nd Regiment of Foot ** 2nd Brigade, commanded by Brigadier General Henry Watson Powell *** 9th Regiment of Foot *** 47th Regiment of Foot *** 53rd Regiment of Foot * Left Division (all Germans), commanded by Generalmajor (Major General) Baron Friedrich Adolf Riedesel Freiherr zu Eisenbach (Brunswicker) ** 1st (Brunswick) Brigade, commanded by Brigadegeneral Johann Friedrich von Specht *** Musketeerregiment von Rhetz (Brunswick) *** Musketeerregiment von Specht (Brunswick) *** Musketeerregiment von Riedesel (Brunswick) ** 2nd Brigade, commanded by Brigadegeneral Wilhelm von Gall ( Hesse-Hanau) *** Musketeerregiment von Prinz Fiederich (Brunswick) *** Musketeerregiment von Erbprinz (Hesse-Hanau) * Reserve (Germans), commanded by

Oberstleutnant () (English: Lieutenant Colonel) is a senior field officer rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to lieutenant colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, ...

Heinrich von Breymann ** Brunswickdragoonregiment von Ludwig ** Grenadierbataillon von Breymann (Brunswick) ** Füsilierbataillon von Barner (Brunswick) ** Jägerbataillon von Schottelius

Campaigns

On May 10, 1775,

Fort Ticonderoga Fort Ticonderoga (), formerly Fort Carillon, is a large 18th-century star fort built by the French at a narrows near the south end of Lake Champlain in northern New York. It was constructed between October 1755 and 1757 by French-Canadian ...

was captured from the British. Major General

was appointed department commander on June 25, 1775. On June 28, 1775 the

New York Provincial Congress The New York Provincial Congress (1775–1777) was a revolutionary provisional government formed by colonists in 1775, during the American Revolution, as a pro-American alternative to the more conservative New York General Assembly, and as a repla ...

authorized the raising of the four regiments of the New York Line. The major campaigns are divided as follows: *

New York and New Jersey campaign The New York and New Jersey campaign in 1776 and the winter months of 1777 was a series of American Revolutionary War battles for control of the Port of New York and New Jersey, Port of New York and the state of New Jersey, fought between Kingdom ...

* Saratoga campaign * Northern theater of the American Revolutionary War after Saratoga

After War years

This department was the only one to remain after the war. The last elements of the Continental Army were kept to guard the western frontier outposts.

References

* Wright, Robert K. ''The Continental Army''. Washington, D.C.: Center of Military History, 1983. Available, in part
online
{{American Revolutionary War, state=collapsed

Continental Northern Department

British Northern Army

Campaigns

After War years

See also

References