169th Infantry Regiment (United States)
| 169th Infantry Regiment (1st Connecticut) | |
|---|---|
Coat of arms
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| Active | 1672–1992 |
| Country |
 United States
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| Allegiance | Connecticut |
| Branch | Army National Guard |
| Type | Infantry |
| Motto(s) | Armis Stant Leges – Laws are Maintained by the Force of Arms |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Kenneth F. Cramer |
| Insignia | |
| Distinctive unit insignia | |
| U.S. Infantry Regiments | |
|---|---|
| Previous | Next |
| 168th Infantry Regiment | 172nd Infantry Regiment |
French and Indian War
American Revolutionary War
Spanish–American War
Pancho Villa Expedition
World War II
The 169th Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment of the United States Army, Connecticut National Guard. They trace their ancestry back to when militia units in the Connecticut colony organized for drill in 1672, but their official organization as the 1st Connecticut occurred on 11 October 1739. Since then, the 169th and its predecessor units have fought in numerous American wars until its deactivation in 1992.
The 169th Infantry Regiment traces its heritage back to when militia units in Hartford County, Connecticut organized into the Regiment of Hartford County in 1672. The militia regiment did much to keep the peace with the nearby Pequot Indians, and on 11 October 1739, the militia was organized into the First Connecticut Regiment, the officially recognized birthday of the 169th Infantry. During the French and Indian War, the 1st Connecticut was called up on 7–8 August 1757 for a period of two weeks to man fortifications. Volunteers from Hartford, Simsbury, and Windsor were enlisted, and it is unknown whether these militiamen saw action in combat.
In the summer of 1776, General George Washington called upon the state militias to meet the British Empire's suspected attack on New York. The 1st Regiment of the Connecticut militia responded, and they reported for duty on 11 August 1776. The militia troops were hastily assembled, poorly armed, meagerly paid, thus discipline and morale was low. On 15 September 1776, they were attacked by the British Army and retreated in the face of superior firepower. The 1st Connecticut militia was ordered to reinforce General Horatio Gates at Saratoga in the fall of 1777 and served under the command of General Enoch Poor. The Connecticuters fought heavily at the Battle of Freeman's Farm on 19 September 1777, and at the Battle of Bemis Heights on 7 October. At Bemis Heights, they lost more men than any other regiment engaged, and General Gates referred to them as the "excellent militia regiment from Connecticut.
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