Early U.S. Artillery formations | |
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Active | September 29, 1789–May 12, 1814 |
Country | United States |
Branch | United States Army |
Type | Artillery |
Size | Various |
In the early years of the Republic, the United States Army experimented with a number of different artillery formations. For a time, the Artillery Branch and Engineer Branch were combined. Unit designations did not yet contain the terms "Field Artillery" or "Coast Artillery," although units so designated, as well those of the as air defense artillery units, would eventually trace their lineage and honors to some of the early formations.
The Battalion of Artillery consisted of four companies. The first company of the battalion was retained from the Continental Army. A second company, commanded by Captain Thomas Douglass, had been raised in Pennsylvania in 1784. Two other companies were raised as a result of congressional action in 1786 to deal with Shays's Rebellion. The battalion was organized on September 29, 1789; the commander of the first company, Captain John Doughty, was promoted to major and assigned as the commandant of the battalion; the companies were identified by the names of their commanders: Captains James Bradford, Henry Burbeck, William Ferguson, and Joseph Savage. Doughty served as commandant from September 29, 1789 to March 4, 1791) and the battalion was recognized as a part of the United States Army. William Ferguson succeeded Doughty as commandant (serving from March 4, 1791 to November 4, 1791) and was himself succeeded by Henry Burbeck (serving from November 4, 1791 to May 9, 1794).
In 1792 during Henry Burbeck's tenure, the Army was organized into the Legion of the United States. One artillery company was assigned to each of the four sublegions of the Legion of the United States. The Artillery Battalion no longer existed. (Burbeck is listed as a member of the Legion's artillery, but without any indication of his duty position.) Captains of the Legion's artillery companies were Mahlon Ford (1st Sublegion), John Pierce (2nd Sublegion), Moses Porter (3rd Sublegion), and Daniel McLane (4th Sublegion).
On May 9, 1794, the companies what had been the Battalion of Artillery was merged into the Corps of Artillerists and Engineers. In January 1794, Congress appointed a committee to investigate the needs for coastal defenses. The act of May 9, 1794 recognized the need to defend the coast lines of the United States. The Corps of Artillerists and Engineers was established by including the existing Battalion of Artillery into a larger organization organization of four battalions, each having four companies. The original act established the Corps for three years; an act of March 3, 1795 continued the Corps indefinitely. The resulting organization of forts and units is known as the First System. Leadership of the Corps was placed upon two lieutenant colonels—commandant: Stephen Rochefontaine (serving from February 26, 1795 to May 7, 1798) and Henry Burbeck (serving from May 7, 1798 to April 1, 1802). On March 3, 1799 the Corps was designated as the First Regiment of Artillerists and Engineers. On April 1, 1802, the First Regiment was combined with the Second Regiment to form the Regiment of Artillerists