1st Delaware Regiment

10/18/2026

Come on out this Sunday to Mamaroneck, New York for the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Heathcote's Hill. 250 years ago October 22nd 1776 – Skirmish at Mamaroneck, New York. Colonel John Haslet of the Delaware Regiment leads a night attack against the Queen’s Rangers (who are led by Robert Rogers of French & Indian War fame). 3 soldiers are killed and 12 wounded – of these 12 wounded, 2 are officers. One of the officers wounded is Captain Charles Pope of the Delaware Regiment. 36 Queen’s Rangers are taken prisoner along with 1 pair of their colors and 60 of their arms and blankets are also taken! The muskets and blankets are much needed! Robert Rogers, though, escapes. Nevertheless, a minor victory for the Continental Army. See link below for all the information needed for this 250th anniversary event in Mamaroneck, New York.

Step back in time with Village of Mamaroneck Parks & Recreation for a Living History Family Day on Sunday, October 18, 2026, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. at Harbor Island Park! Commemorate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution with live music, storytelling, historical reenactments, hands-on exh...

10/10/2026

Come on out this Saturday - October 10th to historic Belmont Hall! We - along with the 1st NJV (1st New Jersey Volunteers) will be celebrating the 250th anniversary event that happened here in 1776! A Delaware militia sentinel was posted on the widow's walk at this site and was shot and killed by a person with loyalist sympathies. Not too much else is know but we will RECREATE this incident twice and there will be a nice kerfuffle afterward. Learn about Delaware in the American Revolution era! Clink on link for more information about site - https://www.belmonthall.org/

10/09/2026

From the Journal/Orderly Book of Lt Col Gunning Bedford, Jr of the Delaware Regiment: HeadQuarters 9 Oct 1776
Parole Puttnam Countersign Orange
As the late movements of the Enemy will require some change of our present disposition
the Genl most #########X Will prolong ######### of the Campayne Which Must Soon hap -pen The Several Brigadiers & Col Comm==anding Brigades and are Immediately to Make Reports of the Tools in their Respective Brigades to the Qr Masr Genl, The Genl givs
it strictly in charge To the Commanding officers of Regmnts To See that the Bottoms of
Tents are Not Coverd with heath and that Upon the Removal of the Army at any Time
and upon all Occasions Tents are the First Things that are put in the Waggons allowed
Every Regmt, the Brigadiers are to pay atten=tion to this always, The Orders of yesterday
With Respect to Col Baileys Regmt Joining Col Glovers Brigade Being found on a mis
=take that Regmt is To Continue as at Present---Col Webbs Regmt is to Join that
Brigade and Cols Reads is to Join Genl Mc-Dougals Brigade, the Disaster who came from
Rogers Camp yesterday and Belong’d Formily To Col Webbs Regmt in this Service To Be Sent
To Head Quarters Immediately---------------
Divn Orders~
Answerable to the Genl Orders of yesterday The Two Brigades in this Division To be under
Arms for Examinations at Ten OClock By Reception of the Troops at that Place -----
The Genl Directs that the Major Genl do select from their Several Divisions all their Conveles=
=ens and Others Not Intirly fit for duty and have them Sent up thither, under
propper Officers --- Those Men who have been Sent into the Country To Recruit are To
Be Excluded, if they are Not Well Enough To Return To their Duty in Camp, this
Order is Not To Extend till such as are fit Subjects for the Hospital, Nor is it Intended
To Countermand the orders of the ### Instantly for Discharging Such of the Sick Malaria
as May Choose To go home after the Enspec=tion of their Genl Officer Commanding
Them ------ the arms and Baggage of Such Men as move To picks Kiln to be Taken along
as they are Intended for the Security of that Post, Spare arms properly put up
May Be Removed thither, The Genl is Sin=sible that the Time of Service of Many
of the Malicia will Soon Expire, But as this is the Most Interesting and Cri=
=tical part of the Campayne and their Departure Would Greatly Disencourage the
Other Troops and Ensure the Service, hX Doubt Not their Save To their C###x

A Report wherof To be Made Where the Brigades are Absent or Encapable of action
the Major Genl is to attend to the Ex*****on of this Order, John Buyse Under Sentence
of death for Desertion is further Repreadd Untill Wednesday, all prisoners and der=
=ters are To Be Reported To the Brigadier of the Troops To whom they come as by whom
they are Taken he is To send them to head Quarters as soon as possible, the Col and
Commanding Officers of Regments will Rem=ember that they Stand accountable for
the Arms Received By their Respective Regmt, that all their spare arms are
To be carfully colledted and Sent To the Co=masary of Stores or Reported Immediately
at head Quarters, Co Baily Regmt Now in Genl Nixon Brigade To Join the Bri
=gade of which Col Glover is Commander and Col Reads Now in Col Glovers To Join
Genl Nixon -------

09/18/2026

Come on out this Saturday! We will be at Chadds Ford Days this Saturday - along with many other Continental and Crown Forces units to celebrate the 249th anniversary of the Battle of the Brandywine. Click on link below for more information. Public hours are from 10am-5pm. Best to get there early to get good parking and see everything!

Battle at Chadds Ford: 10am – 5pm

09/12/2026

250 Years Ago Today:

From Lt Col Gunning Bedford's (of the Delaware Continentals) journal Head Quarters 11th of Sept 1776

Parole America CountSign Kent____________
His Exellancy the Commander in Chief has
Been Pleased To appoint Alast(?) Samuel Eqr depu
=ty adjutant Genl in the Army of the United States
of America who is To Act in that Capacity in
this Division, he is be Respected and obeyed as Such
all Business in that Department To be Transacted
With him at the Major Genl Quarters____ the
Weekly Returns To be punctually Made at order=
=ly Times on Fridays_____ three or five Masons
are Extremely Wanted To Build Ovens for the
Army if there are any in the Regmts of this Div
=sion they are Immediately To be Sent To Col ---
Brewest(Brewer?) Commander of the Artificers who will
Give the Directions in Case of an Alarm, if
No Attempt Should Be Made up the North
River Col Swart want leaving one Company of his
Regmt at the Redoubts Near his own Encamp
=ment will Join Col Nicholl Pawling and German
Regmt who are To form on the Top of the Large hill
To the South of Mr comissary Pawling Joining
Store that they May Ready to Join the Right
Wing of the Line, Col Brewer will Direct as Subaltern

Abstracts of their Regmts for the Month of July
and Augt Each Month To Be Made out Seperat,
the are To Be forthwith Lodged with the paymas
=ter at Genl Heaths Quarters for Examination Notice
Will Be given When the Warrants are Signed that
The Col May apply for payments as there is
But Five Regamental paymasters appointed
the Genl Order that the abstracts Be Made out
By the Col who are To Receive the Money as
Usual, ___ An addision To the Orders of yesterday
In Case of an alarm which will Be given By
the Discharging of three Cannon one after another
at fort Indepence the Regmts are Immediately to form
on their Brigade Parades, Completely prepared for
Action the Regmts are form in Two Ranks which
in action are To be kept up Close, the files will
open at Least Twelve Inches Between Each other
, that the men may Ease and life Each Regmt to
Have from files of Reserve and Taken one from Each
Grand Division the Batalion To Be Toald off in
Grand and Sub Divisions and propper officers
Posted To Each, the Supremacy officers To be in the rear of their respective company to keep the
Men up To duty, the Col To Be advanced Before
the Coular Reserve, with the Orderly Drum
Near him, Liut Col in front Rank of the Reserve,
Musick To Be in the Rear of Each Grand Division
, a Stout able Bodyd Man of a Compy with his fire
=lock Slung to afind the Wounded Men, the Camp
of Fifty Paces in the Rear in the line, and
To Be Ready To Support Such Batalions as May
Stand in Need of aid, or to act Otherwise as
Occasion May Requires, Capt Lieut Briant
To Take post in fort Independence Col Brewer
Artificers and Col Thomas Regiment are like
=wise to Take post in that post, further Orders
and Explanations on this head will Be in
Tomorrow_______

09/12/2026

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Looking to join an amazing team of historical nerds who love teaching the public about Delaware's history? Then look no further!
Our Historic Site Interpreter position will close October 8th. Apply through the link: https://tinyurl.com/FSHPInterpreter

09/04/2026

From the Orderly Book of Delaware Regiment Lieutenant Colonel Gunning Bedford, Jr for September 4th 1776:

Parole Philadelphia Countersign Robaildos
Septr. . 4th . . . 1776
Parole Suffolk . . Countersign Truno . . . .
The Genl is Enformed that Some persons
Disaddected To the libertys of the these United
States of America are By their Artifices End=
=eavouring To Discourage and Dissuage the Soldry
from their Duty By Telling them the Brittish
Troops will Beat us, and the Like, and Even
Advising Some of them To Desert the Noble
Cause in Which we are Engaged, the Majr
Genl Hopes the Soldery will Consider Such as
the Most Dangerous Enemies, and Spurn
them in Every Attempt of this kind and
it is Desrid that Such Persons as Shall
Be so Audacious as to Attempt Into Desire or
Mislead the Soaldery May be Immediately Securd
and Sent To Head Quarters______

08/27/2026

August 27th 1776 – Battle of Long Island, New York. 2 private soldiers are killed and 2 officers and 23 soldiers are missing. 3 officers are wounded. The Delaware Regiment captures 23+ Royal Marines! Also, preceding this battle, some stories have Captain Caldwell and the Delaware’s up all night and engaged in c**kfights with other American units and well, drinking, carousing, howling at the moon, etc. Caldwell is definitively where the legend of the Blue Hen begins. He was known to be a raiser of fighting gamec**ks and, as the story goes, he brought them, in particular, a brood of a Blue Hen, when the 1st Delaware Regiment headed north. We believe that these gamec**ks were the basis of the lore of the Blue Hens. Whether they existed any further is much a mystery but the Delaware Blues did continue to distinguish themselves, again and again, and very much showed the ferocity of a gamec**k in battle. Many years later, the first known time documented (pen to paper that is) is in the 1830s, they were recalled being the Delaware chicken’s or the Blue Hens. Hence the saying "No c**k is truly game unless it comes from a blue hen!"

08/20/2026

August 8th 1776 – The Delaware Regiment is ordered to march from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Amboy, New Jersey.

They do so and then join General Washington's Continental Army prior to the Battle of Long Island. The Delaware Regiment is known to be the largest Regiment in Washington's army. Prior to arriving here the leaders of the Delaware Continentals were indicating Delaware Battalion but once they realized their size in comparison to the other units they then use Delaware Regiment moving forward for the rest of the war. To further acknowledge this you will see notes and letters, etc. with the officer - like Kirkwood or others, using DR, after their signatures.

07/24/2026

DELAWARE SNAPSHOT 📸
Speaking Words of Wisdom
Word of the Declaration of Independence’s passage spread quickly through the colonies, but the actual words took time to reach the people. In our state, the first to hear the declaration read aloud were Delaware Continental Regiment members led by Colonel John Haslet, then in Lewes. There, the July 10, 1776, reading to the troops was followed 10 days later by a more formal reading to the general citizenry. The first public reading to New Castle County residents took place in New Castle on July 24. In Kent County, the first public reading was July 29 in Dover, from the porch of a small building later replaced by what’s now called our Old State House.
– Compiled by robin brown, writer in residence
Delaware Public Archives
General Photograph Collection
Statues & Monuments
The Delaware Continentals
Photo: 2008
ID: 1325-003-036_175.2p