The 5th Connecticut Regiment was raised on April 27, 1775, at Danbury, Connecticut, under the command of David Waterbury.
When researching an ancestor, it is important always to get as close to the primary source as possible. If you had an ancestor who was from Connecticut and fought in the American Revolutionary War, then begin your research by studying the Connecticut Line and the individual regiments that formed it. Each regiment has its own history, and knowing their story helps provide context to what your ancestors experienced.
Timeline
- The Regiment was one of six formed by the Connecticut Legislature in response to the battles of Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts.
- The Fifth would see its first action during the Invasion of Canada.
- As was the practice during the first few years of the war, the New England troops were engaged only until the year's end, and the original Fifth Connecticut Regiment was disbanded on December 13, 1775.
- It would not see National Service during 1776, but a State Regiment, organized by Colonel Philip Burr Bradley, did serve in the New York and New Jersey campaigns.
- The Fifth returned to Continental duty at the beginning of 1777.
- The Regiment went on to fight at the Battle of Ridgefield, the Battle of Germantown, and the Battle of Monmouth.
- The Regiment was merged along with the 7th Conn. into the 2nd Conn. on January 1, 1781.
- The Fifth was furloughed on June 15, 1783, at West Point, New York, and disbanded on November 15, 1783.
Online and Offline Resources
- 5th Continental Regiment
- The Continental Army (Army Lineage Edition) - Robert K Wright
- The Continental Army (Kindle Edition)
- Ancestry Revolutionary War Rolls
- Connecticut Revolutionary War Military Lists 1775-83
- Connecticut Men in the Revolutionary War
- Revolutionary War Records of Fairfield Connecticut
- The Revolutionary War Soldiers of Redding
- Connecticut Town Meetings during the American Revolution Vol. 1
- Connecticut Town Meetings during the American Revolution Vol. 2
- Fold 3 Military Records