15th Massachusetts Regt.

The 15th Massachusetts Regiment emerged during a transitional period for the Continental Army. Early in the Revolution, leaders in Congress and the colonies believed the war would be brief. Initial enlistments in 1775 and 1776 reflected this belief, with soldiers serving only one year. These terms soon proved insufficient, ending shortly after the Battle of Trenton in 1776. Recognizing the need for a more permanent and stable force, Congress enacted the “Eighty-Eight Battalion Resolve,” which required each state to raise regiments proportional to its population. Massachusetts, as one of the most populous colonies, was expected to raise fifteen regiments for the Continental Army.

The 15th Massachusetts was one of the last of these regiments to be created under the resolve. Its commander, Colonel Timothy Bigelow of Worcester, was a veteran officer with experience from the Siege of Boston and Benedict Arnold’s expedition to Canada. Bigelow was tasked with building a regiment of 500 men from across Worcester, Middlesex, Essex, Cumberland, Hampshire, and Bristol Counties. Yet, despite this ambitious goal, recruitment fell short of expectations. The regiment initially mustered only a little over 200 men, reflecting the difficulties Massachusetts faced in filling quotas for long-term enlistments. The regiment struggled to assemble on time and was the last Massachusetts regiment to deploy in response to Burgoyne’s invasion in 1777. Not until Valley Forge did the 15th Massachusetts approach its intended full strength.

Among the officers Bigelow recruited was Captain Edmund Munro of Lexington. Munro brought a wealth of prior military experience. He had served as both lieutenant and adjutant during the French and Indian War, fought on April 19, 1775, at the very outset of the Revolution, and possibly advised Captain John Parker on ambush tactics during the skirmish remembered as “Parker’s Revenge.” He had participated in the Siege of Boston, served in Colonel Reed’s 2nd Continental Regiment as lieutenant and quartermaster, and been present at Fort Ticonderoga in 1776. By 1777, he was a seasoned officer whose record lent both credibility and stability to the new regiment.

In exchange for his commission, Munro was tasked with raising a company of fifty men. On March 10, 1777, the Lexington militia was mustered to support this effort. That day, nineteen men from the town volunteered to join his company. They included musicians, such as a fifer and drummer, as well as Patriots of Color, Pomp Blackman, and Jupiter Tree. The remainder of the company consisted of recruits from other towns in Middlesex County. Thus, Munro’s company represented a cross-section of Massachusetts society, striking a balance between strong ties to Lexington and a broader regional character.

By the time the regiment assembled in the field, it was organized into eight companies, with Munro’s among them. As the men entered active service, they became part of a regiment whose fate was intertwined with one of the Continental Army’s most reliable and respected brigades.

In 1777, the 15th Massachusetts Regiment was assigned to General John Glover’s Brigade, where it stayed until it was disbanded in January 1781. Washington highly valued Glover’s Brigade, praising its discipline and organization. Unlike his frequent complaints about “miserably constituted bands from New England,” Washington regarded Glover’s troops as much more reliable and capable during crises. The brigade was often called upon for crucial strategic efforts, notably during the Saratoga and Rhode Island campaigns.

During the Saratoga Campaign, the 15th Massachusetts endured significant hardship. By August 1777, the regiment had no tents and was forced to build shelters from brush and boards taken from local buildings. Food was irregular, with rations often supplemented by chocolate and sugar. Portions of the regiment were detached to serve as light infantry under Colonel Dearborn and participated directly in the Battles of Freeman’s Farm. After the second battle, the regiment was ordered to stand ready at a moment’s notice with only arms, equipment, and blankets. Despite shortages and disorganization in supply, observers noted that the men were “pretty well clothed and well armed,” with arms kept clean and orderly. General Glover later reported that his brigade had suffered over 300 casualties at the first battle, a number he considered minor in light of the intensity of the fighting.

Following Saratoga, the regiment encamped at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777–1778. Conditions there tested the resolve of the men, yet the 15th Massachusetts reached near full strength during this period. It was also at Valley Forge that Captain Munro swore a formal oath of loyalty to the United States, witnessed by Major General Baron de Kalb. The loyalty oath captured the spirit of transformation in the Continental Army during that winter, as regiments emerged from hardship with stronger cohesion and commitment.

The following summer, the regiment marched into action at the Battle of Monmouth. Period accounts from Glover’s Brigade described grueling marches under extreme heat, limited rest, and long nights spent without tents or baggage. On June 28, 1778, the brigade engaged in pursuit of the British and formed lines on elevated ground with artillery to the front. A prolonged cannonade followed, lasting for hours. Soldiers endured both enemy fire and the punishing heat, with many fainting before reaching the enemy’s position. At the height of the battle, Captain Munro’s Company received a direct artillery hit, decapitating the company commander and killing or wounding several soliders, including men from Lexington. When the British retreated, Glover’s men occupied their ground, spending the night in the open fields.

The 15th Massachusetts continued to see service after Monmouth. In 1778, the regiment assisted in suppressing a mutiny of the 2nd Rhode Island Regiment and later fought in the Battle of Rhode Island. In 1779, the brigade participated in the defense of Connecticut, followed by forage operations in the Hudson Highlands through 1780. In January of that year, discontent boiled over when over 100 men of the 15th Massachusetts and 60 men from other regiments mutinied. A sergeant attempted to lead the men in a mass desertion back to Massachusetts, but the uprising was quickly suppressed. Despite this incident, the regiment remained intact until disbandment in 1781, completing nearly four years of service within Glover’s Brigade.

Among the men who enlisted in Captain Munro’s company were Black soldiers, including Lexington’s Pomp Blackman and Jupiter Tree. Their enlistment shows the willingness of Patriots of Color to step forward during a critical moment in the Revolution, despite facing racial prejudice and inequality. By serving alongside their white neighbors, they helped meet the regiment’s quotas and enabled Munro to form a strong company. Their presence with other Lexington volunteers illustrates how communities worked together in the war effort, with Patriots of Color taking the same risks of battle, hardship, and disease as every other soldier.

The service of these men also reflects a broader pattern within Glover’s Brigade. Contemporary observers, while praising the brigade’s discipline and effectiveness, noted the visible presence of Black soldiers in its ranks. Some considered their inclusion unusual, yet the brigade distinguished itself as one of Washington’s most reliable units in major campaigns. Within Munro’s company and the larger regiment, Black soldiers were armed, clothed, and organized in the same way as their comrades, standing on equal ground in terms of duty and responsibility. Their enlistment in the 15th Massachusetts demonstrates not only the diversity within the Continental Army but also the vital role Patriots of Color played in advancing the fight for American independence.

The men of Munro’s company, like those of the 15th Massachusetts more broadly, faced chronic shortages in arms, clothing, and equipment. Still, they were gradually supplied through state contracts and Continental resources. Between January and August 1777, the regiment received most of its essential supplies. This included 225 new French muskets with bayonets and scabbards, though initially without belting to carry them. Early reports suggested that many soldiers lacked functioning bayonets, but a September inspection revealed that most were equipped with their bayonets, with their arms clean and serviceable. Other supplies included knapsacks, blankets, cartridge boxes, slings, and canteens.

Clothing was distributed unevenly, reflecting both civilian and military styles. The regiment received felt hats, leather caps, linen hunting shirts, waistcoats, breeches, shirts, shoes, and stockings. However, the issue of regimental coats was inconsistent. Contractors provided 295 coats in 1777, although not all were delivered at once, so soldiers often wore a mix of civilian and military clothing. Deserter descriptions from the period confirm that some men wore civilian jackets and breeches instead of regulation uniforms. By 1778 and into 1779, however, Glover’s Brigade was likely outfitted in blue coats faced with white, consistent with records of supply to Massachusetts regiments.

The coats themselves were cheaply made. They often lacked lining, functional pockets, or buttons on the cuffs. Nevertheless, they gave soldiers a more uniform appearance, distinguishing them from militia troops who frequently augmented Washington’s army. By 1779, deserter advertisements from Massachusetts regiments described drummers and fifers in white coats with blue facings, suggesting attempts at standardization across Glover’s Brigade.

Levies, or short-term recruits enlisted for three to nine months, occasionally joined the regiment. During the Saratoga campaign, records show that levies were attached to Glover’s Brigade. These men were equipped like regular Continentals, receiving muskets, cartridge boxes, regimental coats, and other essentials. Thus, a levy in Munro’s company would have been indistinguishable in appearance from a long-term enlistee.

Interpretation and Legacy

Captain Edmund Munro’s company of the 15th Massachusetts Regiment stands as an example of the challenges and achievements of the Continental Army during the middle years of the Revolution. Its formation reflected both the difficulties of recruitment and the importance of local communities in filling regimental quotas. Nineteen men from Lexington formed the core of the company, joined by neighbors from across Middlesex County. Their service was embedded in the broader reputation of Glover’s Brigade, which Washington relied upon in moments of crisis.

The campaigns of the regiment, from Saratoga to Monmouth and beyond, highlight both endurance and discipline. Despite shortages of tents, bayonet equipment, and uniforms, Munro’s company fought in pivotal battles, endured the privations of Valley Forge, and stood as part of one of the most respected brigades in the Continental Army. At the same time, the regiment’s story reveals moments of strain, such as the mutiny of 1780, when frustrations over conditions nearly tore it apart.

The equipment and clothing of the regiment illustrate the uneven process of transforming local militias into a professional army. Soldiers combined civilian attire with military coats, gradually achieving greater uniformity by 1778. Arms and supplies arrived sporadically, and even when issued, items such as bayonets were initially incomplete. Nevertheless, by inspection and contemporary accounts, the regiment presented a disciplined and well-armed appearance, honoring the leadership of officers like Munro.

The legacy of Munro’s company lies in its persistence and adaptability. Raised in a moment of uncertainty, it weathered the war’s harshest conditions, contributed to decisive campaigns, and embodied the growing professionalism of the Continental Army. Its story reflects the broader transformation of American forces from short-term militia service to a disciplined, enduring army capable of standing against the best troops of Britain. Captain Munro’s leadership, the commitment of his Lexington volunteers, and the service of his company within Glover’s Brigade ensured that the 15th Massachusetts played its part in carrying the Revolution forward to eventual victory.