The 4th NY Regiment of the Continental Line, 1777-1780 (U.S. National Park Service)

Three young Continental Soldiers stand in a row, at ease, their muskets rested in front of them — National Park Service

The 4^th New York Regiment that served to the end of 1780 was organized in January of 1777 from the remnants of various regiments raised for the 1775 Canadian invasion and short lived 1776 regiments. Originally raised in Ulster, Dutchess, Orange, and Suffolk Counties, by 1777 it was recruited from all parts of the states.

Henry Beekman Livingston, who had been the Lieutenant Colonel of the 2^nd New York Regiment of 1776, was promoted to full colonel and given command of the 4^th New York. While Livingston was a good officer overall, he had no tolerance for superior officers whom he felt were inferior to him in terms of social rank and capabilities. He also felt that his commission was senior to that of some of the other New York colonels, and that he should have been given command of one of the more senior regiments. This meant that Livingston spent a great deal of time disputing other’s ranks and butting heads with senior officers.

The 4^th New York was first posted to the Hudson Highlands in the spring of 1777 as part of the American forces protecting the large supply depots in the Peekskill area. When the British sent a raiding party to destroy the supply areas in March of 1777, it appears the American commander, General Alexander McDougal, panicked and ordered all his forces to retreat. Thus, the men of the 4^th were forced to watch in frustration as the British destroyed the supply areas and left with hardly anything being done to hinder them. This event further deepened the already bad blood between Livingston and McDougal. After a court-martial, Livingston was found guilty of a breach of respect and rebuked in the next day’s general orders, which did nothing to improve the relationship between the two men. Not surprisingly, when a call went out for additional troops to reinforce the Northern Department Army against Burgoyne’s invasion, the 4^th New York was one of the regiments sent north. They were initially ordered to the Mohawk Valley as a reinforcement requested by General Benedict Arnold to help raise the siege of Fort Schuyler (Stanwix). On receiving word, the British had abandoned the siege, however, they returned to the American Army around Stillwater.

The chaos of battle with firearms and hand-to-hand combat. Men rush forward in a crush with bodies fallen and piled underneath their feet. — Benedict Arnold after he was shot, with his leg pinned under his horse.
Alonzo Chappel, New York Public Library Digital Collections.

This put them in place for the First Battle of Saratoga (Battle of Freeman’s Farm) on September 19^th, where they took the field against the British center column. This may not have been their original orders, however. In his post-war memoirs, Col. Philip Van Cortlandt, commanding the 2^nd New York, stated that his regiment and the 4^th New York were ordered to engage the British right column. According to Van Cortlandt he “…was determined to attack them and arrest their progress, and sent by the Adjutant…to inform Colo. Livingston and direct him to support me which order he disobeyed and fil’d (filed) off to the Right…” Livingston had earlier challenged the seniority of Van Cortlandt’s commission, so whether this is a case of Livingston intentionally ignoring Van Cortlandt’s orders, a misunderstanding of his orders, or a perceived slight in the case of Van Cortlandt cannot be determined at this time. Whatever occurred, Gen. Arnold later commended the 4^th New York for its performance during the battle.

They would be in action again during the Second Battle of Saratoga (Battle of Bemis Heights) on October 7, helping to push Burgoyne’s “Reconnaissance in force” back into their fortifications and taking part in the failed attempt to take the British Light Infantry Redoubt (sometimes referred to as the “Balcarres Redoubt”) on the left of the British lines. It appears that Col. Livingston was frustrated that the redoubt the 4^th New York helped attack held while the one at the opposite end of the British lines fell to the Americans. In a letter to his brother several days after the battle, he put himself and the 4^th New York in the successful attack, even stating that “In the last engagement my regiment was the first that entered the enemies lines, and I believe I can safely affirm that I was the first man in there next to Genl Arnold who was on Horse Back.” There is no evidence or support from any other period sources that the 4^th New York took part in Gen. Arnold’s successful flank attack against the German Redoubt.

Two smallish snow covered huts/log cabins. The sun sets behind them. — The rebuilt soldiers' huts at Valley Forge National Historical Park.
National Park Service

The 4^th New York would return to the main army under Washington in time to take part in the terrible winter encampment at Valley Forge. The 4^th suffered the same lack of food, clothing, and equipment as the rest of the troops when the army’s supply system completely failed. At one point, Livingston wrote that he had only 18 men out of the 287 in his regiment who could report for duties fully clothed and armed.

In 1778, the 4^th New York took part in the Battle of Monmouth, which came about as Washington attempted to harass the British Army’s retreat to New York City from Philadelphia. As part of the main body of troops under Washington, they arrived in time to become part of the defensive line that halted a series of British attacks. As the British began their retreat from the field late in the day, the 4^th New York also made-up part of the brigade ordered by Washington to counterattack. The excessive heat of the day and the general exhaustion of the troops however, kept the Americans from catching up with the retreating British. This American brigade would remain as the advance detachment of Washington’s Army for the evening, watching for British movement during the night. With the successful British retreat to New York City, Washington marched his army to White Plains and the Hudson Highlands. Here the 4^th New York became part of the newly formed New York Brigade under General James Clinton. The 4th New York was sent to various garrison posts in the Mohawk Valley for the winter of 1778-1779 and built the initial fortifications for what would become Fort Plain/Fort Rensselaer (near modern Canajoharie).

Having received a leg wound fighting with the advanced guard at Monmouth, Col. Livingston took a leave of absence from the army. Continuously frustrated by the promotion of men over him that he considered his inferiors, he finally resigned his commission as commander of the 4^th New York in November of 1778. In January of 1779, Prussian born Fredrick Weisenfelts, Lieutenant Colonel of the 2^nd New York Regiment, was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel Commandant of the 4^th New York Regiment and would lead it for the rest of its existence.

In the summer of 1779, as part of the New York Brigade, the 4th New York took part in the western expedition against the British allied Six Nations. The regiment fought in the Battle of Newtown, taking part in a wide flanking maneuver that attempted to cut off the retreat of the Indians and Loyalists from their defensive positions. The New York Brigade rejoined the main army for the Morristown encampment in the winter of 1779-1780. The 4^th New York endured another winter without proper food, clothing and equipment as the excessive cold, heavy snow and ice kept supplies from getting to the army in a timely manner. For most of 1780, the 4^th New York was posted to various areas in the Hudson Highlands. In October of 1780, they were ordered to become the new garrison for Fort Schuyler (Stanwix). They arrived at the fort on November 22 and the usual problems of maintaining the morale and discipline of a regiment in garrison began almost immediately.

Surrender painting medium — The Surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown, October 19, 1781 by John Trumbull
Yale University Art Gallery, Trumbull Collection

A detailed inquiry was made into an apparent theft of provisions from one of the bombproof storage areas near the end of November. It revealed that several men from different companies had indeed stolen food from the stores. In a show of remarkable restraint, Col. Weisenfelts remitted the men’s physical punishment, and along with a severe tongue lashing in garrison orders, he ordered the men confined for six hours in one of the forts bombproofs.

No such reprieve was coming for Private Edward Collins, however. He received 100 lashes “on his bair back” on November 30 for “1st Insulting the officers of the Regiment, 2nly for breaking Lieut Hyatts Door with an ax affter tattoo Beat, 3dly for Attempting to strike Capt Gray When in the Execution of his Office.” Apparently, the lesson the lashes were meant to teach failed to sink in, because he was court martialed again on December 1 for “Insulting and Abusive Language and threatening the Officers” and sentenced to another 100 lashes which he received on December 2. It appears the second set of lashes had the desired effect, as Collins’ name does not appear in any further court-martials for the remainder of the year. It also appears the men in general began to settle into the routines of the garrison, as very few court-martials appear for the remainder of 1780.

The end 1780 brought about an army wide consolidation of the various state lines. Here, the history of the 4^th New York came to an end as they and the 5^th New York were consolidated into the 2^nd New York Regiment. As part of the 2^nd New York, the men of the old 4^th would take part in the Siege of Yorktown. This gave those men the distinction of being present at the surrender of two British Armies: Burgoyne at Saratoga in 1777 and Cornwallis at Yorktown in 1781.

A Day with the 4th NY Regiment, 1781

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Fort Stanwix National Monument Presents: A Day With the 4th NY, Fort Schuyler 1781

*Fife and drum music*

Monday, February 18, 1781 All the rooms and cabins in the garrison are to be numbered, beginning with all the officers, and a return made of them to the commandant tomorrow. To be included: In what order, how many men they will contain, and by whom they are occupied.

*Drumbeat plays* Friday, December 1, 1781 If at any time it should happen that a fire breaks out in the garrison, upon the beating of the long roll from the guard house, both officers and men will turn out.

*Fife and drum music* The quarter master will order two men from the regiment to clean the chimneys every fourth day of the month, which will be paid for their work by the Assistant department quartermaster general.

Sunday, January 14, 1781 The commissary directed to issue to the officers, their weekly allowance of rum upon their order, agreeable to his excellency General George Washington’s orders of the 28th of August 1780.

*Fife and drum music continues* Thursday February 8, 1781 The colonel being apprehensive that the beef on hand will not last the garrison on full allowance until a supply can arrive. He his therefore under the disagreeable necessity of ordering that only a half-pound of beef and 1 ½ pounds bread be issued per day until further orders, and assures the troops that the deficiency will be made up to them.

*Fife and drum music fades*

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