Rev War | Marker
1st Rhode Island Regiment
West Main Road & Route 24
Patriots Park
Portsmouth, RI 02871
United States
By late 1777, Washington’s army was collapsing from disease, desertion, and supply shortages. Rhode Island struggled to meet its troop quotas. The state asked permission to recruit free Black, Indigenous, and enslaved men. In February 1778, the Rhode Island Assembly passed the Slave Enlistment Act, promising freedom to enslaved men who enlisted. At the Battle of Rhode Island on August 29, 1778, the regiment fought with exceptional discipline, repelling repeated Hessian assaults.
1st Rhode Island Regiment: What's Nearby
Portsmouth, RI