Colonel Huntington's Regiment 1775-1783

Color Guard/Living History Unit of the Governor Samuel Huntington
Branch #12 - CTSSAR

Established May 2001 to act as the Educational Outreach of the Branch, the Color Guard portrays Colonel Jedediah Huntington’s Regiment during the years 1775 through 1783. Jedediah was a cousin of our Branch’s namesake, Governor Samuel Huntington.

“Jedediah Huntington, 1743 – 1818.
Continental General Connecticut. Reared amid wealth and great social prominence, he graduated from Harvard in 1763 and joined the business of his father, Jabez Huntington. He became an active Son of Liberty, was made Ensign of the First Norwich Company in 1769, and was a Lieutenant in 1771. In 1774 he rose from Captain in May to Colonel of the 20th Regiment of Connecticut Militia in October. On 26 April 1775 he reached Cambridge with his regiment to join the Boston Siege. He was Colonel of the 8th Connecticut Continental Regiment from 6 July to 10 December 1775, and commanded the 17th Continental Infantry Regiment (Connecticut) during 1776. . .

He commanded the 1st Connecticut Regiment Continental Line from 1 January 1777 until he was promoted to Brigadier-General on 12 May 1777. . . . Breveted Major-General on 30 September 1783, he resumed his commercial affairs after 3 November. President Washington, a personal friend, appointed him collector of customs at New London in 1789, a post he held 26 years.” – Encyclopedia of the American Revolution, Mark M. Boatner, III.

Uniforms associated with Huntington:

Seventeenth Continental Infantry Regiment 1776
Captain Timothy Perceval’s Company
Butternut colored coat and scarlet waistcoat.
Blue clothes. (Connecticut Courant, April 22, 1776)

Captain Abraham Tyler’s Company
Light colored coat and leather breeches. (Connecticut Gazette, April 19, 1776)

First Connecticut Regiment Continental Line 1777-1781
Lieutenant David Dorrance’s Company
Scarlet coat faced with white, white jacket and breeches, small round hat.
Snuff colored coat faced with light brown, white jacket and breeches, small round hat bound with white.
Red coat faced with white, brown vest, black breeches edged with red, small round hat.
Red coat with blue facings, white jacket and breeches, small round hat.
(Connecticut Gazette, February 5, 1779)
Lieutenant Richard Douglas’s Company
Red regimental coat. (Connecticut Gazette, July 25, 1777)

Captain William Richards’s Company
Light colored surtout, leather breeches, pale blue stockings. (Connecticut Journal, April 16, 1777)
Red regimental coat. (Connecticut Gazette, September 19, 1777)

Captain John Shamway’s Company
Blue coat faced with white or buff. (Norwich Packet, April 7-14, 1777)

Colors or Standards associated with Huntington and or Norwich:
1) Norwich Militia Companies – #&147;The militia at that period used the English colors; displaying the cross of St. George (+) in a field of red or blue, and sometimes the cross of St. Andrew (X) united with it, in reference to the union of England and Scotland. After the troubles with the mother country commenced, objections were made to this standard, and in all probability it was not displayed after 1774. It is said that on a certain training day, the artillery company, composed of able men and patriots of the first stamp, had provided themselves with a banner bearing the arms and motto of the State, while the light infantry performed their evolutions as heretofore under the old flag. In the course of the day’s exercises, being on a march through the town street, the artillery managed to confront the infantry, and planting their cannon in the way, refused them a passage unless they would surrender their standard. After some parleying, the royal ensign was lowered, rolled up, and never used again.” – History of Norwich, Connecticut, Frances Caulkins

2) The 8th Connecticut Regiment of 1775 (Colonel Huntington’s) - Orange standard bearing on one side the Connecticut Arms and motto “Qui Transtulit Sustinet” and on the other side “An Appeal to Heaven”.

Membership in the Color Guard is open to any member of the Governor Samuel Huntington Branch in good standing.

The Color Guard annually participates in:

• Living History Events
• Reenactments
• Parades
• Educational School Programs
• Historical/Patriotic Ceremonies and Commemorations
• SAR, DAR, and CAR Events.

Active in the Norwich Area of Connecticut

Colonel Huntington's Regiment (S.A.R.)
A Detachment of the Connecticut Line CTSSAR