The First Pennsylvania Regiment

09/01/2025

What a great find! The speaker in the podcast I shared last night has a free book about Thompson's Rifle Battalion. Download it for free!

©2025 John A. Bonin Although 1775 is indisputably the birth year of the US Army, two events occurred on June 14 of that year to which the Army can credit its birthday. One is the adoption by the Continental Congress of the collective militia forces from several colonies outside Boston to form a Con...

09/01/2025

Interesting -

Before Washington crossed the Delaware… before the victory at Yorktown… there was William Thompson In June 1775, this frontier fighter from Cumbe...

09/01/2025

The first commander of the First Pennsylvania Regiment, or Thompson's Rifle Battalion, was Colonel William Thompson of Carlise, Pennsylvania. About 2 years ago, his home, built in 1764 and still in existence, came up for sale. It is currently being restored! Check out this Youtube channel to see how the restoration is going and more information about the Colonel and the unit.
https://www.youtube.com//videos

07/31/2025

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I invite you all to join us in a trip to the national infantry Museum at Ft. Benning on Saturday August 23. We will discuss details later, but i would like us to travel in caravan so we all arrive together. I envision our Shelby County (and north) members meeting near the village, then others joining us in Montgomery, Prattville etc. Let me know who is intrested and we will make more detailed plans.
Some other Fall events:
September: meetng at the village to discuss upcoming events and 250 projects. Date TBA
October: 18th Century culinary competition Date TBA
November 10: Color Guard for National Veteran's Day dinner in Birmingham
November: (Tentative) Overnight encampment at the Village and "School of the Soldier" Date TBA
December 6: Christmas Celebration at the Village Time TBA*

I look forward to hearing from everyone.

Chris

Send a message to learn more

07/27/2025

I recently discovered a source for bear oil, which was a common substance on the frontier of western Pennsylvania. Bear oil was used by both Native and Colonial alike. The Indians used it in foods and also as a base for their body paint. It makes an excellent oil for your fire lock. It also is not prone to rancidness, like most other natural oils. I have had some, unrefrigerated, for a decade or more, and have had no problems with it. I recommend it to anyone looking for a period correct lubricant. I'm also including a video produced by our friends at Knox's Artillery with instructions to make black ball, another item that you would find in any military camp. Modern shoe polish doesn't replicate blackball at all. Blackball has more of a hard but supple finish when dried. If made properly, it won't get all over your clothing like shoe polish will. This video uses an original recipe. I made some myself so I know it works. Try it out. Little details in your kit, like authentic lubricants and blackball go a long way to help your authenticity and our authenticity as a unit. Not to mention that it's just plain fun to make this stuff. I will post a link to the materials at the end. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ImDRpzjLVw

https://bvcolonialcrafts.com/category/3-leather-dressing/bear-lard-3-leather-dressing/

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1644771068/grass-fed-mutton-tallow

07/24/2025

25 July 1775, Tuesday: Capt. Michael Dowdle’s Company of Riflemen from York County, Pennsylvania arrive at camp in Cambridge, Massachusetts at 1:00 pm. Dowdle's men began their journey on July 1, 1775, becoming the first company of riflemen to arrive in Massachusetts, having traveled over 400 miles in just twenty-five days.

Image source: The Boston Gazette, as cited in The Remembrancer for 1775, Volume 1,The Remembrancer, or Impartial Repoistory of Public Events, London: Printed for J. Almon, opposite Burlington-House, in Piccadily, MDCCLXXV(1775), page 231.

07/23/2025

Homework for the First PA! Please watch/listen.

This talk, Continental Rifles in the American Revolution, was given by John Weaver to the Washington Crossing American Revolution Round Table on June 9, 2025...