In colonial times, all able-bodied freemen between the ages of 16 and 60 were required to train with their town’s militia. The main focus of local militias was to protect their town or colony. They would only be called to fight when the area was threatened and could otherwise remain at home farming or operating their businesses. These men were part-time, non-professional fighters who had to provide their own weapons when they trained and their own clothing and food if they were away.
When the Revolutionary War began, the militias formed the fighting force of the first battles. It soon became obvious that there was a need for a full-time, professional army to fight England, the most powerful nation in the world, and the Continental Army was created. Colonial militias continued to exist and provided support to the Continental Army. Men who wished to support the cause could either join their local militia or the Continental Army.
The newly formed Continental Army was composed of men from all of the American colonies. The troops moved where they were needed up and down the eastern seaboard. They were provided with uniforms, food, weapons, and training. Initially, men who enlisted were required to serve for one year, but it was later expanded to a three-year requirement.
The list below shows men from Glastonbury who served during the Revolutionary War, whether they were in the militia or Continental Army. Some served in both. It is estimated that a total of 231,000 men in the American colonies served in the Continental Army. More than 375 men from Glastonbury served in either the militia or the Continental Army during the war.
The Continental Army was fully integrated, with nearly 6,600 people of color serving, many earning freedom from enslavement. Connecticut Revolutionary War records, in fact, do not generally mention the race of the person serving. However, by 1792, Congress passed a law that barred all people of color from enlisting in the army. President Lincoln changed this law in 1862 to allow people of color to serve in the military in segregated units. That law remained in place until 1948 when the administration of President Truman signed an executive order desegregating the armed forces.