Editing Continental Army (section)

==Organization==

===Governing bodies===
Military affairs were at first managed by the [[Continental Congress]] in [[plenary session]], although specific matters were prepared by a number of [[Special committee|ad hoc committees]]. In June 1776 a five-member [[standing committee]], the [[Board of War|Board of War and Ordnance]], was established in order to replace the ad hoc committees. The five members who formed the Board fully participated in the plenary activities of Congress as well as in other committees and were unable to fully engage in the administrative leadership of the Continental Army. A new Board of War was therefore formed in October 1777, of three commissioners not member of Congress. Two more commissioners, not members of Congress, were shortly thereafter added, but in October 1778, the membership was set to three commissioners not members of Congress and two commissioners members of Congress. In early 1780, the [[Quartermaster General]], the Commissary General of Purchase, and the Commissary General of Issue were put under the direction of the Board. The [[United States Secretary of War#Secretary at War (1781–1789)|Office of the Secretary at War]] was created in February 1781, although the Office did not start its work until [[Benjamin Lincoln]] assumed the office in October 1781.<ref>Wehmann 1989, pp. 189–190.</ref>

===Commander-in-chief===
{{See also|Conway Cabal}}
{{Further|George Washington in the American Revolution}}
[[File: Portrait of George Washington-transparent.png|thumb|[[George Washington]], appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army on June 15, 1775, by the [[Second Continental Congress]]]]
On June 15, 1775, delegates to the [[Second Continental Congress]], convening in present-day [[Independence Hall]] in [[Philadelphia]], unanimously elected [[George Washington]] as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army. Washington accepted the position, and served throughout the [[American Revolutionary War]] without any compensation except for reimbursement of expenses.<ref name="Lengel" />  Washington, as commander-in-chief, was supported by a chief administrative officer, the [[List of Adjutants General of the United States Army|Adjutant General]]. [[Horatio Gates]] held the position (1775–1776), [[Joseph Reed (politician)|Joseph Reed]] (1776–1777), [[George Weedon]] and Isaac Budd Dunn (1777), [[Morgan Connor]] 1777, [[Timothy Pickering]] (1777–1778), [[Alexander Scammell]] (1778–1781), and [[Edward Hand]] (1781–1783).<ref>Lesser 1976, p. xiii.</ref> An [[History of the Office of the Inspector General of the United States Army|Inspector General]] assisted the Commander-in-Chief through periodically inspecting and reporting on the condition of troops. The first incumbent was [[Thomas Conway]] (1777–1778), followed by [[Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben|Baron von Steuben]] 1778–1784, under whom the position became that of a de facto chief of staff.<ref>Wright 1983, pp. 142, 144–145.</ref> The [[Judge Advocate General of the United States Army|Judge Advocate General]] assisted the commander-in-chief with the administration of [[military justice]], but he did not, as his modern counterpart, give legal advise. [[William Tudor]] was the first appointee.<ref>Bell 2012, pp. 154–157.</ref> He was followed by [[John Laurance]] in 1777 and [[Thomas Edwards (TJAG)|Thomas Edwards]] in 1781<ref name=Principal/> The Mustermaster General kept track by name of every officer and man serving in the army. The first mustermaster was [[Stephen Moylan]].<ref>Bell 2012, pp. 150–151.</ref> He was followed by [[Gunning Bedford Jr.]] 1776–1777 and Joseph Ward.<ref name=Principal>Wright 1983, p. 432.</ref>

===Territorial organization===
{{Main|Departments of the Continental Army}}

Units of the Continental Army were assigned to any one of the [[Departments of the Continental Army|territorial departments]] to decentralize command and administration. In general there were seven territorial departments,<ref name="ReferenceA">Wright, ''Continental Army'', map, 83.</ref> although their boundaries were subject to change and they were not all in existence throughout the war. The Department of New York (later the Northern Department) was created when Congress made [[Philip Schuyler]] its commander on June 15, 1775. The Southern and Middle Departments were added in February 1776. Several others were added the same year. A major general appointed by Congress commanded each department. Under his command came all Continental Army units within the territorial limits of the department, as well as state troops and militia – if released by the governor of the state.<ref>Clay 2018, p. 5.</ref>

===Tactical organization===
{{Further information|List of Continental Army units}}

All troops under the department commander were designated as an [[Field army|army]]; hence troops in the Northern Department were called the ''Northern Army'', in the Southern Department the ''Southern Army'', etc. The department commander could be field commander or he could appoint another officer to command the troops in the field. Depending on the size of the army, it could be divided into ''wings'' or [[Division (military)|division]]s (of typically three [[brigade]]s) that were temporary organizations, and brigades (of two to five [[regiment]]s) that in effect were permanent organizations and the [[Military tactics|basic tactical unit]] of the Continental Army.<ref>Clay 2018, pp. 5–6.</ref>

An [[infantry]] regiment in the Continental Army typically consisted of 8 to 10 companies, each commanded by a captain. Field officers usually included a colonel, a lieutenant colonel, and a major. A regimental staff was made up of an [[adjutant]], [[quartermaster]], surgeon, [[surgeon's mate]], [[paymaster]], and [[chaplain]]. Infantry regiments were often called simply regiments or battalions.<ref name=Wehm191>Wehmann 1989, pp. 191–192.</ref> The regiment's fighting strength consisted of a single [[battalion]] of 728 officers and enlisted men at full strength.<ref>Clay 2018, p. 6.</ref> [[Cavalry]] and [[artillery]] regiments were organized in a similar manner. A company of cavalry was frequently called a troop. An artillery company contained specialized soldiers, such as [[Bombardier (rank)|bombardier]]s, [[Gunner (artillery)|gunner]]s, and [[matross]]es.<ref name=Wehm191/> A continental cavalry regiment had a nominal strength of 280 officers and men, but the actual strength was usually less than 150 men and even fewer horses.<ref>Clay 2018, p. 8.</ref> [[Armed-forces artificer|Artificers]] were civilian or military [[mechanic]]s and [[artisan]]s employed by the army  to provide services. They included [[blacksmith]]s, [[Cooper (profession)|coopers]], [[carpenter]]s, [[Horse harness|harnessmakers]], and [[wheelwright]]s.<ref name=Wehm191/>

===Logistical organization===
[[File:The American Soldier, 1776.jpg|thumb|An illustration of the Continental Army's Assistant Quartermaster General John Parke and Ezekiel Cheever, commissary of artillery, giving instructions to a captain of artillery on the docks of [[New London, Connecticut]] in 1776]]
In June 1775, the [[Second Continental Congress]] created the position of [[Quartermaster General of the United States Army|Quartermaster General]], after the British example. He was charged with opening and maintaining the lines of advance and retreat, laying out camps and assigning quarters. His responsibilities included furnishing the army with materiel and supplies, although the supply of arms, clothing, and provisions fell under other departments. The transportation of all supplies, even those provided by other departments, came under his ambit. The Quartermaster General served with the main army under General [[George Washington]], but was directly responsible to Congress. Deputy quartermasters were appointed by Congress to serve with separate armies, and functioned independently of the Quartermaster General. [[Thomas Mifflin]] served as Quartermaster General (1775–1776 and 1776–1778), [[Stephen Moylan]] (1776), [[Nathanael Greene]] (1778–1780), and [[Timothy Pickering]] (from 1780).<ref>Anonymous 1975, pp. 28–31.</ref>

Congress also created the position of [[Commissary general|Commissary General of Stores and Provisions]] directly responsible to Congress, with [[Joseph Trumbull (commissary general)|Joseph Trumbull]] as the first incumbent. In 1777, Congress divided the department into two, a Commissary General of Purchases, with four deputies, and a Commissary General of Issues, with three deputies. William Buchanan was head of the Purchase Department (1777–1778), [[Jeremiah Wadsworth]] (1778–1779), and [[Ephraim Blaine]] (1779–1781). In 1780, the department became subordinated to the [[Superintendent of Finance of the United States|Superintendent of Finance]], although Blaine retained his position. [[Charles Stewart (New Jersey politician)|Charles Stewart]] served as Commissary General of Issues (1777–1782).<ref>Anonymous 1975, pp. 31–32.</ref>

The responsibility for procuring arms and ammunition at first rested with various committees of Congress. In 1775, a field organization, usually known as the Military Branch of the Commissariat of Military Stores, was made responsible for distribution and care of [[Materiel|ordnance]] in the field. In 1777, Congress established a Commissary General of Military Stores. Known as the Civil Branch, this organization was responsible for handling [[arsenal]]s, [[Materiel|laboratories]], and some [[procurement]] under the general supervision of the Board of War. Later in the war, a Surveyor of Ordnance was made responsible for inspecting [[Foundry|foundries]], [[Gunpowder magazine|magazines]], ordnance shops, and field ordnance. In July 1777, the Board of War was authorized to purchase artillery.<ref>Anonymous 1975a, pp. 25–27.</ref>

Congress created a hospital department in July 1775 as a part of the Continental Army's administrative structure. It came under the [[Surgeon General of the United States Army|Director General of the Hospital Department]], chosen by Congress but serving under the Commander-in-Chief, and was staffed by four [[surgeon]]s, an [[apothecary]], twenty [[surgeon's mate]]s, a [[nurse]] for every ten patients, a [[matron]] to supervise the nurses, a clerk, and two storekeepers. The department was reorganized in 1777; deputy director generals were added to the administrative structure; commissaries of hospitals were established to provide food and  forage; and apothecary generals were established to procure and distribute medicines.<ref>Anonymous 1975a, p. 27</ref> The first director general was [[Benjamin Church (physician)|Benjamin Church]] (1775), he was followed by [[John Morgan (physician)|John Morgan]] (1775–1777), [[William Shippen Jr.|William Shippen]] (1777–1781), and [[John Cochran (physician)|John Cochran]] (1781).<ref name=Principal/>

Keeping the continentals clothed was a difficult task and to do this Washington appointed [[James Mease]], a merchant from Philadelphia, as Clothier General. Mease worked closely with state-appointed agents to purchase clothing and things such as cow hides to make clothing and shoes for soldiers. Mease eventually resigned in 1777 and had compromised much of the organization of the Clothing Department. After this, on many accounts, the soldiers of the Continental Army were often poorly clothed, had few blankets, and often did not even have shoes. The problems with clothing and shoes for soldiers were often not the result of not having enough but of organization and lack of transportation. To reorganize, the Board of War was appointed to sort out the clothing supply chain. During this time they sought out the help of France, and for the remainder of the war clothing was coming from over-sea procurement.<ref name="NRWAD" />

The disbursing of money to pay soldiers and suppliers were the function of the [[Paymaster-General of the United States Army|Paymaster-General]]. [[James Warren (politician)|James Warren]] was the first incumbent of this office.<ref>Bell 2012, p. 152.</ref> His successor was [[William Palfrey]] in 1776, who was followed by John Pierce Jr. in 1781.<ref name=Principal/>