Minuteman Minute | Captain Kirkwood and the Delaware Line

Delaware organized only one regiment to fight for independence, but that regiment was considered one of the best in the Continental Army.

Hi, I’m Will Roulett, director of the National Guard Memorial Museum here in D.C., and this is your Minuteman Minute! During the Revolutionary War, Delaware organized only one regiment, but it was known for being one of the best-equipped, best-dressed and fiercest fighting units. The First Delaware’s reputation was earned during the August 1776 Battle of Long Island when, with Maryland’s Regiment, it saved the rest of the Continental Army by covering their retreat. When the war shifted South in 1780, the Delawareans marched to the Carolinas. The Delaware Regiment was almost completely lost at the disastrous Battle of Camden, South Carolina, but Captains Robert Kirkwood and Peter Jaquet were able to break out with two companies. Those two companies maintained the regiment’s reputation, fighting with distinction for the remainder of the war. Today, the Delaware Army National Guard’s 198th Signal Battalion perpetuates the lineage of the First Delaware. Come learn about this – and a whole lot more – at the National Guard Memorial Museum. I’m Will Roulett, and that’s been your Minuteman Minute, brought to you by the National Guard Educational Foundation.