Captain Jeremiah Burroughs, Warner’s Additional Continental Regiment
Jeremiah Burroughs was born in 1749 in Dutchess County, New York. He was the son of James and Anna (Valentine) Burroughs.
On July 5, 1776, Colonel Seth Warner’s Regiment was re-authorized by the Continental Congress as an Extra-Continental Regiment. Recruitment for the new regiment was slow. In September 1776, Warner and Captains Wait Hopkins and Gideon Brownson traveled to Philadelphia to petition the Continental Congress to reimburse them for expenses from the Canada campaign. Instead, Congress referred them back to the commissioners of the Northern Department, who also refused to act. In addition, Major General Philip Schuyler would not release recruitment money until December. Nevertheless, the unit did fill its rolls and became an effective fighting force. Jeremiah Burroughs was commissioned Captain with duties as a Company Commander in Colonel Warner’s Regiment on October 23, 1776.
Captain Burroughs participated in the battles of Hubbardton on July 7, 1777 and Bennington on August 16, 1777. All of the Additional Continental Regiments were having trouble enlisting recruits during 1778, as many of the States were paying additional enlistment bounties to new recruits for their own State Lines. This problem was made worse when General Washington ordered a draft of new recruits for Warner’s Regiment to Rhode Island instead of joining the Regiment. Political interference from New York with Vermont’s attempts to fill the Regiment was also a problem.
The Regiment was involved in several skirmishes during 1778 & 1779. The only significant one occurred at 14 Mile Island on Lake George where the Regiment lost 7 killed and 7 captured. The Regiment’s Major and two Company Commanders were lost in this action.
The Regiment’s final engagement was at Fort George at the southern end of Lake George on October 11, 1780. The garrison commander, Captain Chipman, sent a force of 50 men under Captain Sill to investigate a report of 40 or 50 British in the area. Instead they found 800 British & Indians. With no other options available, Captain Sill attacked. In the ensuing battle the Regiment lost 15 killed and 15 captured, the rest fighting their way out. Short on food & lacking sufficient force to defend the fort, Captain Chipman surrendered his post and 56 more men from the Regiment went into captivity. The Regiment was disbanded by order of General Washington on January 1, 1781 as part of the Continental Congress’ overall re-organization of the American Army and Captain Burroughs was retired effective January 1, 1781.
Captain Burroughs married Mary —–. Captain Jeremiah Burroughs left a will dated March 30, 1803. The will mentions: wife Mary, youngest son Jeremiah, executor were his son James of Marcellus and son-in-law George Willey of Whitehall, and witness Matthew Burroughs. The will was proved on September 30, 1803 in Onondaga County, New York. As such, Captain Jeremiah Burroughs died prior to September 30, 1803.
Sources: Francis B. Heitman, Historical Register of Officers of the Continental Army, (Baltimore, 1914), 135; Gavin K. Watt, The Burning of the Valleys. Dundurn Press (1997), 103–05; Elizabeth Cometti, editor. The American Journals of Lt John Enys. Syracuse University Press (1976), 51; United States Congressional serial set, Issue 7324, 59; Records of the Council of Safety and Governor and Council of the State of Vermont (1873), 1:21–22; Col. Seth Warner’s Extra-Continental Regiment; Descendants of John Burroughs; Selected Wartime Service Records of Captain Jeremiah Burroughs.
