British and Colonial Unit Definitions for the Revolutionary War

The following table provides the basic guidelines for determining the sizes of British and American forces during the American Revolution.

Found on the Web by L. H_iler & converted to HTML 12-11-1996
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Unit Definitions:

            UNIT                       DEFINITION              TOTAL

British Units :
                           10 companies of 38 men :
 Regiment/Battalion        8 line infantry companies,        380 men
                           1 light infantry and 1 grenadier
                           company.

 Dragoon Regiment          6 companies of 37 men :           222 men
                           6 Cavalry companies
 

American:

 Provincial / Minute Man   10 companies of 50 men :          500 men
                           10 infantry companies

 Continental Line          8 companies of 86 men :           688 men
                           8 infantry companies

 Continental Rifle Corps   10 companies of 68 men :          680 men
                           10 riflemen companies

 American Dragoon Regiment 6 companies of 68 men :           408 men
                           6 cavalry companies

     It is important to point out that these figures cannot be assumed
to be exact for either side. The British forces numbered exactly as
defined, but often their effective fighting force was reduced by
illness, battle losses and desertion.

     As for the Continental units, Baron von Steuben was quoted as
stating :

     "the words company, regiment, brigade, and division were so vague
     that they did not convey any idea upon which to form a
     calculation, either of a particular corps or of the army in
     general. They were so unequal in numbers that it would have been
     impossible to execute any maneuver."

However, he did institute standard definitions of unit compositions in
the reorganization of the Continental Army in May of 1778.

Information taken from Johnson.