Early American Army
On June 3, 1784, the day after the Continental Army was reduced to 80 men, the Congress established a regiment which was to be raised and officered by obtaining volunteers from the militia of four of the states. This unit, the First American Regiment was commanded until 1 January 1792 by Josiah Harmar of Pennsylvania, gradually turned into a Regular regiment known as the 1st Infantry in 1791, and in 1815 was it redesignated as the 3d Infantry in the reorganization of the army following the War of 1812.
The Indians of the old Northwest Territory defeated a force of regulars and militia led by Harmar in 1790 and a second force consisting of the Regular establishment, now two regiments, plus militia and "levies" led by Arthur St. Clair in 1791. Because of these defeats, Congress gradually increased the military establishment from 700 men in 1784 to 5,104 in 1793. After some changes up and down due to perceived threats from France in particular, and brief experimentation with a combined arms "legion" concept led by General Anthony Wayne, Congress added five Regular infantry regiments in 1808, the 3d through the 7th, and the Regiment of Riflemen because of British aggression on the high seas.
Read more about this topic: Regular Army (United States)
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