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In December
1775 Congress resolved that a "battalion"
should be raised from the lower three
counties of Pennsylvania. These three
counties are what is now Delaware. Delaware
was not yet a completely separate state and
was still part of the colony of
Pennsylvania. The "battalion" was also
called a regiment. On 21 January 1776 the
list of officers was completed. John Haslet
was appointed Colonel. Haslet's regiment was
judged among the very best combat units in
Washington's command. Haslet's regiment, the
only unit of Continental regulars recruited
in Delaware, is perpetuated by today's 198th
Signal Battalion, Delaware Army National
Guard. The distinctive unit insignia was
originally approved for the 198th Coast
Artillery on 13 Jun 1934. It was
redesignated for the 736th Antiaircraft
Artillery Gun Battalion on 26 Jan 1951. On 6
Apr 1961, the insignia was redesignated for
198th Artillery. The distinctive unit
insignia was redesignated for the 198th
Signal Battalion on 19 Oct 1978.
In upland South Carolina, at a place where
local farmers penned their cows, an American
force of 300 Continentals and 700 militia
from North and South Carolina, Virginia, and
Georgia, won a brilliant victory against the
British at Cowpens. On January 16, Brigadier
General Daniel Morgan, pursued by 1,100
British under Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton,
carefully picked his ground for a defensive
battle. That night, Morgan personally went
among the Continentals and militiamen to
explain his plan of battle. Morgan wanted
two good volleys from the militia, who would
then be free to ride away. The next day, the
battle went very much as Morgan had planned.
Georgia and North Carolina sharpshooters, in
front of the main body of American militia,
picked off British cavalrymen as they rode
up the slight rise toward the Americans.
Then the deadly fire of the main body of
South and North Carolina militia forced
Tarleton to commit his reserves. Seeing the
militia withdrawing as planned, the 17th
Light Dragoons pursued, but were driven off
by Morgan's cavalry. Meanwhile, the British
infantry, who assumed that the Americans
were fleeing, were hit by the main body of
Continentals, Virginia militiamen, and a
company of Georgians. At the battle's end
they were aided by militia troops, who,
instead of riding away as planned, attacked
the 71st Highlanders, who were attempting to
fight their way out of the American trap.
The British lost: 100 killed including 39
officers, 229 wounded, and 600 captured. As
they fled the field, Tarleton and his
dragoons were pursued by Colonel William
Washington's cavalry, which included mounted
Georgia and South Carolina militiamen.
The Continentals who fought at Cowpens are
perpetuated today by the 175th Infantry,
Maryland Army National Guard, and the 198th
Signal Battalion, Delaware Army National
Guard, and the Virginia militia by the 116th
Infantry, Virginia Army National Guard.
The distinctive unit insignia was originally
approved for the 198th Coast Artillery on 13
Jun 1934. It was redesignated for the 736th
Antiaircraft Artillery Gun Battalion on 26
Jan 1951. On 6 Apr 1961, the insignia was
redesignated for 198th Artillery. The
distinctive unit insignia was redesignated
for the 198th Signal Battalion on 19 Oct
1978. The shield is white, the old color of
Infantry. The eleven mullets represent the
eleven battles and campaigns in which the
organization served during the Civil War,
and the red fleur-de-lis is for World War I
service. The red is also the color of the
Coast Artillery.
Source:
GlobalSecurity.org
Lineage and Honors
The lineage and honors listed below have
been abbreviated from Department of the Army
official transcripts. The period of time
from its founding as the 1st
Delaware (9 December 1775) until service in
the First World War have only been omitted
due to length.
Reorganized during 1899 – 1900 in the
Delaware National Guard as the 1st Infantry
Regiment
Mustered into Federal service 8-9 July 1916
at New Castle for service on the Mexican
border; mustered out of Federal service
15-16 February 1917
Called into Federal service 25 July 1917;
drafted into Federal service 5 August 1917
(Companies of the 1st and 2nd Battalions
transferred in October 1917 to the 3rd
Battalion, 114th Infantry, and other units
of the 29th Division)
Personnel of the entire former 1st Infantry
Regiment, Delaware National Guard, withdrawn
17 January 1918 from the 29th Division and
regiment redesignated as the 59th Pioneer
Infantry.
Demobilized (less Companies B, C, and D) 8
July 1919 at Camp Dix, New Jersey (Companies
B, C, and D demobilized 7 August 1919 at
Camp Upton, New York)
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Former elements of the 1st Infantry
Regiment, Delaware National Guard
reorganized as follows:
198th Artillery (Coast Artillery Corps)
reorganized and Federally recognized 15
September 1921 with Headquarters at
Wilmington
(1st Separate Battalion, Coast Artillery
reorganized and Federally recognized 16
November 1920 – separate lineage)
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198th Artillery (Coast Artillery Corps)
redesignated 16 August 1924 as the 198th
Coast Artillery
Inducted into Federal service 16 September
1940 at Wilmington
(3rd Battalion organized 1 January 1943
while in Federal service)
Source:
Ian Parker, SPC, 198th DE NG
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