When the Continental Army was new and being constituted from Minute Men and Militia

One of the things that is so striking when doing genealogical research in New England from 1620-1800 is just how tightly knit the communities and families were.  The mesh of relationships were extensive given how large the families were and how long lived (compared to the rest of the world.)

As an example, my fifth-great-grandfather Robert Longley (1734-1802) was a Captain in the Bolton militia company which responded to the Lexington alarm on April 16, 1775 as part of Colonel Asa Whitcomb's Regiment.  Longley fought at Lexington and served through the balance of 1775 and through 1776 as well.  It appears he fought at Bunker Hill.

Colonel, later General, Asa Whitcomb is also in my family tree as a first cousin, 8 times removed.  Captain (later Colonel) Robert Longley's wife was Anna Whitcomb (1737-1815).  Her great-grandfather was Asa Whitcomb's grandfather.  They were cousins, once removed.  

For fifth-great grandfather Captain Robert Longley, his commanding officer, Colonel Asa Whitcomb was also his wife's cousin one generation older.  Effectively Asa Whitcomb was Robert Longley's Cousin/Uncle-in-law.  Fit that into the chain-of-command.  As if command and control were not already a challenge in a communal and consent based culture.

Purely as a guess, there were probably some six hundred of more Whitcombs in the area of Boston, Lexington and Concord, all more or less distantly related.  Certainly, 62 Whitcombs are recorded as DAR Patriots having served in one capacity or another.  

This dense network of relationships created a particular challenge in converting militia into disciplined Continental Line units.  It is one thing to command and discipline strangers, it is another, good and bad, to command friends and family.  Asa Whitcomb was 56 at the time of Lexington, old for that era, though with extensive martial experience during the colonial and frontier wars against the French and Indians. 

From Asa Whitcomb, a Sterling Patriot by Frederick Lewis Weis, Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society , Oct., 1941 - May, 1944, Third Series, Vol. 67 (Oct., 1941 - May, 1944), pp. 111-127.

Before the outbreak of war the following April, Asa Whitcomb was elected colonel of the Lancaster militia regiment, while John  Whitcomb [his brother], besides being a "general officer" of the Massachusetts militia, was also colonel of the Lancaster regiment of Minute Men.  Thus Lancaster was ready when a hurrying courier galloped through the town on the morning of April nineteenth, shouting the news that the British were marching to Lexington and Concord. In short order 257 resolute men, under six company leaders, eagerly hastened to Concord to help drive the invaders back. General Heath noted in his diary: "General Whitcomb was in this day's battle"; and so too, we may be sure, was his brother Colonel Asa. Many men from their regiments took active part in the skirmishes on that day. The Lancaster Minute Men were engaged at this time for four and a half days. They were prepared only for sudden calls to duty, but about one-third of them enlisted in the "American Army" (as the forces engaged before Boston were called) for the eight remaining months of the year.  

Colonel Asa Whitcomb (and apparently fifth great grandfather Captain Longley) then fought at Bunker Hill, helping cover the retreat at the conclusion of the battle.  

After Bunker Hill and with the appointment of George Washington, one of Washington's first tasks was to rationalize the militia, create a Continental Army, institute drill training, and organize a commissary adequate to supply the emerging army.  All while the thirteen colonies were coming to grips with what they had done and how to organize their new state governments and finances.

As if that were not enough, especially with the northern militia, Washington had to make decisions cognizant of the culture of fierce independence and communalism, partly enmeshed in the friends and family networks of the local and densely populated communities.

At the time of the military reorganization consequent upon the creation of the Continental Army Colonel Whitcomb was one of the field officers dropped. According to a newspaper account it was because of his advanced age. According to Washington it was because of the necessity for economy. Taking both explanations at their face value, one is tempted to surmise that the correct underlying reason for this apparent ending of Whitcomb's military career is to be found in the fact that while, because of his "noble qualities of heart," he enjoyed great popularity, he was in fact too amiable to become a strict disciplinarian.

In mid-November, however, Whitcomb was reinstated. The story, as given a few months later in a Boston newspaper, is as follows: 

Deacon Whitcomb, of Lancaster (who was a member of the Assembly of  Massachusetts-Bay till the present war commenced, had served in former wars, and been in different engagements) served as a Colonel in the Continental Army; but on account of his age was left out upon the new regulation: His men highly resented it, and declared they would not list again after their time was out. The Colonel told them he did not doubt there were sufficient reasons for the regulation and he was satisfied with it; he then blamed them for their conduct, and said he would enlist as a private. A Colonel Brewer heard of it, and offered to resign in favour of Colonel Whitcomb. The whole coming to General Washington's ears, he allowed of Col. Brewer's resignation in Col. Whitcomb's favour, appointed the former Barrack-Master, till he could further promote him, and acquainted the army with the whole affair in general orders.  Let antiquity produce a more striking instance of true greatness of mind.

Washington's general orders (November 16, 1775) were as follows:

Motives of Oeconomy rendering it indispensibly necessary that many of the Regiments should be reduced, and the whole put upon a different establishment; several deserving Officers, not from any demerit, but pure necessity, having been excluded in the New Arrangement of the Army, among these was Col. Whitcomb; but the noble Sentiments disclosed by that Gentleman, upon this Occasion, the Zeal he has shewn in exhorting the Men not to abandon the Interest of their Country at this important crisis, and his Determination to continue in the service even as a private soldier, rather than by a bad example, when the Enemy are gathering Strength; put the public Affairs to hazzard. When an Example of this kind is set, it not only entitles a Gentleman to particular Thanks, but to particular rewards, in the bestowing of which, Colonel Jonathan Brewer is entitled to no small share of Credit, in readily giving up the Regiment, which he was appointed to command, to Col. Whitcomb? Col. Whitcomb therefore, is henceforward to be consider'd, as Colonel of that Regiment, which was in tended for Col. Brewer; and Col. Brewer will be appointed Barrack Master,

At that particular time, as Washington was creating both the new Continental Army as well as conducting the Siege of Boston, George Washington was desperate to rationalize the army down to a manageable and affordable size but also to convert Minute Men and Militia from very short term enlistments into more durable periods of a year or three years enlistment.  In the summer after Concord and Lexington, Minute Men and Militia quietly streamed home to their work on the farms leaving Washington at risk of commanding a paper army absent of soldiers or even untrained farmers.  

Asa Whitcomb was happy to step aside for the good of the new Continental Army.  His men were unwilling to serve under anyone else.  Washington could not afford to lose the men but also had to rationalize the officer ranks.  Every officer was trying to make Washington's impossible task easier but a community based militia with strong family ties just made it hard.  Thank goodness for the selflessness of Colonel Jonathan Brewer.