THE ARMY BEFORE THE ARMY:
Virginia County Militias in the Revolutionary War
Before the United States Army,
Virginia’s county militias trained locally, answered alarms, and defended their communities.
Virginia’s militia tradition began in the colony’s earliest years. By the 1700s, county militias had become established military organizations responsible for local defense, frontier security, and emergency response. Some, such as the Augusta County Militia, had already served for decades before American independence, including during the French and Indian War.
In 1775, when the Continental Army was established, many of its soldiers came from these existing militia organizations.
Yet the militias did not disappear.
They continued to defend communities, guard prisoners, secure supplies, fight on the frontier, and support the campaigns that led to American victory.
This exhibition explores how Virginia’s local militias helped secure American independence—and how their legacies continue in the Virginia National Guard today.
WHO SERVED IN VIRGINIA MILITIAS?
Virginia law and Revolutionary Convention ordinances required many free male persons, hired servants, and apprentices, generally ages 16 to 50, to serve in county militia companies unless legally exempt. Women, enslaved people, and legally exempt men were not ordinarily required to serve in militia companies, though some free men of color could be assigned noncombatant roles such as drummers, fifers, or pioneers.
HOW MILITIAS ORGANIZED:
Each county organized its militia into companies of 32 to 68 rank-and-file men, led by local officers and grouped into county battalions when enough men were available.
WHAT THEY DID:
Militia companies guarded military stores, patrolled frontier and home-front communities, responded to alarms and invasions, and reinforced Virginia’s wartime forces.
Militia service could also be frequent and unpredictable.
Henrico militiaman Mosby Pulliam recalled in his pension application that shortages of available men led to repeated calls for duty:
“Frequently after he was discharged he was called in the service again in a week or less time—men were so scarce.”
Pulliam’s experience shows how manpower shortages could place repeated demands on the same militiamen, particularly during periods of heightened military activity.
HOW WERE MILITIA TRAINED AND EQUIPPED?
Virginia militiamen trained through regular county musters, where officers counted men, inspected weapons and equipment, and prepared companies to respond to alarms, invasions, or calls for service.
ARMED BY THEIR COMMUNITIES:
Virginia law required many militiamen to furnish their own weapons, ammunition, and basic gear when possible, even though wartime shortages often made equipment uneven.
A VARIED APPEARANCE:
Because they relied heavily on local resources, militia did not look uniform. Some carried muskets or rifles; others carried tomahawks, bayonets, pouches, cartridge boxes, or incomplete equipment.
Commitment to Duty: The Militia Officers' Oath
“I do solemnly swear, that I will be faithful and true to the colony and dominion, of Virginia; that I will well and truly execute the office of county-lieutenant … according to the best of my skill and judgment. So help me God.”