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The Legion System

In December, 1792,  President Washington restructured the U.S. Army into what became known as the Legion of the United States.  Most of the stubby pencil work can be traced to Secretary of War Henry Knox.  Briefly, the Legion concept was designed to bring together multiple military capabilities-infantry, cavalry, and artillery-under a single organization and commander. The Legion would be comprised of four Sub-Legions, each consisting of two infantry battalions, a rifle battalion, an artillery company, and a cavalry company.   It was this military organization that General Wayne led to victory at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in August 1794.

The Legion system would prove short-lived however.  By 1796,  with the  “Indian problem” in the Northwest in check, Congress cut back the Army.  Responding to these reductions, the Army went back to the Regimental system, thus ending one of the more innovative precursors to the modern combined arms system.

Here’s a document by Secretary of War Knox with a personnel summary and estimate of the Legion’s expenses.

(For more on the Legion system, see Andrew J. Birtle, “The Origins of the Legion of the United States,” Journal of Military History, Vol. 67.No.4 (Oct., 2003), pp. 1249-1261.)