Decoding Connecticut Militia 1739-1783 - Journal of the American Revolution

Happened upon a service description of "trainband" describing a Connecticut milita - so I looked it up.

The article schooled me about what a colonial "trainband" was, also about militias - at least those in Connecticut.

I have no idea if the militias in all the colonies functioned in the same way. Seems to me that the colonies were relatively independent about everything!<smile>

excerpt
"Local militiamen organized as trainbands (companies). The size of companies varied. Twenty-four men was the smallest number that could constitute a company and entitled the trainband to two sergeants as leaders; with thirty-two men, the trainband rated a lieutenant, ensign, and two sergeants. A captain, lieutenant, ensign, and four sergeants led companies of sixty-four or more men. There was no upper bound specified on how many men could be in a company, but the area of the towns and distance necessary to travel to train caused companies split to minimize distance travelled. Each company or trainband drew its membership from a designated area of the town. These areas were often the same as those of an ecclesiastical society. As state population grew, new towns formed and within existing towns, societies split. Thus as population increased, so did the number of companies or trainbands."