1779

In May of 1779, and again in September 1779, the Virginia Regiments were consolidated to create regiments of acceptable strength. The First Virginia was consolidated with the 10th and later the 5th, 7th, 11th Regiments. On May 7, Washington ordered Colonel Richard Parker, commander of the First Virginia to return to the state to recruit new troops to reinforce General Benjamin Lincoln in Charleston, South Carolina. At the same time, the men of the First Virginia were placed under the temporary command of Colonel William Davies in Parker's absence.

Stony Point

By the summer of 1779 the war in the north had become a stalemate, with Clinton and the main British Army quartered in New York and Washington's main army at various points outside the city. Washington decided to have his newly formed light infantry attack a British fort at Stony Point, New York. Under the command of General Anthony Wayne, 1,500 Americans, including men from the First Virginia and other Virginia Regiments, attacked the fort in the early morning hours of July 16. Using only their bayonets, the Americans captured the fort and 400 British troops in just fifteen minutes. Fifteen Americans were killed in the attack, including a private from the First Virginia.

In August, members of the First Virginia took part in another raid on a small British fort at Paulus Hook, New Jersey. Major Henry Lee and his cavalry, supported by handpicked infantry, including 21 men from the First and 10th Virginia, captured 158 British at the fort during the daring raid. The rest of the First Virginia was called on to support Lee as his force made their return through enemy territory.

In December, under the command of General William Woodford, the First Virginia, along with most of the Virginia troops in the north, began the long march south to join General Lincoln's army in the Carolinas.