Charter Members - 1876

For the commemoration of the Centennial, the Governor of Pennsylvania issued official invitations to the Governors of these 13 states requesting their co-operation. On July 4, 1876, the Centennial parade consisted of a formation, which, up to that time, had never been attempted. Each state was represented by one of its own military commands. “The Centennial Legion” was born.The following is a list of the original commands together with their location and year of origin:

 

New Haven Grays 1816 – Connecticut

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American Rifles 1875 – Delaware

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The Clinch Rifles 1852 – Georgia

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Fifth Regiment Infantry 1774 – Maryland

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Boston Light Infantry 1798 – Massachusetts

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The Amoskeag Veterans 1854 – New Hampshire

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Phil Kearney Guards 1868 – New Jersey

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Old Guard City of New York 1826 – New York

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Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry 1793 – North Carolina

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State Fencibles Infantry 1813 – Pennsylvania

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First Light Infantry Regiment 1818 – Rhode Island

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Washington Light Infantry 1807 – South Carolina

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Norfolk Blues Artillery 1828 – Virginia