1st Delaware Regiment
 
Welcome!  Well, if you are from the State of Delaware here on the east coast of the United States you will quickly learn of the 1st Delaware Regiment and in turn of the Blue Hens.  The 1st Delaware Regiment and the Blue Hens date back to the American Revolution where the 3 Lower Counties on the Delaware River of Pennsylvania not only broke away from Great Britain in June 1776 - but also from the State of Pennsylvania.
 
Prior to declaring independence, the Delaware Assembly was requested to form one regiment to the new United States Continental Army.  Despite only sending one regiment, the State of Delaware sent their best.  The reputation of this regiment became immediately tested in August 1776 and then lasted throughout the entire war as one of, if not the best regiment, in the Continental Army!  They were known as the Delaware Blues - they wore blue regimental coats with red facings.  
 
History records that one of the officers - a Captain Caldwell from Kent County - raised gamecocks and the fierceness of these gamecocks were not truly game unless they came from a Blue Hen!  To sum up - you don't measure the amount of men in the fight but the amount fight in the men!  These men of the Delaware Regiment exemplified that stron fighting spirit, battle after battle, and, despite their numbers never being more than 800 in action, they were, and still are, held in high regard to military historians.  In turn, they, and the Blue Hen, which represents Caldwell, Haslet or Kirkwood (or any leader or member of the regiment) - they are of great pride to all Delawareans.
 
So, in honor of these men and the spirit of the Blue Hen is why we have developed this site and the living history group of the 1st Delaware Regiment.  There are reenactment units from all over the United States - Delaware, North Carolina, Ohio, and California - that have in the past or present - that brought the Delaware Regiment back to life and it is without question that it is because of the reputation that has persisted to this day of the fighting spirit of the officers and men of the Delaware Regiment.