Weapons
The mainstay of the 1st Delaware Regiment was the musket and bayonet. The two typical muskets that were fairly widely available for the Continental Congress or the State of Delaware to acquire were the Brown Bess – the English musket, and the Charlesville – the French musket. It is very likely that there was a combination of these muskets – there are many versions of each – and others in the 1st Delaware Regiment.
In addition to the musket, and used with it, is the bayonet. The Delaware Regiment was known to be fully equipped, including muskets with bayonets, in 1776. Being often tested in battle, the 1st Delaware Regiment also showed that they were well trained to use the bayonet much like their British & German adversaries.
Officers typically did not carry arms after 1776. However, in 1776 it appears that the company officers carried fusils. This is indicated by Enoch Anderson, who was a Lieutenant in 1776 and wrote how he took aim in battle at Long Island. After 1776, the officers were then ordered and trained to tend to their men in the rank and file and ensure that that they were being properly led on the field vs having an officer focus on their own arms. Therefore, officers often carried swords and/or espontoons after 1776.
In other circumstances the 1st Delaware Regiment and Delaware Militia had other weapons at their disposal. These include: pistols, rifles, blunderbusses, tomahawks, swivel guns, cannons – both field and naval – yes – some Delaware’s served on naval vessels – barges, shallops, sloops, and schooners on the Christina River, the Delaware River and Bay and its other estuaries as well as the great Atlantic Ocean (Allen McLane and Charles Pope).