Many of the officers and men for the 2nd Rhode Island came from the disbanded 11th Continentals. Through the 11th the battalion was a direct descendant of Hitchcock's 14th Continentals of 1775. Authorized strength of 712 was reduced to 539 in March of 1779, which made no difference as the battalion never had more than 450 actual strength. Men enlisted for three years or the duration. Israel Angell commanded the battalion from its birth to its disbandment. From April 1777 to July 1778 the 2nd Rhode Island served as part of Varnum's brigade along with the 1st Rhode Island (until February 1778) and the 4th and 8th Connecticut. In February 1778 the 1st and 2nd Rhode Island were combined, execept for Colonel Greene and some of his officers who were sent home to raise a battalion of freed slaves. The consolidated unit, called the 2nd Rhode Island, had a strength of more than 400. In July of 1778 Varnum's brigade was changed to include the 2nd Rhode Island, and Sherburne's, Webb's and James Livingstone's battalions, later joined the 1st Rhode Island and Jackson's battalion. By the time of the battle of Rhode Island in August 1778 the strength of the battalion was back to 300 or less. On departure of the British from Rhode Island in October 1779 the brigade less the 1st Rhode Island marched south to New Jersey. John Stark replaced Varnum as brigade commander. In January 1781 another consolidation took place which ended the history of the 2nd Rhode Island.
Battles;
Red Bank (Fort Mercer),
New Jersey, 22 October 1777
Monmouth, 28 June 1778
Rhode Island, 29 August 1778
Springfeild, New Jersey, 23 June 1780
from:
Walker, Anthony. So Few The Brave (Rhode Island Continentals 1775-1783). Newport, Rhode Island: Seafield Press, 1981.