As part of the January 1, 1776, organization of the Continental Army, Huntington's 8th Connecticut Regiment became the 17th Continental Regiment. Originally planned to have a strength of 728 officers and men, by the end of January the 17th only had about 400, as did most of the other regiments. On March 4, the 17th regiment was one of those ordered to take and hold Dorchester Heights, the action that ended the siege by forcing the British to evacuate Boston. The day following the end of the siege, Washington began moving the army to New York, and by April 22, Huntington and most of his unit were in position there. Huntington's regiment began fortifying New York City in anticipation of a British attack and it was here they heard of the Declaration of Independence. The 17th had lost men during the Boston siege due to illness and desertion, which continued in New York. On about August 19, Colonel Huntington became seriously ill, possibly with malaria, and was unable to perform his duties, so his second in command Lt. Col. Joel Clark replaced him. On August 24, the regiment was ordered to the Brooklyn front. Because it was so under strength it was placed under the command of Gen. Parsons and combined with Col. Atlee's Pennsylvania regiment. When the Battle of Long Island was fought on the 27th, most of Huntington's regiment was surrounded and taken as prisoners, including Lt. Col. Clark, who died in captivity. The few men left of Huntington's regiment joined the main army under the command of Gen. Heath and evacuated with them as they fled New York. The 17th was never rebuilt and it ceased to exist when enlistments expired at the end of December, although many of the men continued to serve.