Finding the Maryland 400

I am very happy to share the news that we have recently completed the last of our biographies. They are all now complete! Continue reading →

As the Revolutionary War drew to a close, Continental Army officers and their French allies wanted an effective way to preserve the values they had fought for and the intense camaraderie that they had developed throughout the war. Major General Henry Knox proposed an organization which would do exactly that in May of 1783: the Society of the Cincinnati. At least twenty-four members of the Maryland 400 joined the Society of the Cincinnati of Maryland in its inception. Today’s post will take a closer look at the origins of the national Society of the Cincinnati and its Maryland branch, as well as the early problems the society encountered. [1]

A statue of Cincinnatus located in Cincinnati, Ohio’s Sawyer Point Park.

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Military terminology can be confusing. Finding the Maryland 400 has previously worked on a glossary of military units to help readers better understand the differences between companies, regiments, and battalions. Today’s post will cover a glossary of important military ranks, describing each position’s duties as explained mainly by Baron Friedrich von Steuben. Steuben, inspector general of the Continental Army, wrote a manual of war during the winter of 1778-1779 titled Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States. The manual, the result of Steuben’s intense training program, described the ideal versions of officer duties. 

A 1909 watercolor by Charles M. Lefferts depicting the uniforms of various soldiers in the Continental Army.

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Samuel and William McMillan, two brothers who enlisted in the First Maryland Regiment, fought in the Battle of Brooklyn, where Hessian soldiers captured them and decimated their company. Taken to Halifax, the two brothers were part of a group that made a daring escape, desperate to return familiar territory. Although Finding the Maryland 400 has previously discussed their escape, we recently revisited the topic when updating Samuel McMillan’s biography. After thoroughly examining pension applications made by both brothers, we can now present a more detailed and accurate version of what William McMillan referred to as “a most painful tour.” Full transcriptions of two of the most important sources within the pension can be found here and here. [1]

This 1774 map shows many of the locations that William McMillan mentions throughout the McMillan pensions, including Halifax, St. John, Casco Bay, and Boston. You can view the full version of this map here.

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The term “Maryland 400” seems obvious enough—isn’t it the number of soldiers from Maryland who fought at the Battle of Brooklyn? A recent news story about the battle, for example, referenced the “regiment of just 400 Maryland soldiers” who took on the British. The meaning, however, is more than just a matter of arithmetic. [1]

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We frequently receive questions about where the Maryland 400 are buried. Popular folklore, advanced by prominent historians and public figures like Sir Patrick Stewart, suggests that a single mass grave existed, traditionally said to be located on Brooklyn’s Third Avenue between Seventh and Eighth Street. A more recent version of this theory suggested that a mass burial ground existed beneath a concrete lot between Ninth Street and Third Avenue. Following an archaeological study of the lot in 2017, we know there are no human remains there. However, a mystery still remains: Where did those brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives on August 27, 1776 likely end up? 

This New York State Historic Marker, located outside of Brooklyn’s American Legion Post 1636, honors the Marylanders who fought at the Battle of Brooklyn but does not tell the entire story.

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Some members of the Maryland 400 who survived the Revolutionary War’s trials later faced other challenging moments in the War of 1812. The divisive war once again tested the mettle of the Revolutionary War veterans in political office and on the battlefield. While the War of 1812 cemented the legacies of some, it also harmed the legacies of others. Militia officers often earned their positions because of their reputation rather than their military prowess, which possibly contributed to their flaws. Today’s post will look at the legacy of five soldiers from the Maryland 400 by examining their roles in the War of 1812. Continue reading →

During my recent research of Adjutant Jacob Brice, I came across a place I had never heard of in relation to the Revolutionary War, called Haddrell’s Point in South Carolina. Brice was wounded and captured at the Battle of Camden in 1781 and was held at Haddrell’s Point as a prisoner of war. [1] Continue reading →

In my last post, I discussed a few examples of the enlistment problems plaguing former members of the Maryland 400 in 1777. Some of the examples focused on a growing feud between Captain Archibald Anderson of the Second Maryland Regiment and Captain William Frazier of the Fifth Maryland Regiment. Both had previously worked together as lieutenants in the Fourth Independent Company, and both wanted their former soldiers to join their companies. The Maryland Council of Safety stated that former members of the Independent Companies should enlist in the Second Regiment, yet some soldiers wanted to join other regiments. Some of the soldiers of the Fourth Independent particularly seemed to dislike Anderson, and wanted to avoid serving under him again. Frazier gladly recruited his former soldiers into his company, eager to make use of their experience as hardened veterans, although this led to conflicts with Anderson as discussed last week. This week’s post will look more in depth into the feud between the two regiments. [1] Continue reading →