Biographies

Follow these links to see some of the biographical work we have accomplished for members of the First Maryland Regiment. Previews of more interesting biographies are listed below along with the most unique stories being highlighted for easy navigation.

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Senior Officers

Colonel William Smallwood – Commander of the First Maryland Regiment in 1776, although he did not personally serve in the Battle of Brooklyn. Established himself as “an outstanding military leader,” rising to major general by the end of the Revolutionary War. Governor of Maryland, 1785-1788

Lt. Col. Francis Ware – The son of a wealthy landowner, Ware served in Maryland’s General Assembly in the 1760s and 1770s. He fought in the French and Indian War in 1758, making him one of four soldiers in Smallwood’s regiment who had seen combat.

Major Mordecai Gist – A wealthy merchant from Baltimore, Gist was an early and eager proponent of American independence. He participated in patriot events such as the 1774 burning of the Peggy Stewart. Gist served as the acting commander of the Marylanders during the Battle of Brooklyn, since their other senior officers were required to attend a court martial. Gist led the defense of the American retreat during the battle and was later promoted for his bravery. Gist rose to the rank of brigadier general and served with distinction in the South in the last years of the war. Unlike many of his fellow officers, Gist left Maryland after the war, moving to a large plantation in South Carolina.

Major Thomas Price
Paymaster Christopher Richmond
Adjutant Jacob Brice
Quartermaster Joseph Marbury
Quartermaster Sergeant Joseph Orme
Surgeon John Hanson Briscoe
Surgeon’s Mate William Augustus Dashiell
Surgeon’s Mate Daniel Jenifer
Surgeon’s Mate Barton Tabbs
Surgeon’s Mate Michael Wallace
Drum Major Thomas Collins
Fife Major John Snyder

Company Unknown
Cadet John Deaver
Pvt. Shadrack Hiatt

First Company 

About half of the Maryland troops were able to safely retreat during the Battle of Brooklyn, including the First Company. Those who could not escape, the “Maryland 400,” launched a daring counterattack, forcing the British back, at the cost of many lives.

Capt. John Hoskins Stone
1st Lt. John Kidd
2nd Lt. Benjamin Chambers
Ens. James Farnandis
Cadet Thomas Marsh Forman – Originally from Cecil County, this young officer joined the Army in 1776 and went on to earn a promotion the following year. Forman later served as a brigadier general during the War of 1812, helping protect Baltimore in September 1814.
Sgt. John Mitchell
Sgt. Charles Smith
Cpl. Samuel Hanson
Cpl. Samuel McPherson
Cpl. James Simms, Sr.
Cpl. Thomas Simpson
Drum Henry Walworth
Fifer Dennis Broderick
Pvt. John Adams
Pvt. Francis Green Baggott
Pvt. John Bowen
Pvt. Patrick Brady
Pvt. Thomas Burrows
Pvt. Joseph Cheatham
Pvt. Jonathan Chunn
Pvt. William Clarke
Pvt. Thomas Way Connell
Pvt. Edmund Cox
Pvt. Ignatius Douglass
Pvt. Nathaniel Downing
Pvt. Clement Edelen
Pvt. Edward Edelen
Pvt. Gilbert Garland
Pvt. Matthew Garner
Pvt. Samuel Granger
Pvt. Benjamin Gray
Pvt. Charles Green
Pvt. Edward Green
Pvt. Charles Griffin
Pvt. Samuel Hamilton
Pvt. Truman Hilton
Pvt. James Hoge
Pvt. John Hopson
Pvt. Jason Joseph Jenkins
Pvt. Samuel Kurk
Pvt. Andrew Ross Lindsay
Pvt. Francis Ware Luckett
Pvt. Samuel Luckett
Pvt. John McPherson
Pvt. Mark McPherson
Pvt. Josias Miller
Pvt. Bernard Nash
Pvt. John Neal
Pvt. John Neary
Pvt. John Norris
Pvt. Thomas Norris
Pvt. John Plant
Pvt. John Shaw
Pvt. Richard Sheake
Pvt. Francis Shepard
Pvt. Luke Matthew Sherburn
Pvt. James Simms, Jr.
Pvt. Andrew Green Sims
Pvt. John Skipper
Pvt. Alban Smith
Pvt. Edward Smith
Pvt. John Smith
Pvt. Richard Smith
Pvt. Thomas Smith
Pvt. John Smoot
Pvt. William Smoot
Pvt. George Thomas
Pvt. James Thompson
Pvt. Samuel Thompson
Pvt. Samuel Vermillion
Pvt. John Ward
Pvt. William Wheatley
Pvt. Samuel Wheatly

Second Company

Successfully escaped, losing fewer than ten men.

Capt. Patrick Sim – Commander of the Second Company. A wealthy man with roots in Frederick and Prince George’s counties. His men sustained few casualties at Brooklyn and continued to fight through the remainder of 1776. He resigned his commission in the summer of 1777 to be with his family.
1st Lt. Alexander Murray
2nt Lt. Henry Chew Gaither
Ens. Walter Brooke Cox
Sgt. Peter Clarke
Sgt. Alexius Conner
Cpl. John Elson
Cpl. Henry Leek
Cpl. Gassaway Watkins – Rose from corporal to captain, serving until the very end of the war. After the war he lived at “Walnut Grove” in Howard County.
Drum Benjamin Lewis
Fife Thomas Horson
Pvt. James Adams
Pvt. Michael Barnitt
Pvt. Edward Blacklock
Pvt. William Brooks
Pvt. Christopher Brumbarghar
Pvt. Veach Burgis
Pvt. Benjamin Burroughs
Pvt. Charles Burroughs
Pvt. James Byrch
Pvt. Edmund Carroll
Pvt. Milburn Coe
Pvt. Richard Coe – Brothers Richard and Milburn Coe served together until their discharge in 1779. Another brother, Hezekiah, joined them in 1777, but died that November.
Pvt. Thomas Connor
Pvt. Thomas Daws
Pvt. John Edelen
Pvt. William Evans
Pvt. Elisha Everit
Pvt. Peter Gallworth
Pvt. John Grant
Pvt. Amos Green
Pvt. Paul Hagarty
Pvt. William Heyder
Pvt. Jacob Holland – Many of his comrades reenlisted in the infantry at the end of 1776, but Holland declared himself  “anxious to join the cavalry” after seeing the American army “nearly cut to pieces.” He served in the Fourth Continental Dragoons until 1780.
Pvt. Philip Jenkins
Pvt. Richard Johnson
Pvt. Edward Jones
Pvt. Philip King
Pvt. Henry Lanham
Pvt. John D. Lanham – The two Lanham brothers enlisted together in 1776, but only John served after that year.
Pvt. John Lindsay
Pvt. Richard Lowe
Pvt. Middleton Marlow
Pvt. Moses McNew
Pvt. John Mills
Pvt. James Mitchell
Pvt. Robert Nelson
Pvt. Patrick Nowland
Pvt. Francis Osborn – Osborn survived the campaign of 1776, witnessing the carnage of the battle first-hand. Due to long-term effects of military service, Osborn was excused from future military obligations.
Pvt. Jacob Penn
Pvt. Thomas Perkins – He fought for only one year, then returned to his home in Prince George’s County. He and his wife Cassandra were middling farmers in Maryland, before moving to Ohio around 1800.
Pvt. Elias Perry
Pvt. James Perry
Pvt. Lawrence Querney
Pvt. Daniel Rankins
Pvt. John Radery – Radery reenlisted twice, but in 1781 he was accused of planning a mutiny, and executed.
Pvt. Basil Ridgely
Pvt. Jonathan Robinson
Pvt. John Russel
Pvt. Robert Sapp
Pvt. Thomas Simpkins
Pvt. William Skipper
Pvt. Joseph Steward – Survived the Battle of Brooklyn, only to be killed a few weeks later at the Battle of Harlem Heights.
Pvt. Coxon Talbot
Pvt. Francis Thompson
Pvt. Hugh Tomlin
Pvt. John Veatch
Pvt. Benjamin Vermillion
Pvt. John Walker
Pvt. Thomas Walsh
Pvt. Michael Waltz -When Waltz’s enlistment ended in late 1776, he left the Maryland Line, and fought in a Pennsylvania regiment for the rest of the war. After the war he lived in Pennsylvania and Ohio.
Pvt. John Willey
Pvt. Bozely Wright

Third Company

Their retreat blocked, this company took part in the last stand of the Marylanders. Two-thirds of the soldiers were killed or captured.

Capt. Barton Lucas
1st Lt. William Sterrett – Just eighteen years old in 1776, Sterrett led his company in battle, their commander was ill. Sterrett was captured during the battle but later escaped.
2nd Lt. William Ridgely
Ens. Peter Brown
Sgt. James Burnes
Sgt. Zachariah Tannahill
Sgt. Levin Wilcoxon
Cpl. Zachariah Gray
Cpl. Samuel Hamilton
Cpl. Benjamin Warner
Cpl. Benedict Woodward
Drum George Rex Leonard
Fife Joshua Saffell
Pvt. Alexander Allen
Pvt. Amos Allen
Pvt. John Armstrong
Pvt. John Baker
Pvt. William Baker
Pvt. Joseph Barry
Pvt. Christopher Beale
Pvt. Garret Brinkenhoof
Pvt. Richard Brookes
Pvt. John Brown
Pvt. Abijah Buxtone
Pvt. Michael Catons
Pvt. John Cissell
Pvt. Francis Cole
Pvt. Patrick Collins
Pvt. Timothy Collins
Pvt. Hugh Conn
Pvt. Josias Connally
Pvt. John Dunn
Pvt. John Enright
Pvt. George Evans
Pvt. Bartholomew Finn
Pvt. John Fleming
Pvt. John Flint
Pvt. Thomas Forguson
Pvt. James Gardiner
Pvt. John Halsey
Pvt. George Hamilton
Pvt. Josias Hatton
Pvt. Rhody Hously
Pvt. John Hughes
Pvt. James Hurdle
Pvt. Zachariah Hutchins
Pvt. Alexander Jackson
Pvt. Bazil Jenkins
Pvt. Charles Jones
Pvt. Benjamin Kelly
Pvt. George Knott
Pvt. George Ledburn
Pvt. John Rex Leonard
Pvt. Robert Lesache
Pvt. Daniel McKay
Pvt. James Murphy
Pvt. John Murphy
Pvt. Thomas Murray
Pvt. Jeremiah Owings
Pvt. John Owings
Pvt. Roddey Owings

Pvt. Nathan Peak – Peak was one of the few soldiers with military experience before 1776. In 1775, he was a member of a rifle company commanded by Michael Cresap and served under him for nine months in Boston. He went on to serve through multiple battles, but was apparently too sick to fight at Brooklyn.

Pvt. William Pearce
Pvt. Samuel Ray
Pvt. Thomas Scott
Pvt. Thomas Shannon
Pvt. James Smith
Pvt. Absolam Stevenson
Pvt. Richard Stone
Pvt. Obediah Summers
Pvt. Zachariah Tilley
Pvt. Richard Wade
Pvt. Leonard Watkins
Pvt. Philip Weller
Pvt. Zachariah Welling
Pvt. Thomas Windham
Pvt. George Wright

Fourth Company

Part of the unit who counterattacked. Only 14 of the company’s 58 soldiers escaped from the battlefield.

Capt. Daniel Bowie –  On the night before the Battle of Brooklyn, Bowie wrote out his will, giving instructions “if I die on the field of battle.” The company that he led took the heaviest casualties during their stand the next day. Along with many of his men, Captain Bowie, gave his life during the battle.

1st Lt. Joseph Butler – Active in Revolutionary groups early on, Butler was the clerk of the Harford County Committee of Correspondence in 1774. Mortally wounded at the Battle of Brooklyn, and died in British captivity.
2nd Lt. Edward Prall
Ens. William Courts
Sgt. Thomas Cunningham
Sgt. George Hamilton
Sgt. Samuel McMillan – Samuel and his brother William were immigrants from Scotland who settled in Harford County before the war. They were both captured at the Battle of Brooklyn. However, the brothers share a unique story, since the two escaped captivity and immediately returned home to enter the war again.
Sgt. John Smith
Sgt. John Toomy – Toomy was the most senior ranking soldier from his company to escape the battle with his life and freedom. Toomy later rose to the rank of lieutenant.
Cpl. Robert Harvey
Cpl. William McMillan
Cpl. John McGlaughlin
Drum Patrick Ivory – While serving as a drummer during the Battle of Brooklyn, Ivory had a complicated military career. After being court martialed for stealing, Ivory deserted and was caught and received 100 lashes in 1779.
Pvt. William Baggott
Pvt. Patrick Baxter
Pvt. Peter Burk
Pvt. Michael Cady
Pvt. Richard Carbury
Pvt. John Cavender

Pvt. William Chaplin – An English immigrant and farmer. In 1778, Chaplin defected from the Continental Army and returned to England. Chaplin claimed he was one of 200 other deserters who made the return to Great Britain with him.

Pvt. Nathaniel Cortland
Pvt. Edward Cosgrove – Served as a private in the First Maryland Regiment for seven and a half years. Cosgrove struggled to remain out of trouble and actually deserted the Continental Army twice, the second time being sentenced to death, before pardoned.
Pvt. Robert Crafford
Pvt. Thomas Crafford
Pvt. Neal Dearmond
Pvt. Thomas Donolan
Pvt. Richard Doyle
Pvt. Samuel Glasgow – This twenty-three-year-old recruit was captured during the Battle of Brooklyn but freed the following year. Although he reenlisted, he was among the soldiers who deserted the Continental Army in 1777.
Pvt. John Gorden
Pvt. Samuel Goslin
Pvt. William Grimes
Pvt. Thomas Hamilton
Pvt. John Haney
Pvt. John Herron
Pvt. Thomas Holland
Pvt. James Lamb
Pvt. Leonard Lion
Pvt. William Little
Pvt. Terrence Martin
Pvt. William Martin
Pvt. Thomas Mason
Pvt. James Matthews
Pvt. William McCaulley
Pvt. William McGinnis
Pvt. William McGlaughlin
Pvt. Thomas McGuire
Pvt. Edward McKinzie
Pvt. Joseph Mongomery
Pvt. Matthew Murry
Pvt. William Nixon
Pvt. James O’Lary
Pvt. Vachel O’Legg
Pvt. John O’Neal
Pvt. William Parr
Pvt. Edward Price
Pvt. John Price
Pvt. Charles Pritchard
Pvt. James Reed
Pvt. Patrick Reed
Pvt. Charles Riely
Pvt. John Riley
Pvt. Peter Smith
Pvt. Valentine Smith
Pvt. Samuel Thomas
Pvt. Dennis Turley
Pvt. Andrew Warrick
Pvt. Richard Watts
Pvt. Richard Whelan
Pvt. Samuel Wiltshire
Pvt. Thomas Wiseman – He continued his military service for most of the Revolution. Wounded and separated from his unit at the Battle of Camden in 1780, Wiseman remained in South Carolina, remaining there until his death in 1825.
Pvt. Edward Wright

Fifth Company

At the head of the retreating Marylanders, and able to escape safely.

Capt. Nathaniel Ramsay

1st Lt. Levin Winder – After the war, Winder had a long political career. As governor 1812-1816, he led the state’s defense when it was invaded by the British during the War of 1812.

2nd Lt. David Plunket – A radical and militant supporter of American independence. He joined the cavalry in 1777, and was captured during the defense of Philadelphia in 1777.
Ens. John Gassaway – This veteran of the Maryland 400 also served as Adjutant General 1811-1817.
Sgt. John Brady
Sgt. Francis Reveley – Reveley immigrated to Virginia when he was a child prior to joining the Revolution. Reveley was promoted many times during the war, and eventually made the rank of Captain where he took part in many battles and campaigns.
Sgt. Edward Sinclair
Cpl. John Bruce – Bruce was one of two siblings to join the First Maryland Regiment; a third fought in a different unit. He returned to Charles County after his enlistment expired where he eventually amassed large land holdings.
Cpl. Joseph Dixon
Cpl. Edward Ford
Cpl. Alexander McConaughey
Drum James Murphey
Fife John Harris
Pvt. William Basford
Pvt. Thomas Stocket Brewer
Pvt. John Burgess
Pvt. Isaac Buttrim
Pvt. John Callenan
Pvt. Christian Castler
Pvt. Richard Cheaney
Pvt. David Congleton
Pvt. Samuel Elliott
Pvt. James Garner
Pvt. Godfrey Gash
Pvt. William Hammond
Pvt. Philip Harley
Pvt. James Hogg
Pvt. George Horner
Pvt. Thomas Hunter
Pvt. George Lashley
Pvt. James Marle – Marle was just 13-years-old at the outbreak of the war. He enlisted as a fifer, but was made into a regular private. Marle struggled with poverty after the war.
Pvt. William Marr
Pvt. Nicholas Marr
Pvt. James Marr
Pvt. John McCoy
Pvt. David McMechen
Pvt. Alexander McMunn
Pvt. James Mutton
Pvt. Mathew Neeley
Pvt. William Nevitt
Pvt. Michael Nowland
Pvt. Ezekiel Pearce
Pvt. John Reed
Pvt. Thomas Reed
Pvt. Paul Richards
Pvt. William Rogers
Pvt. Charles Turner

Sixth Company

Part of the Maryland 400’s counterattack. Barely more than a dozen escaped death or captivity.

Capt. Peter Adams – Served from 1776-1783, becoming colonel in 1779. In 1781, William Smallwood wrote to Governor Thomas Sim Lee complaining that Colonel Adams was “commonly activated by avarice and invincible obstinancy,” and that he refused to obey orders.
1st Lt. Nathaniel Ewing
Ens. John Jordan – Served from 1776-1783, including two years as a mounted troop. After the war, he married a woman named Sarah, and they owned over 600 acres of land. Sadly, he died in 1788, just two weeks after the birth of their daughter. At the time of his death, his financial affairs were “in a very deranged situation,” and his former comrades in arms sought to financially help his widow.
Sgt. Thomas McKeel – Captured at the Battle of Brooklyn and left a first-hand account of his experience as a prisoner of war. Although his army service consisted of only battle, he served his country by working as a cooper for military contractors. He continued as a tradesman later in life, while also successfully investing in the early development of Easton, Maryland.
Sgt. Daniel Dwigens
Sgt. Thomas Dwyer
Sgt. Edward Edgerly – Served from 1776-1781, when he was killed in action just six weeks before the surrender at Yorktown. In a very unusual situation, the House of Delegates set up a trust fund for Edgerly’s son, who was still a minor, to help sustain him until he became an adult.
Sgt. Joseph Elliott
Cpl. Samuel Dwigens
Cpl. Daniel Floyd
Cpl. James Rogan
Drum Robert Ross
Pvt. William Aitken
Pvt. James Barkley
Pvt. James Bell
Pvt. Joseph Bootman
Pvt. Carbry Burn
Pvt. John Bryan
Pvt. James Carmichael
Pvt. John Clark
Pvt. William Clark
Pvt. Crisenberry Clift
Pvt. Henry Clift
Pvt. Thomas Cooper
Pvt. Henry Covington
Pvt. James Craig
Pvt. George Dowling
Pvt. Thomas Fisher
Pvt. Elijah Floyd
Pvt. John Floyd
Pvt. Moses Floyd
Pvt. Alexander Fulton – Served through December 1779, when he returned home to Cecil County, Maryland. He worked as a farmer, owning almost 400 acres of land. He and his wife–whose name is not known–had eight children, and likely lived a comfortable life. 
Pvt. Hugh Galloway
Pvt. John Galway
Pvt. James Gibson
Pvt. William Glover
Pvt. John Hatton
Pvt. William Holmes
Pvt. George Jackson
Pvt. John Johnson
Pvt. James Kelly
Pvt. John Kerby
Pvt. James Kirk
Pvt. Thomas Laffy
Pvt. William Laighton
Pvt. William Leeson
Pvt. William Locke
Pvt. John Lowry
Pvt. John Lynch – Promoted from private to corporal within his first year, but was injured during his service. After the war, he received a state disability pension as he had “spent the prime of his life, and nobly shed his blood, in [the Revolutionary] cause.”
Pvt. Robert Man
Pvt. Hugh McClain
Pvt. John McClain
Pvt. John McClain (of Harford County) – Taken prisoner at the Battle of Brooklyn. He was forced to enlist in a British army unit, but made an escape, along with several other conscripted Americans. He and one other escapee were captured by an American patrol and, after intense questioning, were allowed to return to their unit. 
Pvt. Samuel McCubbin
Pvt. William McDaniel
Pvt. William McDaniel
Pvt. John McFadden
Pvt. William McGreger
Pvt. John Morrow
Pvt. William Nagle
Pvt. Zachariah Nicholson
Pvt. John Phelps
Pvt. Joseph Pirkens
Pvt. John Powell
Pvt. Patrick Quigley
Pvt. William Ray
Pvt. Robert Ritchie
Pvt. William Temple
Pvt. Hugh Wallace – When his enlistment ended in December 1776, he reenlisted in the First Maryland Regiment. However, two days later, he also enlisted in the Second Canadian Regiment. He was caught and but only lightly punished for his crime of double-enlisting. 
Pvt. Thomas Williams
Pvt. Alexander Wright

Seventh Company

Safely retreated, with minimal losses.

Capt. John Day Scott – Survived the Battle of Brooklyn, but lost his life two months later during the Battle of White Plains in October 1776.
1st Lt. Thomas Harwood
2nd Lt. Thomas Goldsmith
Ens. James Peale
Sgt. Thomas Gordon
Sgt. William Sands –  Enlisted as a sergeant when he was 19 years old and gave his life during the battle of Brooklyn. His letters home from 1776 have survived and are housed at the Maryland State Archives.
Sgt. John Smith Selby
Cpl. Andrew Ferguson – Wrote his will on the day the Seventh Company was ordered to march to New York.  He survived the Battle of Brooklyn and returned home to Annapolis when his enlistment ended in December 1776, but died just two years later.
Cpl. Joshua Lamb
Cpl. William Noyes
Cpl. John Smith
Drum Edward George
Fife John Meek
Pvt. Joseph Anglain
Pvt. Hugh Armstrong
Pvt.  John Ashton
Pvt. William Austin
Pvt. John Babbs – Injured at the Battle of White Plains.  He spent several years recovering, and helped out in the hospital when he began to regain his strength.
Pvt. Clement Barber
Pvt. Joseph Bassil
Pvt. Ignatius Boon
Pvt. John Booth
Pvt. John Carr
Pvt. James Devaun – Served through 1779.  He then moved to Ohio and applied for a pension, as he and his wife were both ill.
Pvt. Edward Edwards
Pvt. Richard Elwood
Pvt. Francis Fairbrother
Pvt. Nicholas Gassaway
Pvt. Joseph Green
Pvt. Thomas Hamilton
Pvt. Burgess Howard
Pvt. Dennis Howley
Pvt. Cephas Hoye
Pvt. Dorset Hoy
Pvt. John Jasper – Deserted in 1778 and then joined the First Battalion of Maryland Loyalists.  After the war, he may have accidentally hung himself while stealing a pig.
Pvt. William Johnston
Pvt. Dennis Kellis
Pvt. William Kinnick
Pvt. Peter Lawless
Pvt. Charles Leech
Pvt. James Low
Pvt. John Majors
Pvt. Joseph Matthews
Pvt. Joseph Mattingly
Pvt. Thomas Mayo
Pvt. James McGill
Pvt. William McKinsey
Pvt. Francis Mitchell
Pvt. Edward Murphy
Pvt. James Murphy
Pvt. Joshua Naylor
Pvt. Charles O’Neale
Pvt. Nathaniel O’Neale
Pvt. Joseph Orme
Pvt. Moses Paget
Pvt. James Pope
Pvt. James Ranter – Was declared a “lunatic” after the war and was housed in the Prince George’s County Alms House.
Pvt. Elisha Richardson
Pvt. Nicholas Ridgely
Pvt. Thomas Robinson
Pvt. Anthony Ryan
Pvt. William Sewell – Prospered in Annapolis as an artisan until falling from the roof of the State House in 1811.  He survived the fall, but never worked again.
Pvt. John Swan
Pvt. Nicholas Watkins
Pvt. Nicholas Watkins, of Stephen – Became a wealthy land owner in Anne Arundel County and held several minor political positions after the war.
Pvt. William Watts
Pvt. Henry Weedon
Pvt. Thomas Weedon
Pvt. Richard White
Pvt. Thomas White
Pvt. Joseph Yater

Eighth Company

Able to escape the battle by swimming through the swampy Gowanus Creek.

Capt. Samuel Smith – Son of a prominent Baltimore merchant. Served in the Continental Army until 1779, leaving as a lieutenant colonel after being seriously wounded. Served in U.S. House of Representatives 1793-1803 and 1816-1822, and U.S. Senate 1822-1833. Led the defense of Baltimore in 1814 that saved the city from the British during the War of 1812. Mayor of Baltimore, 1835-1838.

1st Lt. Alexander Roxburgh – A native of Somerset (now Wicomico) County, who fought throughout the entire American Revolution, rising to major. He was appointed to brigadier general of the state militia in 1794.
2nd Lt. Joseph Ford
Ens. Bryan Philpot
Cadet Tobias E. Stansbury – Joined as a volunteer officer cadet. Sailed on board privateers later in the the war. A member of the House of Delegates and Speaker of the House for many years. He also rose to the rank of brigadier general in the state militia, and led Maryland’s troops during the War of 1812.
Sgt. Frederick Hambright
Sgt. Alexander Shaw
Sgt. Robert Westbay – Survived the Battle of Brooklyn, but was killed in action two months later at the Battle of White Plains.
Cpl. Dennis Hargreaves
Cpl. John Markell
Cpl. John Roan
Cpl. David Smith
Drum William Arnold
Fifer John Snyder
Pvt. George Bennett
Pvt. Nathan Bleak
Pvt. Robert Britt
Pvt. Festus Burk
Pvt. John Cain
Pvt. Daniel Callahan
Pvt. Michael Casey
Pvt. Jacob Clark
Pvt. Samuel Clark
Pvt. Henry Clay
Pvt. Christian Close
Pvt. Caspar Clutter
Pvt. William Corbin
Pvt. Patrick Costigin
Pvt. Joseph Crosby
Pvt. John Daly
Pvt. John Dill
Pvt. William Downs
Pvt. George Edmondstone
Pvt. John Edwards
Pvt. Abraham England
Pvt. William Evans
Pvt. John Fletcher
Pvt. Jacob Flora
Pvt. Robert Ford
Pvt. Balsar Friday
Pvt. John Geohegan
Pvt. Joseph Gray
Pvt. Brian Hannagan
Pvt. Phillip Hawkins – Stayed in the infantry until 1780, and later joined the crew of the Jolly Tar, a privateer. Captured by the British, he was held on a prison ship until the end of 1783.
Pvt. William Hiscox
Pvt. William Hopkins
Pvt. Lawrence Hutton
Pvt. James Kelly
Pvt. Francis Kilsimere
Pvt. Nicholas Lewis
Pvt. Charles Logan
Pvt. Patrick Mahoney
Pvt. Marmaduke McCain
Pvt. Jesse McCarty
Pvt. Thomas Nowlan
Pvt. John Ofield
Pvt. Samuel Percival
Pvt. Francis Petty
Pvt. Charles Pierce
Pvt. Jacob Plumly
Pvt. John Rash
Pvt. Matthew Ritchie
Pvt. Daniel Serey
Pvt. Charles Simms
Pvt. Timothy Splavin
Pvt. Obadiah Stilwell
Pvt. Joseph Smith
Pvt. Aquilla Taylor
Pvt. John Taylor
Pvt. Ludowick Taylor
Pvt. Philip Waid
Pvt. Patrick Walsh
Pvt. William Welsted
Pvt. Martin Wheeler – Deserted in early August 1776, just as the Marylanders arrived in New York. However, he later returned –whether it was voluntary is not known–and fought during the fall. He reenlisted the next year, but deserted again in May 1777. Soon after that, he was captured by the British and conscripted into their army. He escaped from the British early in 1778. After the war, he eventually settled in Ohio.
Pvt. Andrew Yeater

Ninth Company

The regiment’s light infantry company. Took part in the final stand, and took heavy losses.

Capt. Benjamin Ford
1st Lt. John H. Beanes
2nd Lt. Hatch Dent, Jr. – Dent enlisted in early 1776 and received a promotion to Second Lieutenant about a month before the Battle of Brooklyn, where he was captured by British forces and was held for two years. After being freed, he served a short time in the Army before returning to civilian life. He later became a well-known minister and founder of Charlotte Hall School.
3rd Lt. Walker Muse
Cadet Larkin Dorsey
Sgt. William Bruce – A younger son of a wealthy Charles County family, Bruce stayed in the army until the end of the war, rising to the rank of captain. He was later active in the Society of Cincinnati. Two of his brothers also served in the army.
Sgt. John Good
Sgt. Peter McNaughton -The longest-serving member of the Maryland Line. Taken prisoner at Brooklyn, he endured more than two years in captivity before escaping. He later saw combat during the Southern Campaign.
Sgt. Alexander Nailor
Cpl. Jacob Alexander
Cpl. Robert Chandler
Cpl. Adam Everly
Cpl. Basil Holland
Cpl. William McPherson
Drum John Row
Fife Dennis May
Pvt. James Beale
Pvt. Alexander Boston
Pvt. Peter Breat
Pvt. Melcher Brobeck – Left the army at the end of 1776, but rejoined in 1778 as a member of the German Regiment. He fought in western New York and Pennsylvania during Sullivan’s Expedition.
Pvt. Adam Bromcord
Pvt. William Casbear
Pvt. John Cobeth
Pvt. Andrew Conslew
Pvt. Michael Curtz
Pvt. Notley Davis
Pvt. Miscal Deaver
Pvt. Samuel Denny
Pvt. Jacob Fisher
Pvt. Stephen Fleehearty
Pvt. Jacob Gardner
Pvt. John Gerrish
Pvt. David Gibney
Pvt. John Glatz
Pvt. Jacob Greenwalt
Pvt. Michael Hackethorn
Pvt. Michael Hahn
Pvt. Andrew Hardy
Pvt. Jacob Harman – Captured at the Battle of Brooklyn, then impressed into the British Army and stationed in Nova Scotia. In May 1778 he escaped and made his way back to the American army in November, supplying American commanders with intelligence about British troops.
Pvt. George Hellmold
Pvt. John Heywood
Pvt. Cassimer Hill
Pvt. John Hite
Pvt. John Hoffman
Pvt. John Kasler
Pvt. Frederick Keller
Pvt. George Kephart

Pvt. Martin Kephart – A native of Germany, Kephart fought in the First Maryland Regiment until the end of 1779. In the early 1800s he moved to Stark County, Ohio, where he worked as a cooper. By the time of his death in 1832, he had become a prominent citizen, celebrated for his part in the Revolutionary War.

Pvt. Philip Kern
Pvt. Peter Kline
Pvt. George Kretzinger
Pvt. Solomon Kretzinger – An immigrant from Germany, he and his brother George served in the Ninth Company together for a year. Later he moved to Tennessee, and was awarded a veteran’s pension from the Federal government, although one of his neighbors falsely claimed that “Old Crutsingar was an old Hessian and had fought against America.”
Pvt. Valentine Lynn
Pvt. William Lynn
Pvt. Pacel Martin
Pvt. Frederick Miles
Pvt. Henry Miller
Pvt. James Miller
Pvt. Michael Miller
Pvt. George Morriner
Pvt. John Mugg
Pvt. Michael Mullen
Pvt. Frederick Myre
Pvt. Peter Myre
Pvt. Nicholas Nailor
Pvt. Samuel Price
Pvt. Henry Remsburg – Served until the end of 1776. After the war, he became a wealthy landowner and active member of the Evangelical Reformed Church in Frederick City.
Pvt. Isaac Rice
Pvt. John Ross
Pvt. Henry Shipley
Pvt. William Smith
Pvt. Davalt Stottlemeir
Pvt. James Taylor
Pvt. William Terrence
Pvt. Levean Todd
Pvt. Robert Tune
Pvt. William Witner
Pvt. Samuel Workman
Pvt. Henry Young

Fourth Independent

This company saw very little combat and lost only a few men.

Capt. James Hindman – Company commander and brother of Second Lieutenant Edward Hindman. Left the army in 1777, beginning a forty-two year long career in public office.
1st Lt. Archibald Anderson – A native of Talbot County, Anderson earned a promotion to major due to his character and bravery during the Battle of Brooklyn. He was with the Maryland Line for nearly the entire war, including the Southern Campaigns. Anderson was killed while leading his troops at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in 1781.
2nd Lt. Edward Hindman – He resigned his commission and left the army at the end of 1776. He served in several public office roles in Talbot County before his death in 1781.
3rd Lt. William Frazier
Sgt. Peter Hardcastle
Sgt. William Martindale
Sgt. John Miller
Sgt. James Morgan
Cpl. Clement Cannon
Cpl. Levin Frazier
Cpl. Henry Martin
Cpl. Perdue Martindale
Cpl. James Orrell
Drum James Mead
Fife John Williams
Pvt. Ezekiel Abbott
Pvt. William All
Pvt. Russel Armstrong
Pvt. Thomas Barker
Pvt. Job Barnes
Pvt. William Beaver
Pvt. Richard Besswick
Pvt. William Blanch
Pvt. William Bratchee
Pvt. Peter Bromwell
Pvt. Thomas Brown
Pvt. Stephen Bryan
Pvt. John Buckley
Pvt. Thomas Buckley
Pvt. Gilbert Burgess
Pvt. James Burgess
Pvt. Thomas Burgess
Pvt. William Burgess
Pvt. Stephen Byram
Pvt. Thomas Camper
Pvt. Richard Caton
Pvt. Joshua Chippey
Pvt. James Coburn
Pvt. Thomas Colvert
Pvt. Lawrence Connelly
Pvt. Thomas Connelly
Pvt. Charles Cooper
Pvt. Benjamin Crisp
Pvt. Thomas Davis
Pvt. James Devereaux
Pvt. Delahay Duling
Pvt. Nathan Duling
Pvt. Richard Eaton
Pvt. Robert Ellis
Pvt. John Emory
Pvt. Peregrine Evans
Pvt. Nicholas Farewell
Pvt. Robert Ferguson
Pvt. John Fleming
Pvt. John Garrott
Pvt. Henry Gates
Pvt. Samuel Giles
Pvt. Matthew Hardikin
Pvt. Nathan Harrington
Pvt. Solomon Harris
Pvt. Francis Hazledine
Pvt. Robert Heffernon
Pvt. Daniel Higgins
Pvt. John Hopkins
Pvt. John Humbey
Pvt. Andrew Hughes
Pvt. John Hughes
Pvt. Joseph Jackson
Pvt. Jacob Jeffers
Pvt. Peter Jeffers
Pvt. Reuben Jeffers
Pvt. William Jenkins
Pvt. James Jones
Pvt. William Kenney
Pvt. John Foster Leverton
Pvt. Thomas Liles
Pvt. Thomas Lumley
Pvt. Nathan Madding
Pvt. John Masterson
Pvt. Richard McDaniel
Pvt. William Melony
Pvt. Joseph Merchant
Pvt. John Millington
Pvt. John Murphy
Pvt. John O’Bryan
Pvt. William Pitts
Pvt. Philemon Porter
Pvt. David Priestley
Pvt. James Ray
Pvt. Daniel Richardson
Pvt. James Robinson
Pvt. Lambert Robinson
Pvt. John Ryan
Pvt. Richard Sampson
Pvt. Bryan Sinnett
Pvt. John Smith
Pvt. William Smith
Pvt. Richard Snook
Pvt. Humphrey Spencer
Pvt. Henry Stapleford
Pvt. Thomas Start
Pvt. John Sweeney
Pvt. William Tarr
Pvt. James Todd
Pvt. David Thatcher
Pvt. Jonathan Valliant
Pvt. Hambleton Warren
Pvt. James Watts
Pvt. Edward Welch
Pvt. William Woods
Pvt. Benjamin Worthington

Fifth Independent

Held back as reserves, these soldiers aided many retreating Americans.

Capt. John Allen Thomas
1st Lt. John Steward – The son of a prominent Anne Arundel County shipyard owner, Steward served for the entire war. While Steward lived through many harrowing experiences, including an escape from British captivity, he died in a riding accident just months before the war officially ended.
2nd Lt. John Davidson
3rd Lt. Henry Neale
Cadet Henry Carberry – Promoted to captain in a Pennsylvania unit in 1778, he served until being retired in 1781. In 1783, he was a key leader of the mutiny by Continental Army soldiers who occupied the Philadelphia State House where Congress was meeting. He served in the U.S. Army in the 1790s, and was named Maryland’s first Adjutant General.
Cadet Robert Chesley
Sgt. John Blackistone – Appointed an ensign in the Second Maryland Regiment in 1777, he was nearly captured by the British on a harrowing trip back to Maryland. Although Blackistone was from a wealthy family–Blackistone Island belonged to his father–most of the family’s wealth went to his older brother.
Pvt. Charles A. Bryan
Pvt. Justinian Bullock – Taken prisoner late in 1776, Bullock fell ill in captivity, but still managed to escape. He reenlisted in 1778, but his health never recovered enough for him to join his unit, and he died later that year.
Pvt. William Coe
Pvt. Anthony Davis
Pvt. John Gardner
Pvt. Thomas Garner
Pvt. William Gibson
Pvt. Ignatius Gough
Pvt. John Grover
Pvt. Richard Hill
Pvt. Gabriel Howard
Pvt. Thomas Lynch
Pvt. Caleb Mason
Pvt. Henry Lee Massey – At the end of 1776, Massey joined the Maryland Navy as a midshipman. By 1778, he was the commander of the Amelia, a schooner in the state’s fleet, working to protect Chesapeake Bay shipping from the British. He and his family moved many times after the war, finally settling in Cass County, Michigan, where he died in 1839.
Pvt. John Pratt
Pvt. Joseph Robinson
Pvt. Thomas Rowse
Pvt. John Smith
Pvt. Henry Spalding
Pvt. Aaron Spalding
Pvt. Jeremiah Tarlton
Pvt. Nathaniel Thomas

Pvt. Charles Thompson
Pvt. Electious Thompson -These first cousins were raised together after Electious was orphaned at a young age. They enlisted together–Charles was only fifteen at the time–and served for most of the 1776 campaign together, until Electious fell ill and was transferred to the hospital. He did not return to the army, but Charles did. He was captured in 1777 and forced to join the British army, before eventually escaping and returning to the army, which would not let him rejoin his unit. He was later falsely accused of being a deserter. Read more about the Thompsons here: The amazing story of Charles Thompson, who “agreed to enlist with the Enemy–and by that Means made his escape”.

Pvt. Jesse Thompson
Pvt. Joshua Thompson
Pvt. William Wheeler
Pvt. John Williams
Pvt. Alexander Williamson – Served in the army in 1776, along with some militia service later in the war. When he died at age ninety-nine in the fall of 1851, he was the last living member of the Maryland 400.
Pvt. Barton Yates

Seventh Independent

Took heavy casualties, losing nearly all its officers. Only 35 percent of the men escaped.

Capt. Edward Veazey
1st Lt. William Harrison
2nd Lt. Samuel Turbutt Wright –  Held several public offices after he withdrew from the Continental Army in 1779, eventually serving as Adjutant General of Maryland from 1807 – 1810.
3rd Lt. Edward De Coursey
Sgt. Hezekiah Foard
Sgt. John Hardman
Sgt. John Read
Sgt. Thomas Stern
Cpl. John Sears
Cpl. Thomas McLanhlan
Cpl. John Redman
Drum Richard Goldin
Fife Edward Marr
Pvt. James Adams
Pvt. John Allerdine
Pvt. John Alexander
Pvt. James Berry
Pvt. Joseph Biggs
Pvt. Daniel Boyles – The twenty-two-year-old Irish immigrant enlisted in 1776. He watched as almost every senior officer in his company was killed or captured during the Battle of Brooklyn, but continued to fight for American independence for several years after. Boyles was severely wounded during a battle in 1778 yet still served in garrison duty until his enlistment expired.
Pvt. John Broughton
Pvt. Joseph Cample
Pvt. William Carman
Pvt. Jeremiah Carroll
Pvt. John Caslick
Pvt. Thomas Certain
Pvt. George Claypoole
Pvt. William Clift
Pvt. John Copper
Pvt. William Dawson
Pvt. Emanuel Devins
Pvt. Aaron Dumper
Pvt. John Doland
Pvt. John Greenwood
Pvt. Samuel Gray
Pvt. John Groves
Pvt. John Halyard
Pvt. William Hensley
Pvt. William Hill
Pvt. William Jolly
Pvt. Laurence Laurenson
Pvt. Jeremiah Leehy
Pvt. Patrick McCann
Pvt. James McHendricks
Pvt. Patrick McNemar
Pvt. John Marr
Pvt. Andrew Meloan
Pvt. Henry Mitchel
Pvt. Vincent Newton
Pvt. William Pew
Pvt. John Porter
Pvt. Humphrey Pugh
Pvt. Richard Pursel
Pvt. Benjamin Quimby
Pvt. Robert Ratliff
Pvt. John Rowles
Pvt. William Sheild
Pvt. Henry Simmons
Pvt. Solomon Simmons
Pvt. Solomon Slocum
Pvt. Patrick Smith
Pvt. Isaac Sterling
Pvt. William Stibbings
Pvt. Thomas Thomas
Pvt. William Thompson
Pvt. Barnet Turner
Pvt. Robert Veazey
Pvt. Stephen Videto
Pvt. Greenbury Watts
Pvt. Samuel White
Pvt. William Wright
Pvt. John York