First Maryland Regiment Roster

A key part of this project is to compile a roster of all the men of the First Maryland Regiment who fought at the Battle of Brooklyn. The document linked below lists the names of all known members of the First Maryland and the seven Independent companies, whether they were present at the Battle of Brooklyn, if known, as well as everything known about their fate at the battle. The information in this database comes from the initial muster rolls from early 1776, as well as scattered pay records, soldiers’ pensions, correspondence, and other sources.

We do not know the names of all the soldiers, nor do we know what happened to many of them. Although the Council of Safety ordered that a full muster roll be compiled when the army left for New York, and Col. William Smallwood later transmitted a list of all men who were killed or captured, neither of these lists has survived. There are three companies for which we have identified fewer than half the soldiers: the Fifth, Fifth Independent, and Seventh Independent.

First Maryland Regiment Roster, 1776

In total, all nine companies commanded by Col. Smallwood fought at the battle, along with the Fourth, Fifth, and Seventh Independent Companies (the other four Independents did not arrive in New York until sometime after the battle). If the Maryland troops had been at full strength, there would have been eight companies of 74 men; one company of 78 men; and three companies of 104 men, for a total of 982. However, we know that not every company was at full strength. Some were short of men before the army left for New York, and illness and desertion further reduced the ranks.

If you have questions about anything you see here, please leave a comment below or send an email to msamaryland400@gmail.com.

You can help support Finding the Maryland 400.
Make a donation to the Friends of the Maryland State Archives, and designate it for the Maryland 400!
Thank you for your support!