Project sponsored by the Maryland Society of the Sons of the American Revolution
Recent posts: Finding the Maryland 400
250 Years Ago in Brooklyn, New York…
…the Maryland 400 made a desperate last stand that held back the British and helped save the American army. The Battle of Brooklyn, fought on August 27, 1776, was the first major battle of the Revolutionary War, and a terrible defeat for the Americans.The British overwhelmed the Continental Army commanded by George Washington. As the […]
Finding the Maryland 400 Book For Sale
Finding the Maryland 400, the book chronicling Maryland’s Revolutionary War soldiers, is now for sale! The price is $40 (plus $9 shipping & handling). It can be purchased online here: The book is also available in person at the Maryland State Archives. Finding the Maryland 400 tells the stories of the soldiers who fought heroically […]
Maryland 400 Podcast, Episode Three: The Meaning of the Maryland 400
This is the final episode of the Maryland 400 podcast, exploring Maryland and the American Revolution, from journalism professor Tom Moore of CUNY York College. The series concludes by discussing the meaning of the Maryland 400. Who were these soldiers, and what did they do? What can be learned about them? It features Assistant State […]
Maryland 400 Podcast, Episode 2: Maryland’s Black Patriots
This is episode two of the Maryland 400 podcast, exploring Maryland and the American Revolution, from journalism professor Tom Moore of CUNY York College. This week’s episode focuses on Maryland’s Black soldiers, who are often overlooked but were a critical part of the Continental Army. Maryland enlisted Black soldiers as early as the summer of […]
Tag Archives: history
Col. Gaither: Seven years on Georgia’s frontier
A new biography expands on previous writing on this blog about Henry Chew Gaither, a Revolutionary War captain of the First and Fourth Maryland Regiments. On the eve of the Battle of Brooklyn, he served as a witness for Daniel … Continue reading
Introducing the Interactive Map
Geography physically connects us to the past in a way that can dust the cobwebs off of history and make it more accessible to the modern world. This interactive map shows where Smallwood’s men came from and the places where … Continue reading
The Prisoner and the Privateer
Two new entries have been added to the biography page! William Sterrett and Phillip Hawkins were Baltimoreans who fought in different companies of Smallwood’s Battalion at the Battle of Brooklyn. Both men were also survivors of the British prison ships … Continue reading
Winter at Morristown
After the battles of Trenton and Princeton, the American troops made winter headquarters at Morristown, New Jersey on January 6.[1] Traditionally, wars were not fought during the wintertime, but the American Revolution was not a conventional European war. The winter … Continue reading
A Fine Fox Chase: The Battle of Princeton
At the beginning of 1777 the Americans were in an unfamiliar position; they were on the offensive. In the week after capturing Trenton they had successfully parried the attacks of General Cornwallis, but a more serious engagement was inevitable before … Continue reading
The Crossing and the Capture
“For heaven’s sake, keep this to yourself,” George Washington wrote to Colonel Joseph Reed, laying out his plan to capture Trenton. “Christmas day at night, one hour before day, is the time fixed upon for our attempt on Trenton.”[1] The first … Continue reading
The Road to Trenton
December was a desperate month for the Revolutionary cause, which badly needed a victory to turn the tide of losses. Expiring enlistments were steadily chipping away at the size of the Continental Army, and the British established a winter camp … Continue reading
“If I Fall on the Field of Battle”
Captain Daniel Bowie wrote his last will and testament on the eve of the Battle of Brooklyn. The next day he was wounded in battle and captured by the British. While imprisoned he would succumb to his wounds and become … Continue reading
The Whig Club: Judge and Jury in Baltimore
It was a cold morning when Melchior Keener got word to leave Baltimore or suffer the vengeance of the Whig Club. At nine o’clock on December 5, 1776, James Cox, a popular local tailor, delivered the message that Keener had three … Continue reading
Finding the Maryland 400 