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: Maryland
“The Unhappy Situation”
It rained constantly for two days after the Battle of Long Island. The defeated Americans did not have enough tents or clothes, and the soggy troops could only wait for the storm to end. The Continental army’s ranks were depleted … Continue reading
Biography of William McMillan, Maryland 400 Soldier
Earlier this summer, I wrote a post about a letter I had found in a pension file. The letter was a firsthand account of a Revolutionary War veteran’s experience in the war, written many years after the fact. The man … Continue reading
Alternative Sources: Clothing Records of the Maryland 400
While muster rolls and company returns would give the most accurate listing of the men in the Maryland 400, we have yet to come across one from the right time in the war. This has caused us to go to … Continue reading
The Dysfunctional Company
At the beginning of this project one of our first tasks was to establish which companies were actually present at the Battle of Brooklyn This reason for this is obvious enough: so that we do not waste too much time … Continue reading
Battle Maps of Long Island
Hello all, We recently came across some very interesting maps that show the events of the Battle of Long Island in good detail. As some of you may have noticed, one of these maps is now the background for the … Continue reading
Desertion: Scourge of the Army
Only disease could pose a greater danger to the cause of American Independence than that of desertion. No army in the 18th century, not even well trained professional ones, could escape the inevitability that many of the soldiers would leave … Continue reading
237 Years Ago
On July 6, 1776 the Convention of Maryland ordered Colonel William Smallwood to march his 6 Companies stationed in Annapolis and the 3 Companies in Baltimore to Philadelphia. Joining them would be three of the Independent Companies, specifically those under … Continue reading
An Anecdote from the Wartime Service of Gassaway Watkins
Gassaway Watkins, one of the men of the Maryland 400, wrote down a brief account of his service before he died. Unfortunately, only part of the document still exists, as evident by its abrupt end. However, the sketch is long … Continue reading
Progress Update
While the first few days of work consisted mainly of us learning about the battle and creating a framework to organize what we find, the last several days have seen Daniel and myself doing more research on the men of … Continue reading
Beginnings
The first week of my time at Maryland State Archives has passed and the project to identify the members of the Maryland 400 has officially begun. This first week of work has been mostly dedicated to building a foundation on … Continue reading
Finding the Maryland 400 