Date: 1776 to 1783
Location: Maryland, United States
Surnames/tags: 1776 Maryland_Militia Maryland_State_Troops

Contents 1 Maryland’s Warriors of the Revolution, 1774-1783 1.1 Introduction 1.1.1 Abstract 1.1.2 Terminology 1.1.3 Continental Army vs. State Troops vs. Militia 1.1.4 Military Units and Formations 1.1.5 Weapons 1.1.6 Pre-War 1.1.7 War or Negotiation? 1.2 June 1775-June 76: The Siege of Boston 1.2.1 Maryland Rifle Companies 1.3 The 1775 Organization of the Maryland Militia 1.4 The 35-Regiment Continental Army 1.4.1 Eastern Shore Battalion 1.5 The 1776 Reorganization of Maryland Militia 1.6 Maryland’s State Troops 1.6.1 The Maryland Battalion 1.6.2 Seven Independent Companies 1.6.3 Maryland State Artillery Companies 1.7 Summer 1776: Battle of New York 1.7.1 German Battalion 1.7.2 The Continental Flying Camp (part 1) 1.7.3 1st and 2nd Maryland Regiments 1.7.4 The Continental Flying Camp (part 2) 1.7.5 Maryland and Virginia Rifle Regiment 1.8 The 88-Regiment Continental Army 1.9 The 110-Regiment Continental Army 1.9.1 4th Continental Light Dragoon Regiment 1.9.2 Gist’s Additional Continental Regiment 1.9.3 Grayson’s Additional Continental Regiment 1.10 Year 1777 1.10.1 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Maryland Regiments 1.11 The 1777 Reorganization of Maryland Militia 1.11.1 Maryland Continental Artillery Companies 1.12 Years 1778-1781 1.12.1 Pulaski’s Legion 1.12.2 1780 Select Militia and Horse Troops 1.13 April 1781 Act for the Defense of the Bay 1.14 Conclusion 1.15 Bibliography 1.16 Footnotes 1.17 Related Articles

Maryland’s Warriors of the Revolution, 1774-1783

This is a pre-print of an article intended for publication. Feel free to consult the article but please refrain from copying any portion of it.

Draft WT4-1 Mar 2023 (with minor revisions to suit WikiTree format and conventions)

Jim Moore

Introduction

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to trace the (re)organizations of the Maryland militia and state troops, and to follow the evolution of Maryland units during the Revolutionary War—with particular emphasis on their origins in the militia.

Although specific events are sometimes mentioned, usually to provide context for organizational changes, it is not a goal of this paper to describe the engagements of the military organizations.

This paper makes many references to the Archives of Maryland and relies upon earlier research by: Wright, the authoritative reference to the organization and evolution of the Continental Army; Clements for the evolution of the Maryland militia; and Scharf’s History of Maryland.

The particular contributions of this paper are:

• to distinguish whether particular Maryland units were militia, state troops, or Continentals; and
• to show the evolution of some units from militia to Continental, militia to state troop, or state troop to Continental.

The article is arranged roughly chronologically. In order to show continuity in the evolution of units, however, paragraphs prefaced with "Afterward" summarize developments subsequent to the period.

Terminology

Continental Army vs. State Troops vs. Militia

During the Revolution, Maryland warriors would have been enrolled in one or more of three types of military organizations¹:

• The Continental Army consisted of units created or designated to fulfill quotas levied by the Continental Congress, serving under George Washington's overall command, in any of several geographical departments. The organization of the Continental Army was legislated by the Continental Congress. Throughout the war, many states sought to label their militia units or state troops as Continentals to relieve their expenses, but, the only actual Continental units were those authorized by the Continental Congress in various times during the war.
• Maryland "State troops" consisted of units of full-time soldiers defending the boundaries of Maryland. Generally these troops served inside Maryland, but could be dispatched outside the state when necessary. In some cases, units of state troops were reassigned to the Continental Army in order to fulfill levies from the Congress. This category also includes the Maryland Navy and a company of Marines for naval use.
• Maryland Militia consisted of units of part-time soldiers activated as needed for specific purposes. With a few exceptions, these units served within the boundaries of Maryland. Occasionally, militia units coordinated their action with the Continental Army, but were, nevertheless, not part of the Army. In some such cases, Congress even reimbursed particular expenses but this does not imply that the militia had become Continentals. In some cases, members of the militia were recruited, individually or in numbers, to become Continentals.

It’s important to note that, in its usage at that time, the word “militia” was used in two subtly different ways. Of course, one usage is to refer to the organized units of militia that were mandated by the government of Maryland. But consider this Maryland law² announced by the General Assembly on 22 April 1778:

An ACT to procure troops for the American Army

This act provides for raising 2,902 men…This number of men is apportioned on the several counties according to the number of militia in each…

If in any county its quota shall not be raised before the 20th of May next, there shall be a general muster of the militia, which is to be divided into so many classes, respect being had to property, as there shall be men wanted.  A draught is to take place in every class that does not procure its recruit within five days, the person upon whom the lot shall fall, shall serve nine months…

The law concerns meeting the quota on Maryland for providing troops to the Continental Army. The quota is apportioned to each county, based on the population enrolled in the militia. The last resort is to draft men from the militia. But why is the quota apportioned according to the number of men in the militia and why does the draft apply only to those men already in the militia? It’s because, from August 1775 onward, service in the militia was mandatory for all able free men (with a few occupations exempted) falling within a suitable age range. In other words, the militia was a census of all men suitable for military service. So the term “militia” could be used to indicate the organized units of the state or it could be used to refer to the population of men suitable for military service.. This second usage will be useful in understanding how Maryland provided men for the Continental Flying Camp.

Military Units and Formations

The hierarchy of military units and formations has evolved throughout history, and there were many variations on theme. No brief description can be regarded as correct. For the purposes of this paper, the notional hierarchy, from smaller to larger, was: Company > Battalion > Regiment > Brigade.

• A Company generally consisted of about 60-100 men, commanded by a Captain.
• A Battalion, the basic element of maneuver,³ generally consisted of about 10 companies, commanded by a Lt. Colonel or a Colonel. This formation was used by the Maryland militia.
• A Regiment consisted of about 10 companies, commanded by a Colonel. This formation was used by the Continental Army. In this era, the main difference between a battalion and a regiment was that the regiment had a staff of a dozen or so men to support the commander, and to manage payroll, supply, medical, and chaplain functions.⁴
• A Brigade is a formation of regiments or battalions, commanded by a Brigadier General. (In British tradition, a brigade is a transient formation with units added or subtracted to achieve specified goals.⁵)

Maryland militia were generally formed with 9 or so companies in a battalion. Continental regiments had a similar number of companies plus a regimental staff.⁶

Weapons

Firearms were expensive and surprisingly scarce among the colonists. The most common firearm for both British and American forces was the musket, a smooth bore weapon that was accurate at only close ranges. Specific American units, though, were armed with rifles, a firearm that was more accurate, but slow to load, and which lacked a bayonet. Most forces on both sides, by this time, were equipped with flintlock weapons, rather than the older matchlocks. The firearm experience of most colonists was in hunting, while that of the British was in set-piece warfare; so, all considered, there was an asymmetry in infantry capability with the Americans having an edge in aimed fire by individuals and the British having an edge in massed fire by formations.⁷ The Americans exploited this as early as the siege of Boston by forming specialized rifle companies.

Pre-War

English settlers to the New World brought along a tradition of arming themselves to protect their community. For example, King Charles I explicitly included such provisions in his 1632 charter for the Maryland colony. The first “trained band” was formed in St. Mary’s county in March 1634.⁸ By the time of the French and Indian War, Maryland had an organized militia that included, in principle, all able freemen between ages 16 and 60, with a few exceptions, numbering about 12,500. That war added an innovation; “provincial troops” were recruited for full-time service to fight at the side of British regulars and to garrison the frontier. When, a decade later, the Revolution started, Maryland already had a cadre of experienced veterans available for service.⁹ A report of 1 June 1774 estimated the number of militia to be 18,000 but added that “many of them are quite unprovided or very ill supplied with arms.”¹⁰

War or Negotiation?

During the unrest leading up to the Revolution and for more than a year after the hostilities at Lexington and Concord, it remained unclear whether the outcome would be war or negotiation. In either case, ad hoc institutions would be needed to represent the interests of the colonists.¹¹ The Maryland Convention (sometimes called the “Annapolis Convention” or the “Assembly of Freemen”) first met on 22 June 1774, and, among other business, elected Maryland delegates to the Continental Congress, which convened 5 September 1774. In April 1775, a Council of Safety was created to act in behalf of the Convention when it was not in session.¹²

In December of 1774, the Maryland Convention recommended voluntary enlistment into the militia so that the presence of the British Army would no longer be necessary:¹³

… a well regulated militia, composed of the gentlemen, freeholders, and other freemen, is the natural strength and only stable security of a free government, and that such militia will relieve our mother country from any expense in our protection and defence; will obviate the pretence of a necessity for taxing us on that account, and render it unnecessary to keep any standing army (ever dangerous to liberty, ) in this province: And therefore it is recommended to such of the said inhabitants of this province as are from sixteen to fifty years of age, to form themselves into companies of sixty-eight men…

The remark of a standing army being “ever dangerous to liberty,” voices an opinion commonly held in many of the colonies and explains the reluctance to form a Continental Army in a timely manner. The Convention went on to prescribe organization and set drill requirements for the militia companies.¹⁴ Each company was to drill twice a week with flintlocks and bayonet. This made them better prepared than many other provincial soldiers, who were not trained with bayonet until Von Steuben organized Continental drill instruction in March 1778.¹⁵

Possibly the first company of Maryland volunteers to respond to the Convention’s recommendation was the Baltimore Independent Cadets, recruited into the militia by Capt. Mordecai Gist and organized on 3 December 1774.¹⁶

June 1775-June 76: The Siege of Boston

When hostilities broke out at Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, there was no Continental Army. The Battle of Bunker Hill and the initial weeks of the siege of Boston were conducted by the militias of various nearby colonies. A few days later, reacting to the news, the Maryland Convention urged that “particular attention be paid to forming and exercising the militia throughout this province.”¹⁷

Maryland Rifle Companies

The Continental Congress approved the formation of a Continental Army, June 14, 1775. In addition to taking responsibility for the troops already at Boston, it requested other colonies to raise forces. It set quotas for Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia to provide ten light infantry companies of “expert riflemen”--the first forces raised directly as Continental Army.¹⁸ Two of the rifle companies were to be raised in Maryland. The Maryland Convention assigned the task to the Frederick County Committee on Observation, which organized the companies within a week of Congress’s call.¹⁹ The two rifle companies—commanded by Michael Cresap and Thomas Price²⁰— arrived in Boston in August to join the siege.²¹ The New England militia companies at Boston remained militia of their respective provinces, while the levied rifle companies, including Maryland’s, were incorporated into the Continental Army.²² Washington arrived in Dorchester and took command on July 2, 1775.

The 1775 Organization of the Maryland Militia

The Maryland Convention approved armed opposition to British troops, July-August 1775, and took steps to strengthen its military. It authorized the formation of 40 companies of “minutemen” to “fight... for the preservation of American Liberty…” in Maryland or in neighboring colonies.²³ The 40 minuteman companies were to be raised in counties; 24 of them were grouped into 3 battalions, centered in Baltimore, Frederick county, and the Western Shore, while the remainder were independent.²⁴ Each battalion was to be led by a Colonel, a Lt. Colonel, two Majors, a Quartermaster, and an Adjutant. Each was to create a light infantry company drawn from its other eight companies. Battalion and light infantry officers were to be commissioned by the Convention, while company officers were to be elected. All companies were to drill two days a week and be paid for one of them.²⁵

The Convention also established a structure for its regular militia. All able freemen (with some age and occupation exceptions) were required to enroll by 15 September and be prepared to “...march to such places within this province...and fight…” Unlike the Minutemen, the militia were limited to action within the province. County committees of observation were to assign companies to battalions. The militia companies were required to drill one day per week, and one additional day per month with their battalion. Militia members were to be paid while on active duty.²⁶

The August 1775 resolutions also subdivided Frederick County into three districts along lines that later resulted in new counties.²⁷ The Upper District became Washington County (including what is now Allegany and Garrett counties) on September 6, 1776. The Lower District became Montgomery County on August 31, 1776.

The 35-Regiment Continental Army

By mid-October, the Army besieging Boston had 38 regiments plus additional rifle units, artillery, and companies, for a total of more than 22,000 men.²⁸ However, the regiments and other units had various sizes and organizations, depending on the norms of the individual colonies providing them.²⁹

The Continental Congress, on November 4, 1775, approved a reorganization of the Continental Army into 35 uniformly organized infantry regiments, plus one rifle regiment and one artillery regiment. The change was announced by Washington and implementation began on January 1.³⁰ The two Maryland Rifle Companies were not initially affected by the January 1776 reorganization of the Continental Army because, unlike the New England forces, their enlistments did not expire until July.³¹

Eastern Shore Battalion

A British fleet, sheltering the deposed Royal Governor of Virginia, Lord Dunmore, had begun raiding the Eastern Shore of Virginia, as early as June 1775. The Continental Congress requested three Pennsylvania³² militia companies to respond but they were diverted to another crisis on the Canadian border. On 8 January 1776, Congress asked Maryland send three companies of Minutemen.³³ The company from Dorchester, commanded by Capt. Joseph Robson, “possess[ing] only ten guns fit for service,”³⁴ could not respond, but a company from Kent county, under Capt. James Kent, and a company from Queen Anne’s county, under Capt. William Henry, arrived in Northampton county, Virginia in mid-February, returning to Maryland a month later. Although the Continental Army reimbursed the expenses of this so-called Eastern Shore Battalion, it was never absorbed into the Continental Army’s organization and remained militia.³⁵ It should not be confused with the later Continental Army regiment commanded by Colonel William Richardson and stationed on the Chesapeake Bay.

The 1776 Reorganization of Maryland Militia

In January 1776, the Convention reorganized the Maryland military, including the militia. Five military districts were created and Brigadiers named for them—Thomas Johnson, Jr., Henry Hooper, John Dent, James L. Chamberlain and Andrew Buchanan—with Johnson being senior, hence the Brigadier-General for the state.³⁶ A battalion structure was superimposed upon the existing companies of militia. Each battalion was led by a colonel, a lieutenant colonel, a 1^st major, a 2^nd major, a quartermaster, and an adjutant, all to be commissioned by the Convention.³⁷ There was no regimental level of formation, so the battalions reported directly to the brigadier of the military district. The battalions were numbered 1 through 38, although 16 additional battalions remained named rather than numbered. Brigadiers were authorized to form excess companies into a formation called a “corps”—but most simply assigned excess companies to create over-strength battalions.³⁸

Maryland’s State Troops

The January 1776 resolutions of the Convention made other changes, too. They disbanded the Minutemen as of March, replacing them with full-time state troops “for the defence and protection of this province,” comprising 1444 paid men with “proper officers” formed into a battalion of 9 companies (8 infantry and 1 light), 7 independent companies, 2 companies of artillery, and one of marines. The Convention was authorized to order these troops into Virginia, Delaware and Pennsylvania.³⁹ Officers were selected and monthly pay (between $5-1/3 and $50, depending on rank) was determined.⁴⁰ Two months thereafter, the Convention took steps to establish a Maryland Navy.⁴¹

Accordingly, the Maryland Battalion, Seven Independent Companies, and Maryland State Artillery Companies were organized as described below.

The Maryland Battalion

The Maryland Battalion of the State Troops was organized as nine companies in Baltimore and Annapolis during spring of 1776.⁴² The battalion was formed under the command of Colonel William Smallwood and was split between Annapolis and Baltimore. Smallwood, Major Thomas Price, and the 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 6^th, 7^th, and part of the 9^th companies were stationed at the battalion headquarters in Annapolis. Lt. Colonel Francis Ware, 2^nd Major Mordecai Gist,    and the 4^th, 5^th and part of the 9^th company were stationed in Baltimore.

It is notable that Mordecai Gist was named a Major in the battalion. This suggests that he may have enrolled the members of his pre-war Baltimore Independent Cadets into this battalion. One source⁴³ makes that assertion and provides an illustration of their uniform and the uniform eventually adopted by the whole of the Maryland Battalion.

Afterward…

As explained later, the Maryland Battalion was adopted into the Continental Army in August 1776.

Seven Independent Companies

The Seven Independent Companies of State Troops were organized March 7-14 at various locations bordering the Chesapeake Bay.⁴⁴

The Convention resolved that “the uniform of the land forces and marines be hunting-shirts; the hunting-shirts of the marines to be blue, and those of the land forces to be other colors.”⁴⁵ Hindman’s Fourth Independent Company is known to have worn the uniform depicted in this reference.⁴⁶

Maryland State Troops, as well as militia, were engaged repeatedly in defending the Chesapeake Bay from raids by the British Navy, e. g. March⁴⁷ and June⁴⁸ of 1776.

Afterward…

As explained later, the Seven Independent Companies were adopted into the Continental Army in August 1776.

Maryland State Artillery Companies

The 1st and 2nd Maryland Artillery Companies, State Troops authorized by the Convention in January 1776, were organized during the spring of 1776 in Baltimore and Annapolis, respectively. The 3rd Maryland State Artillery Company was formed in Annapolis during the winter of 1776.⁴⁹

Afterward…

As explained later, the three Maryland State Artillery Companies were adopted into the Continental Army on November 22, 1777, as the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Maryland Continental Artillery Companies, and were used in support of the Maryland Continental infantry regiments.⁵⁰

Summer 1776: Battle of New York

German Battalion

On 25 May 1776, the Continental Congress authorized the German Battalion in response to British use of Hessian mercenaries. Both Maryland and Pennsylvania were to provide four companies of immigrant Germans and men of German descent.⁵¹ The battalion was organized in Philadelphia, May-September. In addition to five companies from Pennsylvania (exceeding their quota), Maryland provided four companies—two each from Baltimore and Frederick counties. Captains George Stricker and Ludowick Weltner, of Maryland, were appointed as Lt. Colonel and Major, respectively, while a Pennsylvanian was appointed as Colonel.⁵²

Afterward…

The German Battalion served until disbanded 1 January 1781. Its battles included Trenton, defense of Philadelphia, Monmouth, and Iroquois suppression. For purposes of meeting its quota, Maryland accounted for the battalion, along with a few other units, as the 8th Maryland Regiment.⁵³

The Continental Flying Camp (part 1)

Apprehending the danger to New York and Fort Ticonderoga, the Continental Congress, on June 3, 1776, requested that the states provide 19,800 militia for the defense of those positions, as well as a “flying camp” of 10,000 men to act as a strategic reserve through December 1, 1776. Maryland’s quota was to be 3400 men. The choice of militia was based on both practical and ideological reasoning—militia could be supplied more quickly and was thought to be more representative of the people.⁵⁴

The Maryland Council replied that it lacked authority to order the militia to service outside the province; but Maryland’s congressional delegates responded that the intent was not to send militia units but rather to recruit persons who were serving in the militia.⁵⁵ The Maryland deputies wrote to the Council on June 15:⁵⁶

It never was intended that any part of the militia was compellable to march out of the Provinces; no do we know of any Power in ours, even tho' the Convention was sitting, to order the militia upon Service out of the Province. It was intended that the flying camp should be formed by voluntary Inlistments [sic] of the militia, and it was supposed that the People of the respective Provinces would readily and voluntarily march to the head quarters of this flying camp, which was ordered principally to defend the middle Colonies. It will be necessary however to appoint officers and give directions to the body of militia when raised, and this may be done by your council or the Convention.

It’s worth taking a moment to parse this communication. The first sentence includes the phrase, “any part of the militia was compellable to march out of the provinces.” This is the first meaning of “militia,” as mentioned previously; it refers to the militia as an organization of    battalions and companies. The second sentence includes the phrase, “voluntary Inlistments of the militia.” This refers to the second meaning—the population of men suitable for fighting. The word “militia” in the final sentence refers to the body of men who have been recruited.

The Convention resolved on June 25 to send 3,405 men organized in four battalions of nine companies each, plus one additional company. Officers were issued warrants to “enroll” non-commissioned officers and privates. “Enrollments were to be of those who voluntarily offered themselves.” The enrollment lists, “even if not completed,” were to be returned by 20 July.⁵⁷ Maryland’s portion of the Flying Camp was to be commanded by Brig. Thomas Johnson, Jr., but it was later determined that his service within Maryland was essential and John Dent was chosen, then he resigned shortly thereafter and Rezin Beall was selected.⁵⁸ Apparently, Beall was also to serve as the Brigadier-General of the Maryland militia.⁵⁹

Clements⁶⁰ makes it clear that, “although the term ‘militia’ was used to describe the Flying Camp troops, they were, in fact, short term volunteers in the Continental Forces. Once they left Maryland, they were under the control of General Washington, and they were to be paid and supported by the Continental Congress rather than by Maryland.” The Maryland Convention applied to Congress for the reimbursement of 10,000 pounds expended in fulfilling their quota for the Flying Camp.⁶¹ The archivists of the state of    Maryland agree that the Maryland Flying Camp were not militia,⁶² and have implemented this distinction by including Flying Camp records in Volume 18 of the Archives, the volume that deals with the Continental Army.

1st and 2nd Maryland Regiments

Given the urgency of the expected British attack on New York, the Convention apparently decided not to wait for the fruits of the Flying Camp recruiting campaign and dispatched the previously mentioned Maryland Battalion and the Seven Independent Companies to New York on July 6, 1776.⁶³ Smallwood’s Battalion and three of the independent companies reached New York on August 9. Price, commanding four other companies, reached New York on September 19, after being released from coastal defense.⁶⁴ The Seven Independent Companies were formed into a make-shift battalion commanded by Major Mordecai Gist. During the Long Island campaign, they camped adjacent to Smallwood’s battalion.⁶⁵

Some might regard the Maryland Battalion as part of the Flying Camp. This is not correct, as evidenced by a letter from Colonel William Richardson to George Washington, dated 4 July 1778, and the disposition of the issues raised by that letter. In the letter, Richardson asserts that the ranking order of officers of the Flying Camp (including Richardson’s unit) and the Maryland Continental Line (including Smallwood’s unit) should be equivalent, e. g. a Flying Camp Colonel does not rank below a Maryland Line colonel.) His assertion was rejected, stating that the establishing orders “gave the Field Officers [major and above] of Colo. Smalwood’s [sic] Battalion, the right of Commanding any Field offi[c]er of whatsoever Rank in the Flying Camp, or in the Militia belonging to the State.”⁶⁶ Regardless of the merits, the dispute makes it clear that Smallwood’s Regiment was not part of the Flying Camp. The ruling is also clear that the Flying Camp was distinct from the state militia.

On August 17, Congress formally allotted Maryland a quota of two additional Continental regiments. The Maryland Convention responded with a book-keeping change. They counted the Maryland Battalion and the Seven Independent Companies to the Continental Army as fulfilling that quota—same troops but now on the Continental payroll. They were adopted into the Continental Army as part of Lord Stirling’s Brigade.⁶⁷ Their heroics in covering the Continental evacuation from the Battle of Long Island are famously described in many sources, including Scharf.⁶⁸ Washington’s confidential secretary, Tench Tilghman wrote that “no regular troops ever made a more gallant resistance than Smallwood’s regiment.”⁶⁹

Afterward…

In January 1777 reorganization of the Continental Army, the Maryland Battalion and the Seven Independent Companies were reorganized as the 1st and 2nd Maryland Regiments of the Continental Army.⁷⁰ After the reorganization, they wore the uniform that eventually came to be the most popular in the Continental Army.⁷¹ In May 1777, the 1st and 2nd regiments were assigned to the 1st and 2nd Maryland Brigades, respectively and remained with those brigades through their evolution into a singular Maryland Brigade, January 1781. The regiments were eventually disbanded in November 1783.⁷²

The Continental Flying Camp (part 2)

Although it had been “supposed that the People of the respective Provinces would readily and voluntarily march to the head quarters of this flying camp,” Maryland’s recruiting campaign for the Flying Camp went slowly. The Maryland Archives contain a note that: “Capt. Mantz' Company was ordered to Leonardtown [Maryland] and from there to Philadelphia where it arrived Aug. 23rd.”⁷³ Presumably others were also sent to Washington’s Army when ready. Due the incomplete enrollments, though, this did not suffice to fill the quota of four battalions. On September 10, the Maryland Convention renewed their recruitment effort by directing the militia battalion commanders to “select companies of volunteers” for service in the Flying Camp through December 1, “receiv[ing] continental pay from the day of enrollment.”⁷⁴ Three alternatives were provided: enlisting individual members of the militia; recruiting additional persons by existing militia officers and “a considerable number of their company”; and enrolling an entire militia company.

Each county was assigned a quota of companies with the total of eighteen companies being enough to create two battalions/regiments. The need to begin recruiting precisely two battalions at this late date suggests that the Maryland Battalion and the Seven Independent Companies originally might have been intended to become two battalions of the Flying Camp, but that this plan went awry when Congress raised the Maryland Continental quota by two in August and Smallwood’s two battalions were, instead, accepted into the Maryland Line of the Continental Army. The Maryland Council of Safety sent a letter, dated 16 August, to their delegates in the Congress, summarizing the troops sent. The letter states, “we shall have near four thousand men with you in a short time. This exceeds our quota for the Flying Camp.” The list included with the letter shows Smallwood’s battalion and the independent companies as well as 28 other companies.⁷⁵ Finally, after Smallwood reported to Congress in Philadelphia on August 17, President John Hancock sent a letter to General Washington stating that “troops from Maryland [were] on their way to join the Flying Camp.”⁷⁶

Thomas Ewing was appointed the Colonel of the 3rd Maryland Battalion of the Flying Camp.⁷⁷ Others were Charles Greenbury Griffith (1st), Josias Carvil Hall    (2nd), and William Richardson (4th).⁷⁸ Brigadier Rezin Beall had overall command of the four Maryland battalions.⁷⁹

Maryland’s Flying Camp was blooded at a critical point in the Battle of Harlem Heights, repulsing three British advances. Col. Tench Tilghman,⁸⁰ Washington’s confidential secretary, and a Marylander, wrote that captured British prisoners “told us they expected our men would have run away…but that they were never more surprised than to see us advancing to attack them. The Virginia and Maryland troops bear the palm.”⁸¹

Afterward…

The enlistments in the Flying Camp expired on December 1, 1776 and the formation passed out of existence. Many members chose not to stay. In one company, for example, only seven of the 68 privates can be found in later rosters of Continental units. Some were unhappy with their Brigadier, Rezin Beall.⁸² Nevertheless, some of the officers and men were recruited into other Maryland forces of the Continental Army, state troops, or militia.

Maryland and Virginia Rifle Regiment

The needs of Washington’s army were still not satisfied. On June 17, 1776, the Maryland and Virginia Rifle Regiment of the Continental Army was authorized. It was organized ten days later to consist of the existing two rifle companies from Maryland (the ones that went to the siege of Boston), an existing rifle company from Virginia, two new companies to be formed in Maryland, and four new companies to be raised in Virginia.⁸³ Captains Moses Rawlings and Otho Holland Williams were promoted to be Lt. Colonel and Major of the regiment. (Rawlings was promoted Colonel, six months later.) The new Maryland companies were raised during July in Frederick and Harford counties.

Afterward…

After parts of the regiment were captured at Fort Washington, NY, on 16 November 1776, the regiment was disbanded. The remaining Maryland portion was reorganized as a single company, commanded by Capt. Alexander Lawson Smith, and attached to the 4^th Maryland Regiment. On March 21, 1779, it was reorganized as Rawling’s Independent Corps, three companies, and dispatched to the Western Department of the Continental Army.⁸⁴

The 88-Regiment Continental Army

Even while combat in New York continued, the Congress approved, on September 16, 1776, an enlargement and reorganization of the Continental Army to total 88 regiments/battalions, including eight allotted to Maryland.⁸⁵ The Maryland Convention protested that this exceeded their “just quota” but, nevertheless, agreed to use its “utmost endeavours to raise the 8 battalions required (including the troops already … in the service of the United States.”⁸⁶ The success of this effort will be described later.

Following the Declaration of Independence, the Maryland Convention had resolved to create a new, democratic state government. They completed a state constitution and then adjourned on November 11, 1776, handing power over to the new government. Thomas Johnson was elected by the new legislature as the state’s first governor.

The 110-Regiment Continental Army

Surveying the near-ruinous results of the defense of New York, the Continental Congress, in December 1776, authorized sixteen additional regiments, which along with six previously raised directly by the Congress and not tied to any state, increased the size of the Army to 110 infantry regiments.⁸⁷ This was to be the peak size of the Continental Army, as fiscal and recruiting constraints required shrinking and reorganizing the Army during the remainder of the war. Furthermore, the Continental Army initiated the practice of directly recruiting individuals, in addition to directing the states to provide groups of men in accordance with a quota.⁸⁸

In fact, the Continental Army never reached its full size. For example, Scharf asserts that, in April of 1777, irrespective of authorized size, Washington’s Army numbered only eight thousand men fit for duty—all of them from the states south of the Hudson River.⁸⁹

4th Continental Light Dragoon Regiment

Congress’s December 1776 resolution to enlarge the Army to 110 regiments also authorized up to 3000 light “dragoons”.⁹⁰ One regiment was to be commanded by Stephen Moylan, who had served as Quartermaster General of the Army. The primary mission was to be reconnaissance.⁹¹ Colonel Moylan organized his regiment, sometimes called “Moylan’s Horse”—to consist of 6 troops from    Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and New Jersey—at Philadelphia and Baltimore during the spring of 1777.⁹²

Afterward…

Shortages of men, horses, and forage caused the brigade to be dispersed in the late 1778. Moylan’s regiment was then equipped as infantry.⁹³

Gist’s Additional Continental Regiment

Nathaniel Gist (probably pronounced “guest”, and sometimes spelled that way), born in Maryland and a first cousin of Maryland’s Mordecai Gist, was a frontiersman, often living among the Cherokee Indians. During the French & Indian War, he served in Washington’s Virginia Regiment on the ill-fated Braddock Expedition.⁹⁴

He, like his father, became a close associate of Washington’s. On January 11, 1777, Washington commissioned him Colonel to command Gist’s Additional Continental Regiment, intended as a light infantry unit. It was one of the 16 additional regiments authorized by Congress in December 1776. Gist was to recruit men on the southern frontier for four companies, as well as 500 Cherokees to serve as scouts.⁹⁵

Only three companies were formed—recruited from Maryland and Virginia.

The Maryland legislature judged that one of the difficulties in meeting their own quota arose from the recruiting of independent forces like Gist’s. They imposed a 100 pound penalty on anyone who enlisted a Maryland resident for any unit other than the state’s own forces.⁹⁶

Afterward….

Two companies, under Captains John Gist and Joseph Smith, were attached to the 3rd Maryland Regiment, and one to the 12th Virginia. Three additional Virginia regiments were consolidated into Gist’s on 22 April 1779, and the regiment was assigned to the 1st Virginia Brigade shortly thereafter.⁹⁷

Grayson’s Additional Continental Regiment

William Grayson was one of Washington’s aides. Like Gist, above, he was authorized to raise one of the 16 additional regiments authorized by Congress in December 1776. He was close to his future brother-in-law, Maryland’s William Smallwood, and recruited men for nine companies from Maryland and Delaware as well as his native Virginia. His regiment was assigned successively to the 4th and 3rd Virginia Brigades. Ultimately, his regiment was one of three combined with Gist’s on 22 April 1779.

Year 1777

Despite Washington’s victories at Trenton and Princeton, the enlistments of many Continentals had expired and the army was vulnerable. At the request of the Congress, the Council of Safety ordered the militia of Anne Arundel, Prince George’s, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Frederick, Baltimore, Harford and Cecil counties, serving under the command of Thomas Johnson, to join Washington’s army in New Jersey.⁹⁸ The duration of their stay is uncertain but probably brief; it soon became clear that the British Army had withdrawn into winter quarters in New York.

3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Maryland Regiments

Unlike the 1st and 2nd regiments, these units were authorized as part of the (88 regiment) Continental Army in September 1776—before they were formed. The 4th through 7th organized themselves around cadres of officers from the regiments previously sent to the Flying Camp, while officers for the 3rd came from other sources.⁹⁹

Each was organized in March 1777¹⁰⁰ as eight companies recruited in various counties of the state:

• 3rd: Anne Arundel, Prince George’s, Talbot, Harford, and Somerset

• 4th: Baltimore, Anne Arundel, and Somerset

• 5th: Queen Anne, Kent, Caroline, Dorchester

• 6th: Prince George’s, Frederick, Cecil, Harford, Queen Anne, and Anne Arundel

• 7th: Frederick and Baltimore

With this development, Maryland asserted that it had achieved its quota of 8 regiments. Maryland officials counted the seven Maryland Regiments, plus its portion of the German Battalion and the Maryland Rifle Companies that had been combined into the Maryland and Virginia Rifle Regiment.

Afterward…

In May 1777, the five new regiments joined with the 1st and 2nd Maryland Regiments to form two brigades. The 1st Maryland Brigade consisted of the odd-numbered regiments and was commanded by Brigadier William Smallwood. The 2nd Maryland Brigade consisted of the even-numbered regiments and was commanded by Brigadier Philippe-Hubert, Chevalier de Preudhomme de Borre.¹⁰¹

In September 1781, the 3rd and 4th were assigned to Gist’s Brigade, and then reassigned, January 1782, to the (now singular) Maryland Brigade.

Colonel William Richardson commanded the 5th Maryland Regiment from its formation to October 1779.¹⁰² During the spring and summer of 1777, Richardson’s regiment was stationed at Salisbury, on Maryland’s eastern shore, to deal with Loyalist insurrection there.¹⁰³

Due to reductions in size of the Continental Army¹⁰⁴, the 6th and 7th regiments were disbanded January 1781. The 3rd, 4th, and 5th were disbanded January 1783.¹⁰⁵

The 1777 Reorganization of Maryland Militia

Maryland reorganized its militia again in its Militia Act of 1777, effective July 1 of that year:¹⁰⁶

• The military districts of the 1776 organization were dropped. Instead, each county was to have a senior military official, called a “county lieutenant.”

• Each county was to be subdivided into battalions and specific companies assigned to them.

• Each militia company was to be subdivided equally into eight “classes”. (Any one class taken horizontally across the entire battalion would be equal in strength to a company.) This system allowed the rotation of men serving actively. For example, after some period of service, the first class might be relieved and the second class activated.

• No more than one fifth of the militia was to be sent out of state at any one time.

This reorganization dropped the battalion numbering system of the 1776 reorganization, returning to the practice of named battalions in individual counties.

The 1777 organization was still incompletely implemented on 26 August when the British invaded Maryland at the head of Chesapeake Bay, the first step toward capturing Philadelphia. The militia was alerted but the organizational problems were amplified by a simple lack of firearms—many militia members had none, partly because militia units were often stripped to supply arms for Maryland’s Continentals. Washington shifted the Continental Army to cover Philadelphia, but had to rely on militia to deal with the British invasion route. When confusion arose as to who would command the militia, Washington sent General Smallwood and Colonel Gist to take charge of the militia, and also sent Colonel Richardson’s Continental battalion north from its position on the Eastern Shore to join Colonel Gist. The result is that the 1st Maryland Continental Regiment was deprived of senior commanders, those commanders were unavailable to any unit while en route, and they ultimately commanded poorly organized, poorly armed militia. Overall performance was inadequate and the British occupied Philadelphia in September.¹⁰⁷ The ersatz militia force remained in action, blunting a British foray in early December, until the British settled into winter quarters and the militia were sent home in late December. One estimate of the number of militia involved is about 1,850 men. One should note, that despite being commanded by Continental field officers, the men and the units of the militia remained just that—Maryland militia.¹⁰⁸

Afterward…

Throughout the remainder of the war, until the cessation of hostilities on 22 April 1783, there were periodic threats of British landings in the Chesapeake Bay. One, in May 1779, was serious enough that Gist was again sent to command militia.¹⁰⁹

Maryland Continental Artillery Companies

Scharf reports that in the summer of 1777, Maryland authorized the artillery companies to march to Philadelphia to join Virginia companies in the formation of a regiment, presumably in response to the British threat upon that city, but provides no further detail.¹¹⁰

The three Maryland State Artillery Companies were adopted into the Continental Army on November 22, 1777, as the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Maryland Continental Artillery Companies, and were used in support of the Maryland Continental infantry regiments.¹¹¹

Afterward…

On May 9, 1780, the 1st was reorganized as the 11th Company, and the 2nd and 3rd combined as the 12th Company, both consolidated with other artillery units into the 1st Continental Artillery Regiment. They were furloughed in the summer of 1783 and disbanded in November.¹¹²

Years 1778-1781

Pulaski’s Legion

Casimir Pulaski, from Poland, had been appointed Command of Horse and Brigadier in September 1777 and established a riding school to teach European tactics for shock assaults. Unfortunately, his personality clashed with other officers and he resigned in March of 1778, never to be replaced. Nevertheless, Congress permitted him to raise an independent force of 68 lancers and 200 light infantry.¹¹³

Pulaski’s Legion was authorized 28 March 1778, and organized 10 April to 29 July, in Baltimore, to consist of one troop of lancers,¹¹⁴ two troops of dragoons, one company of riflemen, and two companies of light infantry. Most recruiting was performed in Pennsylvania and Maryland (but the recruited troops counted toward the states’ quotas¹¹⁵). On February 23, 1780, it was consolidated with the Free and Independent Chasseurs becoming Armand’s¹¹⁶ Legion, later the 1st Partisan Corps.¹¹⁷

1780 Select Militia and Horse Troops

In October 1780, Maryland created a category of militia termed as “Select,” intended to number 20,000 men by December and to train twice weekly. Select Militia were to have a higher alert status so that they could respond, equipped properly, on a few hours notice. Maryland also authorized the voluntary organization of 25-man “horse troops” for patrol work along the bay and to control dissident Loyalists.¹¹⁸

Meanwhile, the British had landed General Cornwallis in the southern theatre during the winter of 1779-80, and by spring of 1781 British forces were active in southeastern Virginia. In February 1781, Lafayette’s forces were sent south to meet that threat. Moreover, throughout 1781, there were several scares that British forces might land in the Chesapeake Bay or the Potomac River. Accordingly, ordinary militia and select militia were activated and deactivated as the threat level waxed and waned, and were, in general, withheld from Lafayette.

In late June, three horse troops, totaling about 70 men, commanded by Capt. Nicholas Ruxton Moore of Baltimore, were dispatched to Lafayette, but they returned before the Battle of Yorktown. Apparently, no Maryland militia were active at that battle.¹¹⁹

There is some evidence that there may have been an overall commander of all of the Maryland Horse Troops. In June 1781, Matthew Ridley was appointed the adjutant of the “Troops [plural] of Light Horse” and Lyle Goodwin and William King were appointed surgeon and quartermaster, respectively, of the “Troops of Horse.”¹²⁰

April 1781 Act for the Defense of the Bay

The April 1781 Act authorized a small group of state troops to support the militia, who continued to have primary responsibility for protecting the coast from British raids. The troops comprised an infantry company of 30 privates, and a twenty-four man horse troop on the Eastern Shore. Most ambitiously, 65 privates were to be enlisted for three years to build a fort, armed with ten nine-pound artillery guns at Drum Point.¹²¹

Conclusion

Many treatments of Maryland soldiers during the Revolutionary War neglect the state’s militia and omit entirely the role of its state troops. In fact, the organization of militia was managed throughout the war, being reorganized in various ways to meet an evolving understanding of the threat, and spawning various specialized organizations including minutemen and select militia. Eventually understanding the need for full-time soldiers for local defense, Maryland created its own state troops. Many of the units that joined the Continental Army have their origins in the militia and the state troops as Maryland struggled to reach the quotas set by the Continental Congress. The 175th Infantry of the Maryland Army National Guard traces its legacy to the seven Maryland infantry regiments, hence to the State Troops of Maryland.

Bibliography

In addition to footnotes describing one-off references to other sources, the sources listed below were used extensively in preparing this article:

Clements, S. Eugene and Wright, F. Edward, The Maryland Militia in the Revolutionary War, Westminster, MD : Heritage Books, 2006.

This is a compilation of muster roles and other documents related to the Maryland militia. The material is indexed in various ways and is the best available starting point for documenting the service of an individual in the militia. 40-plus pages of front matter summarize legislative actions concerning the creation of Maryland militia and state troops, as well as the assignment of units to the Continental Army. Nearly 100 pages comprise an alphabetical list of militia officers with useful annotations. More than 200 pages provide transcriptions of available muster rolls and an alphabetical index to the names. A particularly valuable contribution is a careful differentiation of Continental units, state troops and militia units.

Scharf, J. Thomas, History of Maryland from the Earliest Period to the Present Day, 3 vols., Hatboro, PA : Tradition Press, 1967.

A detailed history, with extensive quotations from original documents. Available online at Internet Archive, https://archive.org.

Wright, Robert K., Jr., The Continental Army. Army Lineage Series (David Trask, editor). Washington D.C. Center of Military History, United States Army, 1983, 1989.

Commissioned by the U.S. Army’s Center of Military History, this book is the authoritative reference to the organization of the Continental Army. The book notes (pp. 277-280), that the seven Maryland regiments of the Continental Army provide the legacy for the current 175^th Infantry Division of the Maryland National Guard.

Maryland Archives Online, https://msa.maryland.gov/megafile/msa/speccol/sc2900/sc2908/html/index.html

This is a web presentation of the published volumes of the Archives volumes. In the relevant areas, the volumes were published ca 1900. The web version has been translated via OCR to readable, searchable text; it appears that effort has been made to correct the inevitable errors of the OCR process. The website provides an option to see an image of each published page. Of particular interest is Volume 18 which gathers items related to the Maryland Continentals.

Maryland Historical Magazine, Maryland Center for History and Culture. https://www.mdhistory.org/ : viewed 30 Oct 2022.

Specific articles are cited in footnotes. Past issues can be searched and consulted at http://mdhs.msa.maryland.gov/pages/index.aspx Recent issues may require registration and/or membership.

Uniforms of the American Revolution. Sons of the Revolution in the State of California. http://www.srcalifornia.com/uniforms/uniforms.htm ; 2015.

This is a web presentation of: Lt. Charles M. Lefferts, Dorothy C. Barck, compiler, Uniforms of the Armies in the War of the American Revolution, 1775-1783, limited edition of 500, (New York: New York Historical Society, 1926). Although the book provides some history (with useful, albeit abbreviated, citations), the primary value is the color plates depicting uniforms of various units.

Footnotes

¹ Clements, p. iii.

² Maryland Archives 203, pp. 192-3.

³ Wright, p. 4.

⁴ In principle, a regiment could have several battalions. However, British regiments in the Revolution effectively had one battalion, and so did the Americans. A British regiment was often reinforced with an additional company of light infantry and one of grenadiers (shock troops), but several exceptions decreased their combat force. For example, three privates of every company were fictitious but drew pay for the purpose of providing funds for widows and orphans. A British regimental commander, at full strength (a rare situation), could deploy a maximum of 448 fighters, while an American regiment could deploy 640. (Wright, p. 49.) Nevertheless, recruiting shortfalls forced, in 1778, a reorganization of the Continental regiments to a size similar to a British regiment. (Wright, pp. 126-7.)

⁵ Wright, p. 32.

⁶ Exception: Some of the Dorchester county militia were formed into a so-called corps. (The modern concept of “corps,” a semi-autonomous formation of several divisions, was invented later by Napoleon.) As used in Dorchester, the corps was a collection of militia companies numbering too few to form a battalion.

⁷ Wright, p. 7.

⁸ Louis Dow Cisco, “Evolution of Colonial Militia in Maryland,” Maryland Historical Magazine, vol. 35, no. 2, p. 166. The article describes the militia from the colony’s founding to about 1660.

⁹ Clements, p. 1.

¹⁰ “Maryland in 1773,” Maryland Historical Magazine, vol. 2, no. 4, p. 358.

¹¹ This was easier in Maryland than in some colonies, because the Royal Governor was absent, on a trip to England. Herbert E. Klingelhofer, “The Cautious Revolution,” Maryland Historical Magazine, vol. 60, no. 3, pp. 261-314, specifically pp. 261-2. The article provides a detailed account of how Maryland’s sentiment evolved toward favoring independence.

¹² Klingelhofer, p. 263.

¹³ Maryland Archives 78, pp. 8-9.

¹⁴ Clements, p. 3 and Maryland Archives 78, pp. 8-9: The organization of a militia company was specified as one captain, 2 lieutenants, one ensign, 4 sergeants, 4 corporals, 68 privates, and a drummer.

¹⁵ Lucy Leigh Bowie, “Maryland Troops in the Battle of Harlem Heights,” Maryland Historical Magazine, vol. 42, pp. 1-22, specifically, p. 7.

¹⁶ Wright, p. 81.

¹⁷ Clements, p. 4.

¹⁸ Wright, pp. 23-24.

¹⁹ Clements, pp. 4-5.

²⁰ Wright, p. 319. Cresap died on October 18 and was replaced by his Lieutenant, Moses Rawling. Price was promoted on January 14, 1776 and replaced by Lieutenant Otho Holland Williams. Williams was captured by the British in 1776, but was released in prisoner exchange following the American victory at Saratoga. He eventually rose to the rank of Brigadier.

²¹ Clements, pp. 4-5.

²² Wright, p. 44.

²³ Clements, pp. 5-6.

²⁴ Wright, p. 81 and Clements, p. 6.

²⁵ Clements, p. 6.

²⁶ Clements, p. 6.

²⁷ Clements, p. 7.

²⁸ Wright, pp. 25-40.

²⁹ Wright, p. 45.

³⁰ Wright, pp. 47, 51, 89. The organization of a Continental Infantry Regiment was specified as: a Headquarters of 3 officers--Colonel, Lt. Colonel, Major; a staff of 10 persons—Surgeon, Surgeon’s Mate, Adjutant, Quartermaster, Paymaster, Sergeant Major, Quartermaster Sergeant, Drum Major, Fife Major, Chaplain; and 8 companies, each consisting of 90 persons--Captain, 1st Lieutenant, 2nd Lieutenant, Ensign, 4 Sergeants, 4 Corporals, Drummer, Fifer, and 76 Privates.

³¹ Wright, p. 54.

³² Delaware did not separate from Pennsylvania until June 1776.

³³ Maryland Archives 18, p. 644.

³⁴ Scharf, vol. 2, p. 191.

³⁵ Clements, pp. 8-9.

³⁶ Clements, pp. 9-10.

³⁷ Later, battalion colonels were delegated the authority to name their quartermaster and adjutant; and the distinction of 1^st and 2^nd major was dropped.

³⁸ Clements, pp. 9-12.

³⁹ Maryland Archives 18, p. 4.

⁴⁰ Scharf, vol. 2, p. 193.

⁴¹ Scharf, vol. 2, p. 203.

⁴² Wright, p. 277.

⁴³ “Uniforms…,” http://www.srcalifornia.com/uniforms/p9.htm; citing Maryland Archives, XI, 110-111, XVIII, 4 seq.; Force's American Archives, 4th series, V, 1527, 1533, VI, 566; (Alexander Graydon's) Memoirs of a Life (Harrisburgh, Pa., 1811), p. 157; Recollections and Private Memoirs of Washington by G. W. P. Custis (N. Y., 186o), pp. 264-265; see post for descriptions of deserters; the articles of organization of the Baltimore Independent Cadets are printed in Scharf's History of Baltimore City and County, p. 70.

⁴⁴ Wright, p. 277

⁴⁵ Scharf, vol. 2, p. 193.

⁴⁶ “Uniforms…,” http://www.srcalifornia.com/uniforms/p11.htm; citing Maryland Archives, XI, 183, 223; XII, 84, 120, 2 12, 344, 366-367;XVIII, 4, 23-25; Pennsylvania Journal, August 14, 1776.

⁴⁷ Clements, pp. 13-15.

⁴⁸ Clements, pp. 19-21.

⁴⁹ Wright, p. 336.

⁵⁰ Wright, pp. 149, 336.

⁵¹ Wright, p. 81.

⁵² Wright, pp. 81, 320.

⁵³ Wright, pp. 320-1.

⁵⁴ Wright, pp. 85-86 and Maryland Archives 18, p. 29.

⁵⁵ Clements, p. 18.

⁵⁶ Maryland Archives 11, p. 492.

⁵⁷ Maryland Archives 18, p. 29 and Clements, p. 19.

⁵⁸ Scharf vol. 2, p. 238, footnote and p. 270.

⁵⁹ Scharf, vol. 2, p. 270.

⁶⁰ Clements, p, 18 and Scharf, vol. 2, pp. 270-1.

⁶¹ Scharf, vol. 2, pp. 270-1.

⁶² “Understanding Maryland Records: Militia in the Revolution,” Maryland State Archives: Guide to Government Records, ( http://guide.msa.maryland.gov/pages/viewer.aspx?page=militia : accessed 16 Dec 2022) states: There were references to the Flying Camp troops as "militia," but actually they were volunteers who served for a short period with the Continental forces.

⁶³ Wright, p. 277.

⁶⁴ Wright, p. 81.

⁶⁵ “Uniforms…,” http://www.srcalifornia.com/uniforms/p11.htm; citing Maryland Archives, XI, 183, 223; XII, 84, 120, 2 12, 344, 366-367;XVIII, 4, 23-25; Pennsylvania Journal, August 14, 1776.

⁶⁶ “To George Washington from Colonel William Richardson, 4 July 1778,” Founders Online, National Archives, ( https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-16-02-0025 : accessed 3 Nov 2022).

⁶⁷ Wright, pp. 81, 277.

⁶⁸ Scharf, vol. 2, pp. 243-9.

⁶⁹ Scharf, vol. 2, p. 248.

⁷⁰ Wright, pp. 277-8.

⁷¹ “Uniforms…,” http://www.srcalifornia.com/uniforms/p10.htm; citing Archives of Maryland, XVIII, 76 seq.; (Annapolis) Maryland Gazette., May 8, 1777; Pennsylvania Journal, July 2, 1777.

⁷² Wright, pp. 277-8.

⁷³ Maryland Archives 18, p. 43; citing Maryland Archives, vol. 12, p. 239.

⁷⁴ Maryland Archives 18, pp. 71-72, and see p. 73 for reference to “Flying Camp”.

⁷⁵ Scharf, vol. 2, p. 242.

⁷⁶ Scharf, vol. 2, p. 241.

⁷⁷ Maryland Archives 18, p. 30.

⁷⁸ “Flying Camp,” Wikipedia ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Camp : accessed 3 Nov 2022); citing Rieman Steuart, A History of the Maryland Line in the Revolutionary War, 1775-1783, (Society of the Cincinnati of Maryland : 1969), pp. 5-9.

⁷⁹ Lucy Leigh Bowie, “Maryland Troops in the Battle of Harlem Heights,” Maryland Historical Magazine, vol. XLIII (1948), p. 7.

⁸⁰ Before joining Washington’s staff, Tilghman had commanded a Philadelphia company in the Flying Camp known as the “Silk Stocking Infantry,” or “Ladies’ Light Infantry,” Scharf, vol. 2, p. 255.

⁸¹ Scharf, vol. 2, p. 253.

⁸² Clements, p. 21.

⁸³ Maryland Archives 18, p. 77. Wright, p. 82, states Maryland’s quota was 3, apparently in error.

⁸⁴ Wright, pp. 82, 319.

⁸⁵ Wright, p. 92.

⁸⁶ Maryland Archives 18, p. 76.

⁸⁷ Wright, pp. 99.

⁸⁸ The problems in recruiting men for service in the Continental Army are described by Arthur J. Alexander, “How Maryland Tried to Raise her Continental Quota,” Maryland Historical Magazine, vol. 42, no. 3, pp. 184-196.

⁸⁹ Scharf, vol. 2, p. 309.

⁹⁰ Originally, dragoons were mounted infantry, hence dismounting to fight. By the time of the Revolution, the term, in British usage, had broadened to all cavalry. Light dragoons were intended for reconnaissance and skirmishing.

⁹¹ Wright, pp. 106-7.

⁹² Wright, pp. 346-7.

⁹³ Wright, p. 150.

⁹⁴ “Nathaniel Gist,” Wikipedia, ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathaniel_Gist : viewed    Nov 2022).

⁹⁵ Wright, pp. 101.

⁹⁶ Scharf, vol. 2, p. 304.

⁹⁷ Wright, pp. 148, 321

⁹⁸ Scharf, vol. 2, pp. 293-4 and Archives 16, p. 79.

⁹⁹ Wright, p. 109.

¹⁰⁰ Scharf, vol. 2, p. 309.

¹⁰¹ Wright, p. 112.

¹⁰² “William Richardson (Maryland Politician),” Wikipedia, ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Richardson_(Maryland_politician) : viewed 5 November 2022).

¹⁰³ Clements, pp. 23-24.

¹⁰⁴ Wright, p. 164.

¹⁰⁵ Wright, pp. 278-9.

¹⁰⁶ Clements, pp. 24-25.

¹⁰⁷ Of course, the silver lining of this cloud is that the British forces invading Maryland were not at Saratoga to reinforce Burgoyne’s army. British commander-in-chief Sir William Howe was sacked shortly thereafter. An account of the campaign in Maryland appears in “The British Campaign of 1777 in Maryland prior to the Battle of the Brandywine,” by G. Harlan Wells, Maryland Historical Magazine, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 3-13.

¹⁰⁸ Clements, pp. 26-28.

¹⁰⁹ Clements, pp. 28-29, 33 and Scharf, vol. 2, p. 350.

¹¹⁰ Scharf, vol. 2, p. 304.

¹¹¹ Wright, pp. 149, 336.

¹¹² Wright, pp. 149, 336.

¹¹³ Wright, pp. 133-4.

¹¹⁴ Lancers, often used as shock troops, were cavalry who fought with lances.

¹¹⁵ Scharf, vol. 2, p. 344).

¹¹⁶ Col. Armand, Marquis de la Rouerie, Archives 18, p. 593.

¹¹⁷ Wright p. 349.

¹¹⁸ Clements, p. 29.

¹¹⁹ Clements, pp. 29-31.

¹²⁰ Maryland Archives 45, p. 467.

¹²¹ Clements, p. 33.

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