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Proposed Changes--Category: Maryland Militia, American Revolution

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THIS PAGE HAS BEEN SUPERSEDED BY [ https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Proposed_Replacement_Table_for_Maryland_Militia_Units ]

This page is a proposed replacement of a currently orphaned page Maryland Militia in the Revolutionary War [ https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Maryland_Militia_in_the_Revolutionary_War ]. The replacement would also require changes to Category: Maryland Militia, American Revolution [ https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Category:Maryland_Militia,_American_Revolution ]. The changes are based on analysis of [1]: [Note: The prior material was also based on analysis of [1] but that analysis was incomplete and flawed.]

Contents

New Proposed Text

The information on this page is based on [1]. All citations of page numbers on this page refer to the pages of that book. That book occasionally cites [2] and this page will accordingly cite it when appropriate.

Maryland created three--not two--organizations of persons to perform armed defense during the Revolution [p. iii]:

  1. The "Continentals": units created or designated to fulfill quotas levied by the Continental Congress, typically serving under Washington's command in the Continental Army.
  2. "State troops": units created for full-time service usually within, but sometimes without, the boundaries of Maryland.
  3. Militia: part-time soldiers serving as needed for specific purposes within the boundaries of Maryland.

Maryland Continentals are treated elsewhere on WikiTree. (Some might regards these units as militia during the period between their creation and their dispatch to the Continental Army. Nevertheless, this page will not consider them.) Records related to their service can be found in [2][p. iii].

It is unclear whether "State troops" are treated elsewhere in WikiTree. Their records are also found in [2][p. iii].

No official compilation of records of the militia exists, with one exception. The two companies of militia that were dispatched to Virginia's Eastern Shore in early 1776 are recorded in [2]. However, subsequent out-of-state excursions are not recorded there and aside from the Virginia expedition, few records have been published. Clement's book[1] is a compilation of various records found in the Maryland State Archives and Maryland Historical Society, and is the first compilation of records within its scope; the sources that it used are listed in its Preface [pp. iii-iv]. Nevertheless, the compilation is incomplete, largely because records were not kept or have been lost. The listing of officers and men is substantial, covering 202 pages, but with some officers listed more than once due to multiple commissions.

The militia were generally intended for service within the state. However, they were occasionally dispatched to areas outside the state. This does not imply that they were Continentals during that period; they were simply militia acting in coordination with the Continental Army. However, as an exception to the general rule, the militia sent to Virginia's Eastern Short in 1776 are listed in [2]. Later militia units dispatched for out-of-state service are not [p. iii].

Creation of the militia

Maryland's militia began, informally, in the earliest days of the colony. By the time of the French and Indian War the militia was organized as all able freemen, aged 16-60, with exceptions for ministers and some government officials. In addition, full-time provincial troops fought with British regulars and performed garrison duty on the western frontier [p. 1].

When the Revolutionary War seemed imminent, the Second Maryland Convention became the de facto provincial government. On 12 Dec 1774, it established a militia, recommending that men aged 16 to 50 organize themselves into companies consisting of 1 captain, 2 lieutenants, an ensign, 4 sergeants, 4 corporals and 68 privates. Few documents survive, but it is likely that some companies consisted principally of loyal persons from the prior Royal Militia. [p. 3]

After hostilities broke out at Lexington and Concord, the Third Maryland Convention urged that formation of the militia be completed [p. 4].

The 2nd Continental Congress approved a 20,000-man Continental Army, commanded by George Washington, on 2 Aug 1775. Maryland was asked to raise two rifle companies for service in the Army. The request was assigned to Frederick County; it dispatched about 100 men under the command of Captains Price and Cresap [p. 5]. These units are regarded as Continental Army. (However, Captain Cresap later returned to Maryland to command militia.)

During its session of 26 July to 14 August 1775, the Maryland Convention established 40 companies of "minutemen" (authorized to act outside the province) and provided an organization for the militia (intended for action within the province):

  • The militia was to consist of all able freemen with the exception of clergymen, physicians, the Governor's household, and those with religious objections.
  • Requirements for periodic drill were established.
  • A battalion structure was to be superimposed on the companies.
  • The militia were to be paid while on active duty.
  • Committees of observation were formed in each county.

Several times, the provincial Council of Safety re-iterated that reports of the names of officers and the number of men must be provided. Commissions were issued as reports were received. [pp. 5-7]

In Dec 1775 and early 1776, the Continental Congress requested that three companies of Eastern-shore Minutemen be dispatched to Northampton County, VA to deal with Lord Dunmore's fleet. Two companies--from Kent (Capt. James Kent) and Queen Anne's (Capt. William Henry) counties--responded. These were the first Maryland militia units in combat during the war. Eventually, the Continental Congress reimbursed expenses despite their not being part of the Continental Army. Nevertheless, as an exception, their names are recorded (like Continentals) in [2], and not treated here. In March, the minuteman designation was abandoned but, aside from those rendered unfit, the officers and men continued serving in the Continental Army or the Maryland militia [pp. 8-9].

The Maryland Convention convened from 7 Dec 1775 to 18 January 1776, taking several important steps [pp. 9-10]:

  • State troops (a provincial Army) were established. They consisted of one battalion of 6 companies, 7 independent companies, 2 artillery companies, and one company of marines. The state troops and, eventually, a state navy were primarily intended for defense from attack via the Chesapeake Bay [p. 13].
  • The province was divided into five military districts, with a brigadier general named for each.
  • Militia battalions were created and regulations for their conduct were developed.

Organization of the militia

There was no regimental structure for the militia, so each battalion reported to the Brigadier of the military district. Each battalion was to have officers commissioned by the Convention: a colonel, a lieutenant colonel, a first and second major (later the distinction was dropped), a quartermaster and an adjutant. (The requirement to commission the quartermaster and adjutant was later dropped in favor of appointment by the colonel.) Although few records exist, it seems likely that the officers of the constituent companies, although elected by the men, were also commissioned by the Convention. The Brigadiers were given freedom to organize excess companies into "corps", and this was actually done by General Hooper in Dorchester county [pp. 10-11].

The 1775-76 resolution apparently created 38 numbered battalions, and commissions were issued using the numbers. However, a few unnumbered ones are also known to have remained and many of the numbered ones were referenced, in practice, by the name of the area they served. The situation becomes more confused by the 1777 Militia Act which reorganized some of the battalions and used area names instead of numbers; a correspondence of numbers and names is provided by [1] [pp. 10-11].

The 1777 act also abolished the military districts and instead named a "County Lieutenant" to oversee the military activities of each county. These senior officers were to subdivide their respective county's militia into battalions and assign companies to them. The companies of each battalion had a cross-cutting subdivision into eight classes, with each class roughly equal to the manpower of a company. The classes of a battalion were to be called in rotation; after a class served for two months, it would be sent home and replaced by the next class. [p.25]

The Flying Camp

On 3 June 1776, the Continental Congress organized the "Flying Camp" (a mobile strategic reserve) of the Continental Army. It was consist of 10,000 men from the militias of Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware. The Maryland Council replied that it had no authority to order its militia to serve beyond the state. However, Maryland's Congressional delegates clarified the intent that the Flying Camp was to be recruited from the militia's body of men to perform short-term service in the Continental Army. Maryland decided to send state troops as an initial part of their quota, but recruited additional men, from the militia, to complete the quota. General Smallwood's battalion and seven independent companies were selected and served in the battles for New York City. Meanwhile Maryland raised four additional battalions to complete their quota in the Flying Camp. Eventually, the Maryland component of the Flying Camp evolved to the Maryland Line of the Continental Army. Their names are included in [2] as Continental troops, not militia [pp. 18-19].

The Flying Camp was a short-term expedient; their enlistment expiring on 1 Dec. In September, the Continental Congress decided on an army of 88 battalions, including eight from Maryland [p. 21]. Maryland officials persuaded the Congress that one of their eight should remain at Salisbury for defense of the Bay. This battalion, Col. Richardson's, is to be regarded as a Continental Army unit, not militia, and its records appear in [2] [p. 24].

Select Militia

Maryland made the last major change to its militia when, in October 1780, it created the Select Militia, intended to have better training and a higher alert status. The law also provided for 25-man horse troops, voluntarily organized in each of the counties.

Pensions

Pension records are a rich resource for research. The Continental Congress, August 1776, provided half-pay for disabled Continental veterans. In 1806, Congress extended the benefit to disabled militia veterans. In 1832, Congress approved full pay for life for all Continental and militia veterans who had served for two years, regardless of need. Those serving less than two years but greater than 6 months received reduced amounts. Benefits were extended to widows in 1836 and 1855. A benefit of 160 acres of land was added starting in 1855. In 1878, the service requirement was reduced to 14 days or one battle. [p. 41].

Militia Members

Appendix A of [1] provides an alphabetical listing of the names of commissioned officers in the militia. Additional information is the rank or specialty of the officer, date of commission as given by the source (often after the fact), the county, the battalion name, the company (identified by the name of its captain), and the source of the information. Appendix B collates available muster rolls and other lists to (incompletely) enumerate men who served in the militia for each county. The book also provides an alphabetical index to Appendix B, although variations in spelling can hamper its usefulness.

Militia Battalions

The table below is organized by county and is intended to cover all of the (re)organizations during the Revolution. Named militia battalions (or, in a few cases, smaller units) from all of the (re)organizations are shown with their name. The numbered units of the 1776-1777 era are paired with the named units that they briefly designated. Identifying a unit, in general, requires both the county name and the battalion name because some battalion names were generic, e. g. upper/middle/lower. When a unit is the successor or predecessor of another unit, that is shown in the notes. In particular, Montgomery and Washington counties were formed during the war from Frederick lower district and upper district, respectively, and records might show either the predecessor or successor county. For example, Montgomery Upper Battalion is equated with Battalion 16; one might also find records that refer to Frederick Battalion16, the predecessor. Some of the higher-ranking officers are listed in the fourth column. Battalion commanders, Colonels and Lt. Colonels, are listed in the battalion rows. The rationale for listing Lt. Colonels is two-fold: (1) Because of turn-over of colonels, Lieutenant Colonels would sometimes have held interim command; (2) Colonels schooled in British doctrine during the French and Indian War would have learned that colonels stay at headquarters and their lieutenant colonels lead the battalion in the field. On the county rows are listed brigadiers (from the 1776 organization), “county lieutenants” (from the 1777 organization) and a few colonels (presumably battalion commanders) whose records do not indicate a specific battalion. Finally, for horse troops and independent companies, captains are listed. Suffixes such as “Jr” have been omitted because they are recorded inconsistently in the original records. The years listed do not indicate tenure; they are simply the dates of the records that mention the person, sometimes well after the fact. These records are tabulated in Clements, Appendix A, which is the source of most of this data. It must be noted that the data in the following table has been selected and copied from a publication of a tabulation of data selected from an OCR-transcription of a publication of a transcription of hand-copied records. That provides abundant possibilities for error, so the table should be used as a starting point for research, not the conclusion.

County Battalion Name Bn # Known Brigadiers, “County Lieutenants,” and Brigade Commanders [Note 1] Notes
Anne Arundel Andrew Buchanan (Brig 76), James Brice (Cty Lt 77), Josiah Carvill Hall (Col, 76), Barton Lucas (Col 78)
Elk Ridge 22 Thomas Dorsey (Col 76 78), Edward Gaither (Col 78), John Dorsey (Lt Col 76, 78), John Burgess (Lt Col 78)
Middleton Independent Company Gilbert Middleton (Capt 79) Annapolis
Severn 7 John Hall (Col 76), Nicholas Worthington (Col 77), Rezin Hammond (Lt Col 76), Benjamin Chambers (Lt Col 77, 78), Elijah Robosson (Lt Col 77; Col 78), James Tootel (Lt Col 78)
Severn River John Hall (Col 76)
South River 31
West River 31 John Weems (Col 76, 78), Richard Harwood (Lt Col 76, 78)
Minutemen Aug 1775-Mar 1776, 4 companies
Select Militia Oct 1780-1783?
Baltimore Andrew Buchanan (Brig 76; Cty Lt 77)
9th Battalion 9 This battalion # was apparently never used.
Baltimore Independent Cadets Mordecai Gist Formed, Dec 1774. Likely absorbed into the Maryland Battalion of State Troops, Jan 1776; then into the Continental Army, Aug 1776.
Gist’s Thomas Gist (Col 76, 77), Frederick Decker (Lt Col 77)
Gunpowder Edward Cockey (Col 76), Walter Tolly (Col 76), Thomas Gist (Col 76, 77), Job Garretson (Col 80), Joshua Stevenson (Lt Col 76), Lux Darby (Lt Col 76, Col 77), James Gittings (Lt Col 77, 80), William McCubbin (Lt Col 80)
Gunpowder Upper
Soldier’s Delight Isaac Hammond (Col, 77), Samuel Owings (Lt Col 76, Col 77), James Hammond (Lt Col, 77), Charles Carnan (Lt Col 77, 81), Nathaniel Stinchcomb (Lt Col, 81)
Town William Buchanan (Col 76), John Moale (Lt Col 76, 80), Benjamin Nicholson (Lt Col 77), Samuel Smith (Col 80) Baltimore City. May include some men from Frederick county
Horse Troop Nicholas Ruxton Moore (Capt 1780), N. A.[R?] Moore (Capt 81) 1781, but Moore may have had an earlier light horse troop as shown.
Horse Troop Benjamin Nicholson (Capt 81)
Minutemen Aug 1775-Mar 1776, 5 companies of a battalion joint with Harford Co.
Select Militia Oct 1780-1783?
Calvert John Dent (Brig 76), Benjamin Mackall 4th (Cty Lt 77, 81), Joseph Wilkinson (Cty Lt 81), William Hopper (Col 77), __ Marshall (Col 76), William Whiteley (Cty Lt 77), Joseph Wilkinson (Cty Lt 81)
15th Battalion 15 Benjamin Mackall 4th (Col 76), Alexander Somerville (Lt Col 76, 77), Joseph Wilkinson (Col 78), Patrick Smith (Lt Col 78), Joseph Wilkinson (Col 78)
Horse Troop Henry Dickinson (Capt 81)
Minutemen Aug 1775-Mar 1776, 1 company
Select Militia Oct 1780-1783?
Caroline Henry Hooper (Brig 76)
East 14 William Richardson (Col 76), Henry Dickinson (Lt Col 76, 77), Matthew Driver (Lt Col 77; Col 78), Nathaniel Potter (Lt Col 78), William Wheatly (Col 77)
West 28 Philip Fiddeman (Col 76), Henry Downes (Lt Col 81), Vincent Price (Lt Col 78; Col 81), Benson Stainton (Lt Col 77; Col 78)
Horse Troop Henry Dickinson (Capt 81)
Minutemen Aug 1775-Mar 1776, 1 company
Select Militia Oct 1780-1783?
Cecil James L. Chamberlain (Brig 76), Charles Rumsey (Cty Lt 77, 80), John Dockery Thompson (Cty Lt 80), Elihu Hall (Lt Col 79)
Bohemia 18 John D. Thomson (Lt Col 76), John Veazy (Col 76)
Elk/Elk Ridge 2 Charles Rumsey (Col 76), Thomas Dorsey (Col 76, 78), John Dorsey (Lt Col 76, 78), Samuel Evans (Lt Col 81), Henry Hollingsworth (Lt Col 76; Col 81), Edward Parker (Col 78, 81), John Strawbridge (Lt Col 78)
Sassafras John Dockery Thompson (Col 78), Joshua Clayton (Lt Col 78)
Susquehanna 30 Thomas Hughes (Lt Col 76), Elihu Hall (Lt Col 78), Stephen Hyland (Col 78), George Johnson (Col 76), Baruch Williams (Lt Col 81)
Horse Troop Benjamin Townsend (Capt 81)
Minutemen Aug 1775-Mar 1776, 2 companies
Select Militia Oct 1780-1783?
Charles John Dent (Brig 76), Francis Ware (Cty Lt 77) , Francis Ware (Col 76)
Lower 12 Josiah Hawkins (Col 76, 83), Josiah Haskins (Col 76), Thomas Harris (Lt Col 81)
Upper 26 William Harrison (Col 76), Samuel Hanson (Lt Col 76)
Minutemen Aug 1775-Mar 1776, 3 companies of a battalion joint with St. Mary’s and Prince George’s counties.
Select Militia Oct 1780-1783?
Dorchester Henry Hooper (Col 75; Brig 76; Cty Lt 77), John Ennalls (Col 78), Robert Harrison (Col 81)
Corps William Travers (Col 76) A collection of fewer companies than needed for a battalion
Lower 19 John Ennalls (Col 76), Thomas Ennalls (Col 76), Robert Harrison (Lt Col 76; Col 78), Joseph Ennalls (Lt Col 80), Thomas Jones (Lt Col 78; Col 83), Ezekial Vickars (Lt Col 83)
Upper 3 John Dickinson (Lt Col 76; Col 78), Joseph Ennalls (Lt Col 78), James Murray (Col 76), Joseph Richardson (Lt Col 80)
Horse Troop William Hooper (Lt 81), John Smoot (Capt 81)
Minutemen Aug 1775-Mar 1776, 2 companies. (See note ESB.)
Select Militia Oct 1780-1783?
Frederick Thomas Johnson Jr. (Brig 76), Charles Beatty (Cty Lt 77), Bruce Norman (Cty Lt 79), Baker Johnson (Cty Lt 80, 81), James Hamilton (Brig 81), __ Griffith (Col 77), Benjamin Johnson (Col 81), Otho H. Williams (Col 76)
1st 33 Charles Beatty (Col 76), William Beatty (Lt Col 76), William Luckett (Lt Col 76) Successor of Middle District
2nd 37 Joseph Wood (Lt Col 76), James Johnson (Col 76) Successor of Middle District
3rd 35 Bruce Norman (Col 76), William Blair (Lt Col 76), Jacob Good (Col 76) Successor of Middle District
4th 34 Baker Johnson (Col 76, 77), Successor of Middle District
Catoctin
Lingamore Upton Sheridine (Col 77), James Wells (Lt Col 76; Col 77)
Lower District Predecessor of Montgomery county battalions
Middle District Predecessor of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th battalions
Upper District Predecessor of Washington county battalions
Key’s Horse Troop John Ross Key (Capt 81)
Thomas’s Horse Troop Philip Thomas (Capt 81)
Minutemen Aug 1775-Mar 1776, a battalion of 8 companies.
Select Militia Oct 1780-1783?
Harford Andrew Buchanan (Brig 76), Aquilla Hall (Cty Lt 77)
Deer Creek Alexander Rigdon (Lt Col 78), Gabriel Peterson Vanhorn (Col 80), Ignatius Wheeler (Col 78; Col 80)
Lower 8 Thomas Bond (Lt Col 76), Alexander Cowan (Col 78), James McComas (Lt Col 78), Benjamin Rumsey (Col 76, 77)
Upper/Hall’s 23 Aquilla Hall (Col 76), Francis Holland (Col 78), John Love (Lt Col 76), Aquila Paca (Lt Col 78)
Horse Troop Joseph Lewis (Capt 82)
Minutemen Aug 1775-Mar 1776, 3 companies of a battalion joint with Balt. Co.
Select Militia Oct 1780-1783?
Kent James L. Chamberlain (Brig 76), William Bordley (Cty Lt 77)
Lower 13 William Bordley (Col 77), Isaac Perkins (Lt Col 78), William Ringgold (Lt Col 77)
Upper 27 William Henry (Lt Col 77), Isaac Spencer (Col 77)
Horse Troop John Page (Capt 81)
Minutemen Aug 1775-Mar 1776, 1 company. (See note ESB.)
Select Militia Oct 1780-1783?
Montgomery Charles Greenbury Griffith (Cty Lt 77, 81), John Murdock (Cty Lt 81), Richard Brooke (Col 77) Split off from Frederick 1776
Lower 29 Thomas Johns (Lt Col 76), John Murdock (Col 76, 77), William Deakins (Lt Col 77, 82), Thomas Johns (Lt Col 76) Successor of Frederick Lower
Middle Archibald Orme (Col 79), Henry Griffith, Jr. (Lt Col 77), Nathaniel Pigman (Lt Col 79)
Upper 16 Zadock Magruder (Col 76, 77), Francis Deakins (Lt Col 77; Col 77), Charles Greenbury Griffith (Lt Col, 76), Eneas Campbell (Lt Col 77), Richard Smith (Col 79), William Vearse (Lt Col 79) Successor of Frederick Lower
Prince George’s John Dent (Brig 76), Luke Marbury (Cty Lt), Joshua Beall (Cty Lt 77,81)
Lower 11 Joseph Sim (Col 76), Thomas Contee (Lt Col 76), Thomas Sim Lee (Col 77), William Lyles (Lt Col 80; Col 81), Luke Marbury (Lt Col, 77; Col 77, 81), Trueman Skinner (Lt Col 78, 79, 80)
Middle John Addison (Lt Col 78; Col 79), John Hawkins Lowe (Lt Col 79), Patrick Sim (Col 78)
Upper 25 Joshua Beall (Col 75, 76), Abraham Boyd (Lt Col 78), Trueman Skinner (Lt Col 77), Robert Tyler (Lt Col 76; Col 77), Thomas Williams (Lt Col 78)
Horse Troop Thomas Harwood (Capt 81)
Minutemen Aug 1775-Mar 1776, 3 companies of a battalion joint with Charles and Prince George’s counties.
Select Militia Oct 1780-1783?
Queen Anne’s James L. Chamberlain (Brig 76), William Hemsley (Cty Lt 77)
Lower 20 Thomas Wright (Col 76), Arthur Emery (Lt Col 77, Col 78), William Hemsley (Col 77), James O’Bryan (Lt Col 78), Richard Tilghman (Lt Col 76)
Upper 5 Alexander Anderson (Col 77, 79), John Seney (Lt Col 77), George Bayard (Lt Col 80), Richard T. Earle (Col 76, 77), John Thompson (Col 80), Nathaniel Thompson (Lt Col 76), Samuel Thompson (Lt Col 76; Col 77)
Minutemen Aug 1775-Mar 1776, 2 companies. (See note ESB.)
Select Militia Oct 1780-1783?
Somerset Henry Hooper (Brig 76), George Dashiell (Col 76; Cty Lt 77)
Lower 17 Thomas Hayward (Col 76), Peter Waters (Lt Col 76)
Princess Anne John Done (Col 81), Thomas Bruff (Lt Col 80), Thomas Hayward (Col 77, 81), Peter Waters (Lt Col 80), William Waters (Lt Col 80)
Salisbury George Day Scott (Col 77), John Stewart (Lt Col 77)
Upper 1 George Day Scott (Lt Col 76)
Minutemen Aug 1775-Mar 1776, 1 company
Select Militia Oct 1780-1783?
St. Mary’s John Dent (Brig 76), Richard Barnes (Cty Lt 77)
Lower 21 Richard Barnes (Col 76), Ignatius Fenwick (Col 77), Vernon Hebb (Lt Col 77)
Upper 6 Jeremiah Jordan (Col 76, 77), John Thomas (Lt Col 79)
Minutemen Aug 1775-Mar 1776, 2 companies of a battalion joint with Charles and Prince George’s counties.
Select Militia Oct 1780-1783?
Talbot James L. Chamberlain (Brig 76), Chris Birckhead (Cty Lt 77)
4th Battalion 4 Chris Birckhead (Col 76), Robert Lloyd Nichols (Lt Col 78), Peregrine Tilghman (Lt Col 76; Col 78)
38th Battalion 38 Jeremiah Banning (Col 78), Henry Banning (Lt Col 76), William Webb Haddaway (Lt Col 78)
Minutemen Aug 1775-Mar 1776, 1 company
Select Militia Oct 1780-1783?
Washington Daniel Hughes (Cty Lt 77), Thomas Sprigg[s] (Cty Lt 79, 81) Split off from Frederick 1776
1st 32 John Stull (Col 76) Successor of Frederick Upper
2nd 36 Samuel Beall (Col 76), Richard Davis (Lt Col 76), Joseph Smith (Lt Col 76; Col 76, 78), Charles Swearingen (Lt Col 78) Successor of Frederick Upper
3rd Lemuel Barritt (Col 78), Andrew Bruce (Lt Col 78)
Worcester Henry Hooper (Brig 76), Joseph Dashiell (Col 77; Cty Lt 77)
1st 10 Peter Chaille (Col 76, 80), Joseph Dashiell (Lt Col 76)
2nd 24 William Purnell (Col 76, 80), Zadock Purnell (Lt Col 76; Col 77, 78)
Sinapuxent Samuel Handy (Lt Col 77; Col 78), William Morris (Lt Col 78), John Postley (Col 82)
Snow Hill John Done (Lt Col 77; Col 77, 78), Robert Done (Lt Col 77; Col 78), James Martin (Lt Col 77)
Wicomico William Hopewell (Col 77, 81), Ebenezer Handy (Lt Col 79; Col 82), Solomon Long (Lt Col 82), James Martin (Lt Col 77)
Minutemen Aug 1775-Mar 1776, 1 company
Select Militia Oct 1780-1783?

Note ESB: The Eastern Shore Battalion of Jan-Feb 1776 consisted of two companies of Minutemen from Kent and Queen Anne’s counties, commanded by Capt. James Kent and Capt. William Henry, respectively. A third company from Dorchester, commanded by Capt. James Robson was also ordered to join but was unsuccessful in gathering the needed arms.

Sources

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 S. Eugene Clements and F. Edward Wright, "The Maryland Militia in the Revolutionary War," Heritage Books, Westminster, MD, 2006. All citations of page numbers in this page refer to the pages of this source.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 "Muster Rolls and Other Records of Service of Maryland Troops in the American Revolution 1775-1782," vol. 18 of Archives of Maryland, 72 vols.

Argument: Why we should replace the old material with the new material.

[From this point on, I'm providing an argument for scrapping the old material and substituting new material -- JWM]

There are two pages on WikiTree that describe the composition of the Maryland militia:

Clements book [1] is the source of this mistaken material. The book is not wrong, but the book explains the material tersely and previous researchers have drawn incorrect conclusions. As detailed in the history provided above, we can regard subdivide the history of the Maryland militia in the Revolution as being in three epochs:

  1. Before 1775: Militia companies had ad hoc names, and were usually identified by their commander.
  2. 1775 to 1777: During the winter of 1775-76, the companies were grouped into battalions and the battalions were numbered 1 to 38 along with about 16 additional battalions that were still identified by name. The battalions reported to the appropriate "military district", each one headed by a "Brigadier".
  3. After 1777: In 1777, the system of numbered battalions was abandoned as well as the military district concept. Instead, a "county lieutenant" was identified in each county and the county's various militia companies reported to him. At roughly the same time, Washington and Montgomery counties were spawned from what was previously a huge Frederick County.

Here's where previous researchers made an error. The Clements book [pp. 10-11] includes a table that gives a correspondence between the 1776 system and the 1777 system. The previous researchers concluded that this was a complete list of militia units. However, this conclusion is flawed because it disregards units from epoch 3 and some from epoch 1. However, there is a worse mistake. The table uses terms like "Upper Battalion" and "Lower Battalion". The prior researchers inferred, for example, that the Upper Battalion was a single unit. It's not; by working through subsequent tables and the book's appendices, one learns that "Upper" and similar terms must be used with the county designation. So Frederick County, for example had an "Upper Battalion" and so did Dorchester County, but they are NOT the same battalion. "Upper", "Lower", and such are generic names used in counties with more than a single battalion. The mistake is clearly revealed by the Category page for the Upper Battalion [ https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Category:Upper_Battalion%2C_Maryland_Militia%2C_American_Revolution ] which shows Bennett Busey of Baltimore, Barton Lovelace of Frederick, John Purdum of Anne Arundel and Jeremiah Hays of Charles all serving in a singular Upper Battalion, despite the impractically long distances between them.

If one reads further in Clements, one finds on pp. 43-46 the abbreviations that are used in the Appendix A that lists officers alphabetically by name and identifies their units. The list of abbreviations for battalions provides a useful adjunct to the table on pp. 10-11. Appendix B quotes muster rolls and other lists. A few additional units can be found here, notably some "horse troops" formed opportunistically during the 1781 campaign against Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown, VA. I have reconciled the two tables that list battalions, added some units discovered in Appendix B, and consulted Appendix A, when necessary, to associate commander's names found in Appendix B, with their corresponding company/battalion as listed (or not) in the two tables.

The result is a new and better table. The advantages of the new table are:

  1. It's organized by county, the one piece of information that most researchers already have in hand.
  2. It reflects changes subsequent to 1777, including the creation of the "select" militia.
  3. It includes units omitted from the prior table.
  4. It is consistent with the book's appendices that list officers and members.
  5. It correctly distinguishes generic names of battalions within counties from specific battalion identifications.
  6. It notes the correspondence of units in the new Montgomery and Washington counties with their predecessor units within Frederick County,




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