Project sponsored by the Maryland Society of the Sons of the American Revolution
Recent posts: Finding the Maryland 400
Cassy’s Introduction
Hello! My name is Cassy Sottile and I am a junior at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland. This fall, I will be writing biographies for the Maryland 400 project. I am currently double majoring in English and history, with a double minor in journalism and theatre. During the academic year, I am the news editor […]
The Maryland Line: Why They Fought
Today on Veteran’s Day, we take a moment to consider Maryland’s Revolutionary War veterans. Our work has always centered on the soldiers themselves–before, during, and after their time in the army–rather than the battles and political events of the American Revolution. However, we have not talked very much about one key element of these soldiers’ […]
Project Updates
We are proud to announce that recently we published our 700th biography! Lucky number 700 was Private Francis Shepard of the First Company; he survived the Battle of Brooklyn and the rest of the 1776 campaign, reenlisted and served until 1781, eventually rising to the rank of captain! Since, there were almost 1,000 Marylanders at […]
The Mystery of the Maryland 400, Part II
Read Part I of this post here On October 12, 1776, William Smallwood wrote a dispatch about the Battle of Brooklyn back to Maryland. The commander of the First Maryland Regiment noted that he had “enclosed a List of the Kill’d & Missing amounting to 256 officers inclusive.” [1] Since the goal of this project […]
Archives
Category Archives: Revolutionary Veterans
Revolutionary Veterans VI: The Long and Eventful Life of William McMillan
Regular readers of Finding the Maryland 400 will already know about William McMillan. As a 20 year old sergeant at the Battle of Brooklyn, McMillan survived a battle where “My captain was killed, first lieutenant was killed, second lieutenant shot … Continue reading
Revolutionary Veterans V: Thomas Stockett Brewer of Annapolis
Thomas Stockett Brewer also remained in his home state after the war. Brewer hailed from Anne Arundel County and likely lived in Annapolis before the war, where he was surrounded by patriotic sentiment. He likely worked as an apprentice or … Continue reading
Revolutionary Veterans IV: The Tragic Fate of James Marle
James Marle, a young man who enlisted as a fifer but was instead given a musket, shows the other reality that many veterans faced when they left Maryland. Originally from Baltimore County, Marle joined the military to be a musician … Continue reading
Revolutionary Veterans III: Leonard Watkins, gearmaker
Leonard Watkins decided to permanently return to his home in Montgomery County, Maryland, after the Revolution ended. Being a craftsman, Watkins did not face the same struggles that many of his fellow soldiers dealt with in acquiring land or growing … Continue reading
Revolutionary Veterans II: Levin Frazier, Soldier, Sailor, Land Owner
Levin Frazier, a farmer from Dorchester County, illustrates the possibilities of success for the veterans who chose to remain in Maryland after the war. He was born a poor man in his home county, and it is unlikely that he … Continue reading
Revolutionary Veterans I: Mark McPherson, Kentucky Gentleman
Mark McPherson, a planter born in Maryland to a marginally successful family, left his home state despite having land and means in Maryland. A resident of Charles County, he inherited land from parents who died while he was still young. … Continue reading
The Fates of Revolutionary War Veterans
Today, the Revolutionary War is remembered as a triumph of liberty, a great struggle for the ideal of freedom that the American colonists so greatly desired. In truth, however, it was much more. The Revolution was not just a war … Continue reading
