Conserve Liberty

1st Maryland Regiment

LINEAGE

Authorized 14 January 1776 in the Maryland State Troops as the Maryland Battalion.
Organized in spring of 1776 at Baltimore and Annapolis, to consist of 9 companies from northern and western Maryland.
Assigned 6 July 1776 to the Main Army.
Assigned 12 August 1776 to Stirling's Brigade, an element of the Main Army.
Adopted 17 August 1776 into the Continental Army.
Relieved 31 August 1776 from Stirling's Brigade and assigned to McDougall's Brigade, an element of the Main Army.
Maryland Independent Companies attached 19 September 1776.
Relieved 10 November 1776 from McDougall's Brigade.
Assigned 10 December 1776 - January 1777 to Mercer's Brigade, an element of the Main Army.
Reorganized and redesignated in January 1777 as the 1st Maryland Regiment, to consist of 8 companies.
Assigned 22 May 1777 to the 1st Maryland Brigade, an element of the Main Army.
Reorganized 12 May 1779 to consist of 9 companies.
1st Maryland Brigade relieved 5 April 1780 from the Main Army and assigned to the Southern Department.
Relieved 1 January 1781 from the 1st Maryland Brigade and assigned to the Maryland Brigade, an element of the Southern Department.
Furloughed 27 July 1783 at Baltimore.
Disbanded 15 November 1783.

ENGAGEMENTS

New York City
Northern New Jersey
Trenton - Princeton
New Jersey 1777
Defense of Philadelphia
Philadelphia - Monmouth
Defense of the Carolinas
Greene's Campaign

HISTORY

In January, 1776 Maryland resolved to raise a battalion for the defense of that Province. William Smallwood was appointed to be Colonel of the battalion. Three companies from Baltimore and six companies from Annapolis were combined to form the battalion. It was organized as eight battalion companies and one light infantry company.

Made up from men from northern and western Maryland, it was assigned to the Main Army under George Washington on 6 July 1776. The battalion was assigned to the brigade of William Alexander, Lord Sterling, along with the Delaware Battalion of Colonel John Haslet. This was the start of a close association between the troops from Maryland and Delaware that was to last through the entire war.

Smallwood's men were in action first at the Battle of Long Island and won great praise for their repeated charges against the British forces. They were largely responsible for the successful withdrawal of the American forces across Gowanu Creek to the main forces in Brooklyn.

Later the unit was reorganized and redesigneated as the 1st Maryland Regiment in January 1777. On 5 April 1780 it was assigned to the Southern Army under Horatio Gates and later Nathaniel Greene. One of the few Continental regiments that fought in both the Northern and Southern campaigns, it took part in the following major battles: Long Island, New York, White Plains, Trenton-Princeton, Brandywine, Germantown, Monmouth, Camden, Cowpens, Guilford Courthouse, Hobkirk Hill, Ninety-Six and Eutaw Springs. It was furloughed on 27 July 1783 at Baltimore and disbanded 15 November 1783.

Lineage taken from "The Continental Army" by Robert K Wright