The 6th Maryland Regiment, active from 27 March 1776—January 1, 1783, is most notable for its involvement during the American Revolutionary war of the same years. An infantry type regiment consisting of 728 soldiers, the 6th Maryland was composed of eight companies of volunteers from Prince Georges, Queen Anne's, Fredric, Cecil, Harford, and Ann Arundel counties in the colony of Maryland On 22 May 1777, the regiment was assigned to the 2nd Maryland Brigade. It was re-organized to nine companies on 12 May 1779 and reassigned to the Southern Department on 5 April 1780.

Background

Since the establishment of the American colonies, the British Navy protected the developing colonies, and the colonist paid taxes to the crown through import and export tariffs, taxes, and when requested, raised armies for London. This laissez-faire system where the colonist had a large degree of self-rule worked until 1763, when the British government decided that it needed to raise capital to pay off debt accrued through the French and Indian war, and the more encompassing

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (175 ...

. In the minds of the British, the colonist ought to pay a significant portion of the debt as the war benefited the Americans by removing the threat of Indians and French colonist from their lands. Without consultation, Parliament passed the Sugar Act of 1764, and taxed molasses at three pence per gallon to collect revenue and pay off debts. The colonist felt as though this tax was unwarranted and that parliament should not burden the Americans with the cost of something they didn't need: a British army. In 1765, Parliament further alienated its colonies when Prime Minister Grenville introduced the Stamp Act. What made the Sugar Act and the Stamp Act so unprecedented and subject to popular disdain was that it was the first direct tax on the colonies. To gain more control in the region, especially after New York disregarded the

Mutiny Act Mutiny is a revolt among a group of people (typically of a military, of a crew or of a crew of pirates) to oppose, change, or overthrow an organization to which they were previously loyal. The term is commonly used for a rebellion among memb ...

, Parliament created the American Board of Customs, designed to efficiently collect taxes, specifically those proposed by Prime Minister Townshend. However, this inspired John Dickinson to write ''Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania'' that argued there should be no taxation without representation and further boycotts of British goods. After several brouhahas and altercations between American colonist and British civil servants, Parliament made the decision to station British soldiers in Boston. For many this action was an unacceptable infringement on their English Bill of rights and on 5 March 1770, British soldiers opened fire and killed twelve Bostonians. While there were wildly different accounts of the situation, with one anonymous person stating that the shooting was deliberate, and Captain Preston – the commanding officer - stating the shooting was an accident, the result was the same. The

Boston Massacre The Boston Massacre (known in Great Britain as the Incident on King Street) was a confrontation in Boston on March 5, 1770, in which a group of nine British soldiers shot five people out of a crowd of three or four hundred who were harassing t ...

solidified American hatred of the British, and paved the way towards independence. The American Revolutionary War began in on 19 April 1775, when the Massachusetts Militia engaged the British army at the battles of Lexington and Concord, in Middlesex County. This prompted the newly formed first Continental Congress to authorized and appointed General

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

to both take charge of the existing militia and for the creation of an entirely new Continental Army.

History

Battle of Guilford Courthouse 15 March 1781

In June 1775, the Second Continental Congress authorized the formation of a "

Maryland Line The "Maryland Line" was a formation within the Continental Army, formed and authorized by the Second Continental Congress, meeting in the "Old Pennsylvania State House" (later known as "Independence Hall") in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in June ...

", an entire militia composed and financed by

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

to be incorporated into the newly formed Continental Army. On 18 January 1776, the Maryland government carried out the orders of the Second Continental Congress and created the following regiments:Polk, Ryan. "The Origin of the 'the Old Line State'", Maryland State Archives, 2005
/ref> •

1st Maryland Regiment The 1st Maryland Regiment (Smallwood's Regiment) originated with the authorization of a Maryland Battalion of the Maryland State Troops on 14 January 1776. It was organized in the spring at Baltimore, Maryland (three companies) and Annapolis, M ...

, disbanded in 1783 • 2nd Maryland Regiment, disbanded in 1783 •

3rd Maryland Regiment The 3rd Maryland Regiment was an infantry regiment of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. It served from 1776 to 1783, mostly in the Middle Atlantic Region of the conflict. Background The 3rd Maryland Regiment was orga ...

, disbanded in 1783 •

4th Maryland Regiment The 4th Maryland Regiment was organized on March 27, 1777 as a part of eight companies from Baltimore, Anne Arundel and Somerset Counties. It was assigned to the 2nd Maryland Brigade -- a part of the Main Army -- on May 22, 1777. Assigned 27 D ...

, disbanded in 1783 •

5th Maryland Regiment The 5th Maryland Regiment is a designation which has been held by several units over the years, not all of which necessarily share the same lineage and honors. Although the first unit to carry the "5th Maryland" designation was organized in 1776 ...

, disbanded in 1783 • 6th Maryland Regiment, disbanded in 1781 •

7th Maryland Regiment The 7th Maryland Regiment was authorized on 16 September 1776, for service with the Continental Army and was assigned on 27 December 1776. The regiment was composed of eight companies of wiktionary:volunteer, volunteers organized from Frederic ...

, disbanded in 1781 •

German Battalion The "German Battalion" (also known as the "German Regiment" or 8th Maryland) was an infantry formation of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Authorized in May 1776 as an extra Continental regiment, the battaltion rec ...

(counted as half a regiment against the quota), disbanded in 1781 •

Maryland and Virginia Rifle Regiment The Maryland and Virginia Rifle Regiment, most commonly known as Rawlings' Regiment in period documents, was organized in June 1776 as a specialized light infantry unit of riflemen in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. T ...

(counted as half a regiment against the quota), disbanded in 1781 • 2nd Independent Maryland Company - Somerset County absorbed into the 2nd Maryland Regiment in 1781 Once Maryland met its required quota of composing and equipping eight regiments, the units were formally incorporated into the Continental Army to fight aside militia from the twelve other states. The 6th Maryland Regiment was incorporated into the Continental Army on 27 March 1776.

Action seen

Battle of Brandywine

Fought on 11 September 1777 at Chadds Ford Township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, the large-scale military battle saw action between the Continental army led by

General A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...

and the British army led by General

Sir William Howe William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe, KB PC (10 August 172912 July 1814) was a British Army officer who rose to become Commander-in-Chief of British land forces in the Colonies during the American War of Independence. Howe was one of three bro ...

. The overall objective for the American forces was to stop British advancement and prevent the takeover of Philadelphia. Despite both armies having similar strength - both around 15,000 men – General Howe was able to flank Washington's army and force an American retreat. The overall battle lasted a record 11 hours and resulted in the loss of around 1,900 men: 1,300 from the Continental army and 600 from the British Army. The Maryland 6th Regiment entered the theater of war for the first time at the Battle of Brandywine as part of the 2nd Maryland Brigade led by Brigadier General Chevalier

Philippe Hubert Preudhomme de Borre Philippe Hubert, Chevalier de Preudhomme de Borre (17 September 1717 in Liège – 30 May 1789 in Brussels) joined the French Army in 1740 and served in the War of the Austrian Succession. During the American Revolutionary War he traveled to Ameri ...

. This Brigade in conjunction with the 1st Maryland brigade, 3rd Virginia Brigade, 4th Virginia Brigade, New Jersey Brigade and the 3rd Pennsylvania Brigade formed a Division of 1,100 men led by Major General John Sullivan, known during the battle as Sullivan's Wing. Originally stationed northwards along the banks of the Brandywine River, Sullivan's Wing was ordered to prevent any British crossing. However, after British forces led by General Cornwallis flanked the Continental Army, Sullivan's Wing, and thus the 6th Maryland Regiment, was ordered to march north along with Stirling's Wing and Stephen's Wing to stymie Cornwallis's advancements and allow for an American retreat.

Battle of Germantown

Fought on 4 October 1777, in Germantown, Pennsylvania between George Washington's Continental army and

General William Howe William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe, KB PC (10 August 172912 July 1814) was a British Army officer who rose to become Commander-in-Chief of British land forces in the Colonies during the American War of Independence. Howe was one of three brot ...

's British forces, this battle occurred shortly after the Battle of Brandywine and solidified British control of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

. Originally the plan, drawn up by Washington himself, called for a four prong attack on Germantown in which Sullivan's wing, and the 6th Maryland, would take the center-right column and directly assault the camp. However, due to a thick fog, Sullivan's wing was unable to properly navigate and became trapped in the line of fire from a heavily fortified mansion. The Maryland Regiment ultimately ran out of ammunition along with the rest of the wing, and was forced to retreat. This initial retreat led to an eventual army wide retreat in which, coupled with the battle, 152 American soldiers died. The British were able to keep Philadelphia and the Americans were forced to set up winter camp at

Valley Forge Valley Forge functioned as the third of eight winter encampments for the Continental Army's main body, commanded by General George Washington, during the American Revolutionary War. In September 1777, Congress fled Philadelphia to escape the ...

Battle of Monmouth

Fought on 28 June 1778, at Monmouth Court House,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, between George Washington's Continental army and Lieutenant General Henry Clinton's British forces, initiated by Washington, the primary objective was for the American forces to attack the rear of Clinton's army as the British left the courthouse for redeployment in New York. The overall battle was inconclusive in terms of strategic advantage, but the American forces suffered twice as many casualties as their British opponents, due to a disorganized American attack followed by a swift British counterattack. During this battle, the 6th Maryland Regiment was led by the notorious Colonel Otho Holland Williams. Moreover, the 6th Maryland fought alongside the 4th Maryland Regiment and the 2nd Maryland Regiment to make up the 2nd Maryland Brigade. This brigade, along with six other brigades made up Major General

Nathanael Greene Nathanael Greene (June 19, 1786, sometimes misspelled Nathaniel) was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. He emerged from the war with a reputation as General George Washington's most talented and dependab ...

's Right Wing which was tasked to enfilade Clinton's forces.

Battle of Camden

Fought on 16 August 1780, in Kershaw County,

South Carolina )'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

by Lieutenant General

Charles Cornwallis Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis, (31 December 1738 – 5 October 1805), styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as the Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army general and official. In the United S ...

commanding the British army, and Major General

Horatio Gates Horatio Lloyd Gates (July 26, 1727April 10, 1806) was a British-born American army officer who served as a general in the Continental Army during the early years of the Revolutionary War. He took credit for the American victory in the Battl ...

commanding the American army, the battle was a British victory and led to further British control of the Carolinas. The original American objective was to capture the crossing at Camden as it was a strategic route in taking back control of the South. Gates decided to break up his 3,700 troops into two columns with the 2nd Maryland regiment commanded by Mordecai Gist as the right flank, and the unproven North Carolina regiment as the left. Once the battle began, it became clear that the untrained

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

regiment was outmatched and they quickly fled from battle. Alone the right flank and the 2nd Maryland regiment was forced to retreat and give up any potential land that they might have gained. Overall the British forces lost 68 men, while the Americans suffered a loss of 900 men killed and 1,000 captured.

Battle of Guilford Court House

Fought on 15 March 1781 in Greensboro, North Carolina, by Lieutenant General Charles, Lord Cornwallis commanding the British army and Major General Nathanael Greene commanding the American army, the battle ended in a costly

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

victory in which roughly 100 British soldiers lost their lives, and 413 wounded compared to the 70 and 185 who lost their lives and were wounded respectively. The original British objective was to attack Greene's encampment as to prevent reinforcements, which would inevitably lead to, a loss of British control in the region. However, when the British arrived at the Court house, where the Americans were stationed, Greene had already prepared three defense lines in which the 2nd Maryland Regiment was stationed in the third line, furthest from the initial British Attack. The British ultimately managed to break thorough the lines, and forced an American retreat, but while the battle only lasted ninety minutes, the British lost over a quarter of their men.Wood, William J. Battles of the Revolutionary War: 1775–1781. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books, 1990.(227-296)

Legacy

The members of th
6th Maryland Regiment and Cecil County Militia
are living history re-enactors whom seek to portray accurately, military and early American life. An online source has been created documenting the casualties of the 6th Regiment during the war. https://web.archive.org/web/20161017165105/http://6thmarylandinfantry.org/familystories/6thMdCasualties.html

External links

*
Bibliography of the Continental Army in Maryland
compiled by the

United States Army Center of Military History The United States Army Center of Military History (CMH) is a directorate within the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command. The Institute of Heraldry remains within the Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Ar ...

References

Citations {{Authority control Maryland regiments of the Continental Army Military units and formations established in 1776 Military units and formations disestablished in 1783 1776 establishments in Maryland 1783 disestablishments in Maryland