Remembering the Maryland 400
U.S. and Maryland History / August 24, 2023 / By Francis J. Gorman?
This coming Sunday will be the 247th anniversary of the heroic action of the Maryland 400 on August 27, 1776, at the Battle of Long Island. The Battle of Brooklyn and the Battle of Brooklyn Heights are also names for the battle.
The Continental Army, about 10,000 soldiers, arrived in New York City in April 1776 under the command of General George Washington. Believing that the British would attack Manhattan, Washington fortified Manhattan, but he divided his Army by sending a division of troops across the East River to defend Brooklyn.
Meanwhile, the British assembled a force of 32,000 troops under the command of General William Howe. Ten thousand British soldiers attacked the Continental Army in Brooklyn on April 27. During the battle, the American soldiers were nearly encircled by the British, facing disaster. Washington ordered a retreat. The soldiers tried to fall back to stronger defenses on Brooklyn Heights, but the British assault made the retreat difficult.
The Maryland 400 (in reality, about 270 soldiers) was part of the 1st Maryland Regiment which had joined the Continental Army in New York City in May 1775. The Maryland 400 was positioned at the Old Stone House in Brooklyn, located a little more than a mile from Brooklyn Heights.
Rather than retreat, the Maryland 400 was ordered to cover the retreating troops. Under the command of American General Lord Sterling and Major Mordecai Gist, the Maryland 400 took the fight to the British, repeatedly charged the British troops, bravely held their position, and stopped the progress of the British. This allowed the bulk of Washinton’s troops to avoid capture and reach temporary safety at Brooklyn Heights.
More than 250 soldiers from the Maryland 400 were killed in the battle. General Washington, who had left Manhattan and come to Brooklyn Heights, watched the Maryland 400 hold off the British and famously remarked: Good God, what brave fellows I must lose this day.
The American soldiers regrouped on Brooklyn Heights, but their backs were against the East River. Fortunately, General Howe did not resume the attack on August 28. The next day, August 29, Washington successfully withdrew all his troops from Brooklyn Heights and across the East River to Manhattan.
For the next five years, Washington nourished and grew the Continental Army. He avoided large-scale confrontations with the British that he could not win. In May 1781, General Cornwallis moved his Army to Yorktown VA, planning on reinforcements and supplies being delivered by the British navy. But the French Navy blockaded the Chesapeake Bay, and Cornwallis was trapped. Wahington seized this opportunity. He moved the Continental Army to Yorktown where they defeated the British Army in the Siege of Yorktown. Cornwallis surrendered on October 19, 1781. After lengthy negotiations, the Treaty of Paris was signed on January 14, 1784, formally ending the Revolutionary War.
It is not an exaggeration to state that without the heroic action by the Maryland 400 in the Battle of Long Island, the Continental Army may not have survived. It is one of the most historic battles of a Maryland military unit.
Today, Brooklyn Heights is an upscale residential community of low-rise brick and brownstone row homes. It is located south of the Brooklyn Bridge. The Old Stone House is now the Old Stone House Museum, an exact replica of the original structure.???????
In 1895, a monument was erected and dedicated to the Maryland 400. It is in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. One side of the marble pedestal reads: “In honor of Maryland’s Four Hundred who on this battlefield on August 27, 1776, saved the American army.” On maps of Prospect Park, you will see “Maryland Monument.”? Prospect Park is a gem with activity all around; well worth a visit.
Last year, I went to Prospect Park to find and see the Maryland Monument. I found it and took pictures, but I realized I had taken a longer route than necessary. ???????
If you are in New York City, and a Marylander and/or history buff, go see the monument. It will take about two hours round-trip from Manhattan depending on traffic. Best way: Take the subway into Brooklyn. Cab or Uber/Lyft to Vanderbilt Street and Prospect Park. Enter the Park from this point. Walk through the playground, get onto Well House Road, and walk on Well House Road for about a half mile. You will see the Maryland Monument on a sloping hill off to the left. Consult the map at:
FJG
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1 年Well done Frank...I didn't know that you had been strolling in my old neighborhood..the Heights.
Head of Product Control and Valuation at Point72
1 年You came to New York last year and didn’t say hi!?