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| Maryland Line (Revolutionary War) | |
|---|---|
| Unit name | Maryland Line (Revolutionary War) |
| Dates | 1775–1783 |
| Country | Continental Congress |
| Allegiance | Continental Army |
| Branch | Infantry |
| Type | Line infantry |
| Size | Regiments |
| Notable commanders | John Eager Howard, William Smallwood, Third Lord Baltimore |
Maryland Line (Revolutionary War) was the designation for the quota of regiments provided by the Province of Maryland to the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Renowned for discipline and battlefield steadiness, Maryland units earned nicknames such as the "Maryland Line" and the "Old Line," which later influenced the state militia identity and the sobriquet "The Old Line State." Maryland regiments participated in major actions from the New York and New Jersey campaign to the Siege of Yorktown and played a decisive role at the Battle of Long Island and Battle of Camden.
The Maryland quota originated under the Second Continental Congress amid mobilization following the Battles of Lexington and Concord and the Siege of Boston. Maryland's General Assembly of Maryland and the Maryland Convention authorized provincial battalions, later reorganized into continental regiments under the Articles of Confederation era provisioning of the Continental Congress. Initial organization reflected continental reforms such as the Resolution of June 14, 1775 and the Continental Army establishment ordinances, aligning Maryland units with other state contingents like the Virginia Line, Pennsylvania Line, New Jersey Line, Massachusetts Line, and New York Line. Governors including Thomas Johnson and William Paca oversaw recruitment alongside county militias from Baltimore County, Anne Arundel County, Prince George's County, and Montgomery County, Maryland.
Maryland contributed several numbered regiments including the 1st through 7th Maryland Regiments, plus specialized companies such as the Baltimore Light Dragoons and artillery assigned to the Continental Artillery Regiment. Units were commanded by field officers commissioned by the Continental Congress and by state authorities, producing leaders like William Smallwood (brigadier general) and John Eager Howard (colonel). The regiments formed part of brigade commands operating with formations from the Main Army and departmental forces in the Northern Department, Middle Department, and Southern Department. Maryland's companies were typically composed of officers and men drawn from towns such as Annapolis, Maryland, Elkridge, Frederick, Maryland, and Hagerstown, Maryland.
Maryland units were engaged across many theaters. The Battle of Long Island saw the Marylanders' disciplined rear-guard action enabling George Washington's escape and earning praise from contemporaries like Nathaniel Greene. Maryland troops fought at the Battle of White Plains, Battle of Trenton, and Battle of Princeton during the New York and New Jersey campaign. They participated in the Philadelphia campaign, including the Battle of Brandywine and Germantown, and after reorganization served in the Southern theater at the Siege of Charleston (1780), Battle of Camden, and ultimately at the Siege of Yorktown under commanders such as Cornwallis opposing Rochambeau and Washington. Maryland riflemen and light infantry also operated in coordination with units like the 1st Delaware Regiment, 2nd Virginia Regiment, 3rd Maryland Regiment, and detachments from the Connecticut Line.
Prominent figures included William Smallwood, who became a major general in the Continental Army and later governor of Maryland; John Eager Howard, celebrated for leadership at Monmouth and for later service in the United States Senate; Levin Winder; Otho Holland Williams; and Thomas Stone. Enlisted men and noncommissioned officers from Maryland provided steady fire at actions alongside counterparts like Rufus Putnam and Baron von Steuben, and cooperated with allied forces including the French Expeditionary Force in North America under Comte de Rochambeau and naval forces like the Continental Navy and the French Navy at York River. Maryland soldiers are commemorated alongside figures from the Continental Line and state militias such as veterans of the Battle of Germantown and survivors of the Monmouth Court House actions.
Maryland regiments trained in linear formations and continental drill influenced by European practitioners such as Baron von Steuben whose Valley Forge program standardized drill, discipline, and the Blue Book regulations across the Continental Army. Maryland companies adopted maneuvers for close-order volley fire, bayonet charges, and light infantry skirmishing, integrating with cavalry screens and artillery batteries like those under Henry Knox. Their steadiness under fire at Long Island and restraint during the chaotic Southern campaign exemplified doctrine drawn from earlier continental encounters such as the Siege of Boston and reflected lessons learned against British formations like those at Brandywine and Monmouth Court House. Logistics and supply lines routed through ports such as Baltimore and supply depots influenced operational endurance during winter encampments at Valley Forge and movements in the Hudson Highlands.
The Maryland Line's reputation contributed to Maryland's nickname "The Old Line State" and influenced state and federal commemorations including monuments at Brooklyn for the Battle of Long Island and markers at Germantown and Yorktown Victory Monument. Maryland veterans played roles in postwar institutions like the Society of the Cincinnati and civic life in Baltimore, Annapolis, Maryland, and the United States Congress. Regimental lineage informed later units such as the Maryland National Guard and inspired memorials including county monuments across Frederick County, Maryland and Howard County, Maryland. Histories of the Maryland line appear in works alongside accounts of the Continental Army by historians who document connections to the Constitutional Convention era and early United States veterans' networks.
Category:Maryland in the American Revolution Category:Continental Army units