The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1872-02-17
Our Q)liu.
Maryland Soldiers at Brooklyn.

y
York, Edgte Published from mono.
graph by Mr.. Field, a narrative of the
services of the Maryland Battalion in
Brooklyn, on the 9Th of August, 177G,
the day of the disastrous battle Of Long
Island. The following account, con.
denscd from that narrative, will be
found of historical interest.
No sooner did the people of Mary.
land learn of the danger to which New
York aud Brook lyu were exposed than
they sounded the call to arms, aud in
Two weeks sent forward eight regiments
aud battalions, numbering four thous
aud men, to reinforce the small army
under Washington. OF these troops,
Smallwood's battalion, consisting of six
hundred young men aud lads of the
best families of the State, was well uni
formed aud disciplined, and was at
once relied upon by Washington for
performing the most hazardous duties
lu the course OF a few weeks this battal
ion had been reduced, by sickness aud
the severity Of the service, TO four hun.
drcd aud fifty effective men. 10 these
were joined, on the day Of the battle of
Long Island, the Delaware battalion Of
one hundred aud twenty men. During
the tight, says Field, these young sol
dIers suffered under the great disad-
vantage of being for the first time 10
the presence OF an enemy. Yet so no.
bic was their ardo: aud so perfect their
discipline, that when the great rout of
the American array began, the Mary
land battalion was the organization
which preserved its order, and was ef
tective in guarding the retreyt. When
Gowanus creek aud the ueighboring
marches were covered with broken
masses Of the American army, General
Stirling saw that nothing but u diver.
sion would save them from destruction,
and, to effect his purpose he hurried to
the Maryland battalion, "as forlorn
hope" What followed we give 10 Mr..
Fields own words;
The young men composing it an.
swered his appeal with the uoblest self
devotion and enthusiasm. The enter.
prise was n voluntary exposure to al.
most certain death. Less than five
hundred men aud boys were about to us
sault position supported by the whole
British army. Yet even these dread
ful perils did not appal them; with
General Stirling at the head of their
column, they charged upon the cuemy's
batteries, whose grape aud canister,
poured upon the iugitives at short
range, were covering the marsh and
water with dead and wounded at every
discharge.
$50 fierce and persistent was the on
set OF the battalion that the British
were driven in confusion from their
battery at the stone house on the Cow
anus road. The guns would have been
spiked or turned upon the enemy, but
for the heavy fire of the grenadiers, who
had flung themselves into the house
the strong walls of which made il a
formidable redoubt. On the adjacent
hill more than eight thousand of the
British army were moving iuto position
to oppose this little band of not more
than five hundred men.
After prOtraeted aud bloody
struggle around the Cortelyn House,
the Marylanders were driven back by
the oyerpowering numbers of the enc.
my. Two or three hundred yards to the
south Gowanus road turned sharply to
the west, aud, favored by the stone walls
aud the thickets which bordered IT,
the battalion formed again, and once
more pressed forward into the wide
semi circle of fire which was concen.
trated upon them.
Every moment Increased the NUN
Der OF their enemies, aud every moment
lessened their own. The storm OF
grape and musket shot from the dense
lines OF the enemy in front, aud the
rifle balls of the Hessian Yagers on ev.
cry knoll, again drove them back to
their cover. Again forming there for
assault, aud again driven back, with
numbers lessening at every step, these
brave Maryland lads at last effected the
purpose Tor which so many Of them
had freely given their lives. The great
mass OF their fugitive countrymen had
crossed the creek aud marsh, and were
beyond pursuit OF the enemy. For
more than an hour the battalion had
sustained the terrible fire concentrated
upon them, and five times assaulted an
enemy more than twenty times their
strength. Shattered at every charge
upon his impreguable lines, their dis
cipline, their ardor and their hereism
restored their regimental order at every
repulse; aud it was only when their
officers had fallen that any portion of
the battalion made an effort for self
preservation. On the ground now
bounded by Third and Sixth avenues
I a.s.l Il