The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1898-03-04

SnaIIwoo Is conan md wls m1rshale,l
into the national service! They went
to New York AMI We're incorporated
into Lord Strings brigade, Their
first battle was on Long Island. 1t
was disastrous one for the patriots.
Four hundred Of the Maryland Line,
as Smallwood's troops were then called
covered themselves with glory by re-
p at.d charges upon an % 'erwhelming
f,rc. of the enemy. They practically
DESTROYED themselves te save the con-
tinental army Washington was en-
abled to withdraw his troops to New
York under cover of a foy and escape
the trap that had been set for him by
General Clinton.
BAYONET CHARGES.
These four hundred men Of the line,
under Major Gist, made five bayonet
charges against Corvallis brigade.
Upon the sixth charge the brigade re.
coiled and began to give way in con-
fusion. The Marylanders were out
numbered more than ten to one. AS
saulted by fresh troops (Hessians) and
by a British brigade in the rear, a por-
tion of them, with Lord Stirling at
their head, surrendered. Three COM
panies cut their way through the Brit
ish ranks, maintaining their order until
they reached the edge of a creek, which
the survivors were compelled to swim.
The loss in killed and wounded ofthese
400 Marylanders was 256 officers and
men. From sunrise until the last gun
they had been hotly engaged. While
the rest of the army had been routed,
or had fed, they maintained The battle
unaided against two brigades of the
enemy. This was on the 9th of A,l-
gust, 1916.
"On the 29th what was left OF the
line were again Oh duty at Fort Put
man, within $50 yards of the enemy 5
line. 1t was on this night that General
Washington crossed the river. Colo
mel Smallwood's regiment in the follow :
ing month covered Washington with
drawal into the lines below Fort Wash
ington. This was done 10y the express
command OF Washington himself after
two brigadcs of militia had fled from
the field This was Oh the 5th of Sep
tember. On the next day the Mary
landers attacked the enemy with the
bayonet, drove them from their posi-
ton, and were in full pursuit when the
ommander-in-chefo ordered their recall.
AT the battle OF White Plains the
Mary yland battalion, under Smallwood
was again engaged. There they met a
brigade of Hessians. under Rawle. \
long and severe contest ensued. Small
woods regiment sustained itself under
the fire of Is British cannon, and final
" fell back, inch by inch, under orders.
rhe line suffered severely. Smallwood
himself being among the wounded.
Its loss at White Plains was over 100
men. 1t had fought three battles in
three months, and was the first of the
revolutionary troops to use the hayonet
against British regulars.
BROKE TIE HEssIANs.
In the defense of Fort Washington
Colonel Rawlins, of Maryland, with a
regiment of riflemen, sustained the at
tack of the British divisions with great
steadiness and spirit. The Hessians
were broken by the Mary land riflemen,
who alone held their position upon the
field, all the other revolutionary troops
being in foil retreat. Rawlins after
ward retired under the guns of the fort.
Twelve hundred British were killed
and wounded, and General Howe ac-
knowledged that halt of his loss was
caused by the Maryland and Virginia
riflemen.
washington began winter cam
paign OH the sth of December. l776,
when he crossed the Delaware. The
Maryland Line took an active part in
the battle of Trenton 1t was here
that their old Hessia antagonist, Colo
nel Rawle, was killed. His brigade be
came prisoners.
General Mercer, commanding the
brigade to which the Maryland Line
was attached, fell at the head of his
men in the battle of Princeton. Wash
ington says in his letters that Small.
woods troops had then been reduced
to mere handful Of men, but they
took part in the engagement with their
usual gallantry, and won great renown.
T.us regiment of ,444 men in the
month Of August, when the battle oi
.-ong Island was fought, was reduced in
four months to mere handful of men.
oNE-"aNrI o% TIE WHOLE ARMY.
For the ensuing campaign Mary
lands quota was ei ght battalions, mum
bering 1 1000 m.n, onc-terth of the
whole army. They were promptly
furnished, and the Mary land Line again
becamn the flower of the c influential
army. In O;to1.r following an addi-
tional quota of 1000 m,n, to serve
three years in the Maryland Line, was
filed. In August, III, these troops
we're engaged in an attack upon Staten
Island. The first brigade WAS under
command Of General Sm,llwood, and
| all were commanded by General Sulli.