The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1903-10-10
THE GIST FAMILY.
History of the Ancestors of Mary
lands Distinguished Son, Gen.
Mordecai Gist.

in its issue of September n, We find the
following in regard to the ancestors of Gen.
Mordecai Gist, of Carroll county, Md,
who has a large number of relatives IN this
county and other parts of the State. Fol-
lowing is the sketch of the family:
Christopher Gist, the immigrant ancestor
of Maryland's distinguished Gen. Mordecal
Gist. settled on the south side of the Pa
tapsco river in the year 1852. He married
Cromwell, said to have been daughter
of the kinsman of the Lord Protector OF
England.
Their son, Richard Gist, was the sur
yeyor of the Western Shore of Maryland,
and in August, 1929, was, by act OF AS
sembly, appointed one of the commission
ers to Law out Baltimore Town. Thus we
find this distinguished name associated with
the beginning of our fair city, as we'll as
brilliantly connected with the history OF
our State and nation.
In the year 1876 Richard Gist became
presiding justice, and later member OF
the Assembly. He married Miss Muir
ray, and left large family. Their daugh-
ter married James Calhoun, the first Mayor
of Baltimore.
Christopher Gist, the second born in
MARYLAND, settled in Virginia and lived on
the Yadkin river. In the year 1850 he
was employed by the Ohio Company to
make expeditions into the Ohio Valley
He started in October, 1850, returning
Nav. 1851, being the first white man to
explore that part of West Virginia between
Mononeahela and Great Kanawha rivers.
He was a distinguished surveyor, and had
the honor of acting as Washington $ guide
to Fort Duquesne in the year 1913, and
fought with him at Braddock.
Three of the early Gist men married
DAUGHTERS of Joshua Howard and Johanna
o. Carroll, while sister married into the
Ridgely family. Nathaniel Gist, ensign
in the famous Virginia regiment commanded
by his gallant uncle, Col. Nathaniel Gist,
was killed in company with his nephew,
Richard Gist at King Mountain. These
two were probably the first of the family to
lose their lives for their country, although
not the first of their line to offer it.
There is probably no family in Maryland
contributing more officers to the service OF
the country in every hour Of her need and
pre- eminently in the Revolutionary War.
We find many brothers and cousins, faith
ers and sons fighting side by side in the
War of Independence, but none whose
memory is so universally honored as is that
of Brig Gen. Mordecai Gist, who in De-
cember, 1774, was captain of the first COM
pany recruited in Maryland and led the
gallant 400 young Marylanders in their
fateful charge against CORVALLIS men at
the Cortelyou house, on Long Island. In
the memoirs of the Long Island Historical
Society we learn details of the glorious
courage of our Maryland boys-enough to
thrill the most sluggish pulse in the battle
of Long Island.
The little band, hardly numbering 400
men, prepared for an assault upon five
times their number.
Lord Stirling had determined that the
only hope of the American army was to
check the onset of the victorious foe, and
to quote the fine smile of DR.. John Will
hanson Palmer, of Harvard, he called
forth the remnant of the Maryland regi-
ment-''young lads, tenderly nurtured
who now for the first time knew the rap
ture of battle-and hurled them against
the iron wall that CORVALLIS had drawn
about the Cortelyou house as David hnrled
his smooth, round stone against the armor
of Goliath. -
The Historical Society memoirs recount
how the artillery plowed their fast thin
ming ranks with the awful bolts of war,
while from the adjacent hills the Hessian
yagers hurled death to the flower of our
Maryland youth. Yet, undaunted their
dashing leader, Mordecai Gist, commanded
them to ''close up; close upr' This they
did in staggering but unfinching files,
grown fearfully thin, drew together and
turned their stern young faces to their
couutry's foe. Again and again these self
devoted heroes closed their ranks over the
bodies of their dead comrades and kept
their faces to the foe. And so an hour
was gained more precious to liberty than
any other in its history"
Two hundred and fifty six of Maryland
noble sons were that day sacrificed on the
altar of patriotism-and Washington $
army saved from crushing defeat No
wonder that the strains of "Maryland, My
Maryland appeal to the feelings of others
than our own citizens.
Washington witnessed the heroism of
the young Marylanders under Gist and it is
a matter of record that in his agony of
heart he exclaimed, "Great God, what
must my brave boys suffer today y
Gen. Mordecai Gist was married three
times His children bore the suggestive
names of "Independent'' and estates,
both being sons afflicted with these memo
rails of their father patriotism.
General Gist lived during the latter part
of his life in South Carolina, in which
State he died. In the year 1895 the
Maryland Society of the Sons of the Revo-
luton erected a shaft in memory of the
Maryland youths at the battle of Long
Island.
Col. Thomas Gist, who was in command
of the Soldiers Delight Battalion was also
distinguished Revolutionary officer, and
Col. Joshua Gist, of Frederick, was the
gallant leader of regiment Of militia in
1776.
Another of this lightning stock was John
Gist, captain of Gist's Continental Regi-
ment, March, 1777, and yet another was
Lieut.. Thomas Gist, of the Twelfth Mary
land Regiment
This distinguished military family has
intermarried with others of its kind includ-
ing the Towards, Ridgelys, Jockeys, Ham
monds, Cromwell, Harveys, Murrays, Car
naus, Sterretts, Orndorfs, Elders and
others.
Among the best-known of the descend
ants past and present may be mentioned
the Hon. Montgomery Blair, Gen. Frank
P. Blair, Lieut.. Rein Hammond Gist, of
the Twentieth Regiment, Kentucky Vol
n I