The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1914-06-19


Battles"
To tell the story of Southern Mary
land in the Revolution were to relate
the story of the war itself. The State
voted to support the other Colonies
and the flower of the youth of our
southern counties marched north with
under Colonel Smallwood of Charles
Joined Washington at New York, and
on the 9th of August, 1776, was fought
the disastrous battle on Lond Island.
The Continental Army, defeated and
panic stricken, was i'll danger OF total
destruction, when Washington decided
upon the desperate expedient of throw
ing handful of men between his dis
Organized forces and the oncoming
Britons. He ordered 400 Marylan ders
under MOI dacai Gist, who had just
arrived, to hold the enemy in check
while he withdrew his army across
East River. That little body of untri-
ed troops, largely from the southern
counties of Maryland, sons of opulent
planters, raised in luxury and unused
to hardship; lacking any military ex.
perience, but having reckless courage
and indomitable resolution, sprang for.
ward to cross bayonsts with veterans
from the battle-fields of Europe ten
times their superior in numbers. Never
before had the bayonet been used by
American troops, and no nation hao
ever successfully resisted with that
weapon a charge of the English Line
But the boys of Maryland literally
pierced the enemy's center. Then fall
ing back and reforming, again fiercely
charged the serried ranks of England;
holding them in check until Washing
ington had successfully completed his
mas terly retreat. But 256 of that gal.
liant 400 were left upon the field, ano
among the officers from Southern Mary
land who fell, were Captains Hanson
and Daniel Bowie and Lieut.. Tyler.
At the battles of White Plains, Mon
mouth, Eutaw, Germantown, and Gull
ford Court House, the Maryland troops
used their favorite weapon, the bay
onet. with deadly effect. At German
town, Col. Luke Marbury of Prince
Georges was wounded and taken pri.
soner: At Eutaw, General Greene said
"Let Col. Williams and his Maryland
ers advance and sweep the fields
The Maryland Line pressed forward
and with awful courage, and the slaugh-
ter of 800 Hessians. the day was won
General Greene wrote that the courage
of the Marylanders on that day was un'
parallelled in history. Napoleon's In.
yincible Old Guard, held no higher sta
ton in the French army than did the
MARYLAND Line in the war of Revolu-
ton.
While the youth Of Southern Mary
land were winning undying fame
on the field of battle, the achievements
of her Older men in the Council Hall
were no less notable. Of the 81 dele
gates from Maryland who took part in
the sessions of the Continental Con.
gress, Is were born in the southern
counties. In that distinguished list can
be found the names of Platter and Forb
es of St. Mary's; Jenifer and Stone OF
Charles; jeremiah Chase and Carroll Of
Anne Arundel; Rogers of Calvert; Con.
tee, Lee. Potts, and Daniel Carroll OF
Prince Georges The President of the
first Continental Congress, John Han
son. latter resident of Frederick, was
born and reared in Charles county, ano
his wife in Prince Georges.
Maryland having thrown off the
sovereignty of Great Britain, the for
nation Of state Government was
necessary and in 1777 she chose as hel
first governor Thomas Johnson. Tha,
distinguished son of Sout hern Mary.
land was born in St. Leonard's, Calvert
County. Later he removed to Freder
ick. served calamity in the army, anc
was sent to the Continental Congress
1t was he who nominated Washington
to be Commander of the American
forces, and as Governor, Chief Justice
of the District of Columbia and Asso,
ciate Justice of the United States
Supreme Court he brilliantly maintain
ed the lofty traditions of his people.
The second Governor of the State who
succeeded to that Office was Thomas
Sim Lee. He was born near Upper MARI
boro, was County CLERK, Member OF
the Continental Congress, and when
later elected to the United States Senate,
declined that honor. Of the four Mary
landers who affixed their names to the
Declaration of Independence, three
were from the southern counties Stone
was born in Charles, Charles Carroll in
Annapolis (his mother, Elizabeth
Brooke. was from Prince George's),
and Samuel Chase, though born on the
Eastern Shore. had lived from boyhooo
in Anne Arundel. Two of the four
men named by Maryland to ratify the
Constitution of the United States were
Daniel Carroll of Upper Marlboro, and
the brilliant Jenifer of Charles Co., q
member of Congress, who also came
near being Governor of the State.
When the President desired a Fl
successor to Thomas Johnson on the
Bench of the District of Columbia, he
selected Judge Allen Bowie Duckett OF
Prince Georges, and placed on the
Supreme Bench of the United State!
with johnson, Judge Gabriel Duvall Of
Prince Georges. ex member of Con
gress and former Comptroller of the
Currency.
1t was Southern Maryland who CAV,
to the world Roger Brooke fancy Of
Calvert county; Attorney General
Secretary Of the Treasury, and CHEZ
Justice of the United States; the only
son of Maryland who ever held that ex
allied position, and whose decision il
the bred Scott case electrified the ma
ton.
Other sons of Southern Maryland who
have distinguished themselves by ser.
vice at various times as Cabinet Off
GERS, were Stoddert, Secretary of thu
Navy; the eloquent Pinckney Of Anne
Arundel, and that intellectual giant
Reverdy Johnson, born in Annapolis
was Attorney General, twice U. S.
Senator, and Minister to the Court OF
St. James, and than whom, Maryland
has given the country no greater son
There have been in the United States
Senate from Southern Maryland, the
great Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Richard Potts, born in Upper Marlboro
William PlnckneY, Joseph Kent, Thos
G.. Pratt, and the brilliant William D
Merrick of Charles.
At the close of the Revolution, South
ern Maryland contained scant fifth OF
the white population of the State, ano
hundred years later had only tenth
vet of the 38 Governors elected during
that century. eleven we're natives oil
Southern Maryland. They were Thos
Johnson and Joseph Kent of Calvert
George Platter, that brilliant lawyer and
member of Congress, and Jas. Thomas
from St. Mary's; Charles sent Johr
Hoskins Stone, and Prince Georges
gift to the State, were Thomas Sim Lee
Benjamin Ogle of Bel Air, son of a
Colonial q ,vernor. Samuel Spripp OF