Battle of Brandywine Fought on 11 September 1777 at
Chadds Ford Township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, the large-scale military battle saw action between the Continental army led by
General George Washington and the British army led by General
Sir William Howe. The overall objective for the American forces was to stop British advancement and prevent the takeover of Philadelphia. Despite both armies having similar strength - both around 15,000 men – General Howe was able to flank Washington's army and force an American retreat. The overall battle lasted a record 11 hours and resulted in the loss of around 1,900 men: 1,300 from the Continental army and 600 from the British Army. The Maryland 6th Regiment entered the theater of war for the first time at the Battle of Brandywine as part of the 2nd Maryland Brigade led by Brigadier General Chevalier
Philippe Hubert Preudhomme de Borre. This Brigade in conjunction with the 1st Maryland brigade, 3rd Virginia Brigade, 4th Virginia Brigade, New Jersey Brigade and the 3rd Pennsylvania Brigade formed a Division of 1,100 men led by Major General John Sullivan, known during the battle as Sullivan's Wing. Originally stationed northwards along the banks of the Brandywine River, Sullivan's Wing was ordered to prevent any British crossing. However, after British forces led by General Cornwallis flanked the Continental Army, Sullivan's Wing, and thus the 6th Maryland Regiment, was ordered to march north along with Stirling's Wing and Stephen's Wing to stymie Cornwallis's advancements and allow for an American retreat.
Battle of Germantown Fought on 4 October 1777, in Germantown, Pennsylvania between George Washington's Continental army and
General William Howe's British forces, this battle occurred shortly after the Battle of Brandywine and solidified British control of
Philadelphia. Originally the plan, drawn up by Washington himself, called for a four prong attack on Germantown in which Sullivan's wing, and the 6th Maryland, would take the center-right column and directly assault the camp. However, due to a thick fog, Sullivan's wing was unable to properly navigate and became trapped in the line of fire from a heavily fortified mansion. The Maryland Regiment ultimately ran out of ammunition along with the rest of the wing, and was forced to retreat. This initial retreat led to an eventual army wide retreat in which, coupled with the battle, 152 American soldiers died. The British were able to keep Philadelphia and the Americans were forced to set up winter camp at
Valley Forge.
Battle of Monmouth Fought on 28 June 1778, at Monmouth Court House,
New Jersey, between George Washington's Continental army and Lieutenant General Henry Clinton's British forces, initiated by Washington, the primary objective was for the American forces to attack the rear of Clinton's army as the British left the courthouse for redeployment in New York. The overall battle was inconclusive in terms of strategic advantage, but the American forces suffered twice as many casualties as their British opponents, due to a disorganized American attack followed by a swift British counterattack. During this battle, the 6th Maryland Regiment was led by the notorious Colonel Otho Holland Williams. Moreover, the 6th Maryland fought alongside the 4th Maryland Regiment and the 2nd Maryland Regiment to make up the 2nd Maryland Brigade. This brigade, along with six other brigades made up Major General
Nathanael Greene's Right Wing which was tasked to enfilade Clinton's forces.
Battle of Camden Fought on 16 August 1780, in Kershaw County,
South Carolina by Lieutenant General
Charles Cornwallis commanding the British army, and Major General
Horatio Gates commanding the American army, the battle was a British victory and led to further British control of the Carolinas. The original American objective was to capture the crossing at Camden as it was a strategic route in taking back control of the South. Gates decided to break up his 3,700 troops into two columns with the 2nd Maryland regiment commanded by Mordecai Gist as the right flank, and the unproven North Carolina regiment as the left. Once the battle began, it became clear that the untrained
North Carolina regiment was outmatched and they quickly fled from battle. Alone the right flank and the 2nd Maryland regiment was forced to retreat and give up any potential land that they might have gained. Overall the British forces lost 68 men, while the Americans suffered a loss of 900 men killed and 1,000 captured.
Battle of Guilford Court House Fought on 15 March 1781 in Greensboro, North Carolina, by Lieutenant General Charles, Lord Cornwallis commanding the British army and Major General Nathanael Greene commanding the American army, the battle ended in a costly
British victory in which roughly 100 British soldiers lost their lives, and 413 wounded compared to the 70 and 185 who lost their lives and were wounded respectively. The original British objective was to attack Greene's encampment as to prevent reinforcements, which would inevitably lead to, a loss of British control in the region. However, when the British arrived at the Court house, where the Americans were stationed, Greene had already prepared three defense lines in which the 2nd Maryland Regiment was stationed in the third line, furthest from the initial British Attack. The British ultimately managed to break thorough the lines, and forced an American retreat, but while the battle only lasted ninety minutes, the British lost over a quarter of their men. == Legacy==