This work chronicles the story of 400 young men who willingly and knowingly sacrificed themselves to save the Continental Army at the Battle of Long Island on August 27, 1776. Holding back 20,000 British and Hessian soldiers, they allowed their comrades to retreat and may have saved the Revolution from immediate defeat. This exhaustively researched account introduces the reader to the background of the battle and the stories of the individuals who fought that day, and includes biographies with extensive quoted material in addition to a general historic overview.

Linda Davis Reno, a retired federal executive was awarded the Martha Washington Medal by the Maryland Society of the Sons of the American Revolution in 2007. She lives in Charlotte Hall, Maryland.

Linda Davis Reno

Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 208
Bibliographic Info: 15 photos & maps, notes, index
Copyright Date: 2014 [2008]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-7735-7
eISBN: 978-1-4766-2226-2
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      vi
Preface      1
Introduction      3

Storm Clouds Brew      7
The Marylanders March      12
Lapse of Leadership      18
The Battle      20
Aftermath of the Battle      30
Colonel William Smallwood      36
Lord Stirling      42
The Men of The Maryland 400      44
Mordecai Gist      48
First Company      51
Second Company      75
Third Company      95
Sixth Company      115
Ninth Company      130
Unsung Heroes      157
The Marylanders Fight On      167

Epilogue      170
Chapter Notes      173
Bibliography      187
Index      193

• “an intensively researched tribute”—National Board of Review
• “exhaustively researched…wonderful…a tremendous service to the State of Maryland and the American Revolution”—Christos Christou, Jr., former president and current secretary of the Maryland Society, Sons of the American Revolution