What’s the Maryland Line?

The Maryland Line was the name used by the Maryland Continental Troops in the American Revolution. The Maryland troops were often referred to as the “Old Line” by General Washington and he regarded them as some of his finest soldiers. They valiantly on many battlefields, especially at Long Island, Camden, The Cowpens and Guilford Courthouse. During the Civil War, many of the Maryland Confederates were the descendents of these heroic freedom fighters. One of these men was the Maryland Confederate officer Bradley T. Johnson who lobbied to unite all the Maryland Men under one banner. This was finally authorized on June 22nd, 1863 by Secretary of War James A. Sedden.

                                                     Confederate States of
America, War Department

                                                                        Adjutant and Inspector-General’s Office

                                                                                   
Richmond, Virginia, June 22, 1863

Colonel Bradley T. Johnson : 

    Sir :-  You are authorized to recruit from Marylanders and muster into service companies, battalions and regiments of Infantry, cavalry and artillery, to serve for the war, and to be attached to and form part of the Maryland Line.

       By Command of James A. Sedden, Secretary of War.

                                                                Samuel W. Melton, Major and A. A. G.

 

 

 

Unit’s that composed the Maryland Line were as follows:

•   2nd Maryland Infantry (Ist Maryland Battalion)
•   1st Maryland Cavalry Battalion
•   2nd Maryland Cavalry ( Gilmor preferred to act as a Partisan and resisted joing the Maryland Line
•  1st Maryland Artillery (Dement’s Battery)
•  2nd Maryland Artillery ( Baltimore Light Artillery)
•  3rd Maryland Artillery never joined and served along the Mississippi River
•  4th Maryland Artillery (Chesapeake Battery)

Maryland Confederate soldiers were noted for their “natty attire”, they generally wore Kepi’s  (even late in the war), were alway’s well drilled and fought hard. Bradley Johnson and his small band of men were   praised by Wade Hampton for his work in harrassing Kilpatrick and Dahlgren in their Richmond raid.  After his command was destroyed at Moorefield in 1864,  Early’s cavalry unit’s were consolidated and Johnson lost his command. He finished out the war in North Carolina as commandant of the prison in Salisbury, North Carolina.

  

The Lighter Side of the War

One of the things that has always interested me in the civil war is the Human interest stories. I discovered the story that follows, years ago while reading “Comrades Four” by Edward R. Rich.  Rich and his friends, who served with the 1st Maryland Cavalry CSA, were  resting quietly when friend Harry Quinn speaks up and says “Say boys, let’s go get some watermelons; there’s a fine lot about a mile down the road, and near the fence too”.  So Rich, Quinn and three others slip away into the night to try their luck at procuring some watermelons.  It was extremely dark and after a little bit of trouble they finally located the patch. Climbing over the old fence, they could see the Farmer’s house lights burning brightly about 60 yards away. Groping around in the Darkness, they tried to find the biggest and fatest watermelons. All off a sudden Harry fell forward into some old brush which cracked like a gun going off.  The farmer hearing the noise threw up his window and shouted “get out of there” and fired twice at the thieves. Luckily no one was hurt except for a couple of melons. The men dropped to the ground and remained quiet till the window closed. Jumping back up and resuming the search for the perfect watermelon, Rich’s buddies were satisfied at their selection and headed back to camp. Rich however wanted to find the largest watermelon in the patch. Finding the largest fattest melon, Rich threw it on his shoulders and rushed to catch up with his compatriots. Rich’s arm still weak from a wound made carrying this prize of war feel like it weighed 1000 pounds. Ater struggling to carry the large melon about a mile they finally reached camp and woke up the other boys to share in their booty. Walking over to the fire to divide and carve the watermelons in the light, Rich was mortified to discover that the “largest”  and “finest” watermelon in the World was actually a Pumpkin. Needless to say, everyone had a good laugh at Rich’s expense.

Richard Bennett Carmichael

Richard Bennett Carmichael was born 12-25-1807 in Centreville, Maryland to a distinguished family. Carmichael attend Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania for a couple of years before finishing up at Princeton in 1828. After studying law he was admitted to the bar in 1830. At the beginning of the Civil War, Carmichael a leading Democrat in the state and suspected of being a southern supporter, was a circuit court judge. Carmichael had gained the interest of the local Provost Marshal by defending area citizens who had been arrested without cause on the suspicion that they were Loyal to the Confederacy and investigating the military for interference in the 1861 election.   On May 28th, 1862 the Provost Marshal surrounded the Talbot County courthouse with about 125 soldiers and stormed into the court room. The Provost Marshal told Carmichael he was under arrest by authority of the United States. When Carmichael resisted, he was dragged from the Bench and pistol whipped into submission. Carmichael was then transported to Ft. McHenry. He was later transferred to Ft Layfayette and then finally to Ft Delaware. Held for over 6 months, Carmichael repeatedly asked that charges against him be made public.  He was finally released without any charges.