State Lines of the Continental Army
The Maryland Line was a formation within the Continental Army. The term "Maryland Line" referred to the quota of numbered infantry regiments assigned to Maryland at various times by the Continental Congress. These, together with similar contingents from the other twelve states, formed the Continental Line. The concept was particularly important in relation to the promotion of commissioned officers. Officers of the Continental Army below the rank of brigadier general were ordinarily ineligible for promotion except in the line of their own state.
Not all Continental infantry regiments raised in a state were part of a state quota, however. On December 27, 1776, the Continental Congress gave Washington temporary control over certain military decisions that the Congress ordinarily regarded as its own prerogative. These “dictatorial powers” included the authority to raise sixteen additional Continental infantry regiments at large.
Forman’s, Gist’s, Grayson’s, and Hartley’s Regiments were partially drawn from Maryland.[1]
Still other Continental infantry regiments and smaller units, also unrelated to a state quota, were raised as needed for special or temporary service.
The Maryland Line has a reputation of being among the best of the Continental Army. Because of the long service of the high quality regiments, George Washington, according to tradition, referred to the Maryland units as his "Old Line," giving Maryland one of its nicknames as "The Old Line State."[2]
The Maryland Line was assigned a quota of 8 regiments in 1777, which was reduced to 5 in 1781. The regiments of the line were:
- 1st Maryland Regiment, disbanded in 1783
- 2nd Maryland Regiment, disbanded in 1783
- 3rd Maryland Regiment, disbanded in 1783
- 4th Maryland Regiment, disbanded in 1783
- 5th Maryland Regiment, disbanded in 1783
- 6th Maryland Regiment, disbanded in 1781
- 7th Maryland Regiment, disbanded in 1781
- German Battalion (counted as half a regiment against the quota), disbanded in 1781
- Maryland and Virginia Rifle Regiment (counted as half a regiment against the quota), disbanded in 1781
- 2ND Independent Maryland Company - Somerset County absorbed into the 2nd Maryland Regiment in 1781
Notes
- ^ Wright, Continental Army, 322-323.
- ^ State Nicknames
References
- Polk, Ryan. "Holding the Line: The Origin of the 'the Old Line State'. Maryland State Archives, 2005.
- Wright, Robert K. The Continental Army. Washington, D.C.: Center of Military History, 1983. Available, in part, online.
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