“An epic story of heroism and devotion that begins with the formation of the unit in Baltimore during the winter of 1774” ―Breitbart “ Washington’s Immortals tells the extraordinary story of the most important band of brothers, forgotten men who changed the course of American history.
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In Washington’s Immortals, noted military historian Patrick O’Donnell has written a gripping account of the men and units that made up the Maryland Line during our War for Independence who first earned that glorious nickname, and which the soldiers of the Maryland Army National Guard’s 175th Infantry continued to do so at places with names like Gettysburg, Normandy, and …
Start by marking “Washington's Immortals: The Untold Story of an Elite Regiment Who Changed the Course of the Revolution” as Want to Read: ... O'Donnell's "Washington's Immortals" bills itself as a "Band of Brothers" for the Revolutionary War in that it follows a single unit (focusing on a handful of individuals) throughout that unit's ...
Mar 01, 2016 · In Washington’s Immortals, award-winning military historian Patrick K. O’Donnell brings to life the forgotten story of these remarkable men. Comprised of rich merchants, tradesmen, and free blacks,...
The author of twelve books, including: Washington’s Immortals: The Untold Story of an Elite Regiment Who Changed the Course of the Revolution, The Unknowns, First SEALs, Give Me Tomorrow, The Brenner Assignment, We Were One, Beyond Valor, and Dog Company, he has also served as a combat historia
Washington's Immortals: The Untold Story of an Elite Regiment Who Changed the Course of the Revolution. In August 1776, little over a month after the Continental Congress had formally declared independence from Britain, the revolution was on the verge of a sudden and disastrous end.
General George Washington found his troops outmanned and outmaneuvered at the Battle of Brooklyn, and it looked like there was no escape. But thanks to a series of desperate rear guard attacks by. In August 1776, little over a month after the Continental Congress had formally declared independence from Britain, ...
Because of the presence of Washington through the course of the war, most histories tend to concentrate on battles in which he was involved even when, later in the war, most of the action was taking place in the southern states and far away from Washington's direct control.
Grim statistics about battle are never dry because O'Donnell shows the human cost.
Or this during the 1780 march to the south: "The majority within the Maryland and Delaware regiments traversed a breathtaking 4,656 miles - often barefoot - between the spring of 1780 and the spring of 1782.
There are a number of maps throughout the narrative to assist the reader in following the various battles discussed in the book. There is also a lovely colour plate section with some excellent pictures the reader can browse through while reading the book.
During the winter of 1779–80, the Marylanders and the rest of the army returned to their former camps at Morristown, New Jersey. It was the worst winter the men endured. Even the saltwater inlets and harbors from North Carolina to Canada froze, and sleds, not boats, carried firewood across New York Harbor from Loyalists in New Jersey to British-occupied Manhattan. In the first week of January a heavy blizzard buried the Marylanders, who were living in tents or huts, under five feet of snow. Without proper clothing, shoes, and blankets, the men froze, many losing limbs or even their lives.
Answering the call of the Second Continental Congress to enlist regulars for a Continental Army, Maryland created a force unique in the thirteen colonies because it was neither militia nor Continental; instead, it was a state-funded (from taxes levied from Marylanders and later the seizure of Loyalist property) defense force created to protect Maryland from the British and from the internal threat of Americans loyal to the Crown.
The following excerpt describes the formation of Smallwood's Battalion in 1775 in response to the Second Continental Congress' call for the establishment of a Continental Army. "After establishing that [George] Washington would lead the colonial army, the pennilessContinental Congress set about raising thatarmy.
Informally, the Marylanders referred to these companies collectively as Smallwood's Battalion, as the colony placed the bulk of the existing independent companies...under the leadership of Colonel William Smallwood. Born in Charles County, Maryland, and educated at Eton College in England, Smallwood came from a family of politicians. After serving in the French and Indian War, he was elected as a representative in the Maryland provincial assembly, the local government for the colony. At the time of his appointment, he was a portly forty-three-year-old planter who was highly respected in Maryland but who also possessed a pettiness that didn't endear him to many of his men.
But thanks to a series of desperate bayonet charges by a single heroic regiment from Maryland, known as the “Immortal 400,” Washington was able to retreat and regroup. He evacuated his men to Manhattan, and the Continental Army lived to fight another day.
A second-generation Baltimore native, Gist was the son of a prominent surveyor who had helped lay out the city's streets. His uncle, Christopher Gist, had served with George Washington in the French and Indian War, and on two separate occasions he had saved the future general's life.
The cadets promised to march within forty-eight hours to the aid of any sister colonies that needed their help, to obey their elected commander, to purchase their own uniforms and equipment, and to submit to a court-martial for any default "contrary to the true Intent and Meaning of this Engagement.".
In August 1776, little over a month after the Continental Congress had formally declared independence from Great Britain, General George Washington’s young army faced off against over 20,000 British and Hessian soldiers at the Battle of Brooklyn. This was the largest battle of the Revolution, and with the Americans outmanned and outmaneuvered, it was almost the end of the war, as well. But thanks to a series of desperate bayonet charges by a single heroic regiment from Maryland, known as the “Immortal 400,” Washington was able to retreat and regroup. He evacuated his men to Manhattan, and the Continental Army lived to fight another day.#N#In Washington’s Immortals, bestselling military historian Patrick K. O’Donnell brings to life the forgotten story of these remarkable men. Known as “gentlemen of honour, family, and fortune,” they fought not only in Brooklyn, but also in key battles throughout the war including Trenton, Stony Point, Camden, Cowpens, Guilford Courthouse, and Yorktown, where their valor and resilience changed the course of history.#N#Drawing on extensive unpublished original sources, including letters, diaries, and pension applications, O’Donnell weaves together the stories of these dauntless men—their friendships, loves, defeats, and triumphs. He chronicles their development into an elite unit amid struggles with dogged British opponents and hostile Loyalists. And through the prism of this regiment, which included rich merchants, tradesmen, and free blacks, he tells the larger story of the Revolutionary War. Washington’s Immortals is gripping boots-on-the-ground history that will transport readers to the bloodiest battles and darkest days of the Revolutionary War in the company of men whose extraordinary sacrifices, endurance of unimaginable hardship, and valiant fighting helped make the difference between defeat and victory.
The charter called for sixty men — "a company composed of gentlemen of honour, family, and fortune, and tho' of different countries animated by a zeal and reverence for rights of humanity" — to voluntarily join and tie themselves together "by all the Sacred ties of Honour and the Love and Justice due to ourselves and Country."
Built on personal relationships with deep family ties that spanned decades, the Baltimore Independent Company was a tight-knit group of close friends who forged one of the most legendary units of the American Revolution.
At the time, Baltimore, one of the primary trading centers in the colonies, was a boomtown with a seedy, rough-and-tumble quality about it. One member of the Continental Congress described it as "infinitely, the dirtiest place I was ever in.".