St. Maries Citty Militiamanhome.md.metrocast.net/~paulwilloughby/Militiaman-Jun 2016.pdf · St. Maries Citty, Ancient and Chief Seat of Government of the Lord Baltimore’s proprietarie

1

St. Maries Citty Militiaman Ancient and Honourable Order of the Followers of Calvert’s Black and Gold in the New World

St. Maries Citty, Ancient and Chief Seat of Government of the Lord Baltimore’s proprietarie

Colony of Mary-Land, 1634-1694

Number 352, June 2016

Editor: Ernest J. Willoughby

MILITIA MEMBERS HELP CELEBRATE MAY DAY AT HISTORIC ST.

MARY’S CITY

On Saturday, May 7, Scott, Julie, Alan, and Max Bradbury, and Ernie and Paula Willoughby

came in 17th

century dress to participate in the festivities for May Day at Historic St. Mary’s

City. The weather was pleasant, and visitors had various 17th

century activities and games to

participate in.

A BRIEF MILITARY HISTORY OF THE COLONY OF MARYLAND 1634-

1707

By Lee Offen

(continued from the April and May issues.)

By 1664 the assembly voted to tax inhabitants of the colony to allow for purchase of arms and

ammunition for defense of the colony, with those arms to be stored at county magazines. Charles

Calvert the governor provided 250 muskets as well as swords and belts for the county arsenals

that same year. Weapons could be pressed, or confiscated from owners, into county or colony

service if required in an emergency. The system of the colony providing arms and ammunition to

the colonial militia remained in place well into the 18th century. The Susquehannock war with

the Seneca spilled over into Maryland with several colonists killed and war declared on the

Seneca in June 1664.

By 1674 Maryland’s position with respect to the Susquehannocks had changed and peace was

made with the Seneca, recognizing their victory over the Susquehannock, causing a break down

in relations with the Susquehannocks. In 1675 an expedition consisting of a regiment of horse,

with five troops of fifty men each was raised to attack the Susquehannock Fort. The expedition

was commanded by MAJ Thomas Truman. The expedition was conducted in coordination with a

force from Virginia commanded by COL John Washington. Once at the fort on 26 Sep 1675, five

Susquehannock leaders left the fort to meet with the Marylanders and Virginians. When a

detachment of rangers under CPT John Allen arrived at the fort with the bodies of dead settlers,

the Susquehannock leaders were executed. The Maryland and Virginia forces then besieged the

fort for six weeks until the Susquehannock completely evacuated of the fort at night killing

2

several sentries as they left. MAJ Truman was brought up on charges of murder but the lower

house of the colonial assembly refused to permit his execution and after a brief time in jail he

was released. Thomas Notley was made Governor in 1676.

In Sept 1676 a rebellion occurred in Calvert County, with sixty men refusing orders to disarm

and disband until confronted by MAJ Henry Jowles and a company of militia. The reason for the

rebellion is unknown but can be suggested by ongoing complaints against the proprietary

government about excessive taxation, advancement of Catholicism, Catholic favoritism, and a

groundless accusation that Lord Baltimore was conspiring with French and Indians to kill

Protestants. That same year, an expedition was raised to attack the Nanticokes to be commanded

by COL William Coleborne, but there is no record of the outcome of this expedition. Charles

Calvert became governor in 1679.

In 1681, the same concerns and groundless rumors that caused a revolt in 1676 with the added

twist of an Irish army being invited to Maryland to wipe out the Protestants led to the arrest of

two prominent member of the colony spreading the rumors, former Governor Josias Fendall and

CPT John Coode. Their arrest did nothing to stop the rumors and CPT George Godfrey

organized a militia company in Charles County to march to St Mary’s to free them. Godfrey’s

attempt failed and he was charged with banishment. Fendall was banished as well and Coode

was freed with a warning. In 1684 a council of deputy governors ruled Maryland on behalf of the

minor child Benedict Calvert until 1689.

In November of 1688 William of Orange landed in England beginning a period of revolution,

instability, uncertainty and war in Britain and the colonies. The colonies were waiting for a

decree from the new monarchs, William and Mary in the spring of 1689 and this decree was lost

on its way to Maryland. By April 1689 an “Association in arms for the defense of the Protestant

Religion and for asserting the rights of King William and Queen Mary to the province of

Maryland “ was formed. In July a seven hundred man army under CPT John Coode, COL Henry

Jowles and MAJ John Campbell claiming it was necessary to overthrow the proprietary

government because “the Papists had invited the Northern Indians to come down and cut off the

Protestants” in August, a complete fabrication. Colonel William Digges attempted to defend the

State House at St Mary’s City with one hundred men and surrendered after a short fire fight.

COLHenry Darnel and MAJ Nicholas Sewall tried to put together a relief force but were only

able to assemble a force of about one hundred and fifty men and were unable to challenge

Coode’s force. Darnell and Sewell withdrew to Mattapany and surrendered on 1 August 1689.

Coode and the “Associators” ruled Maryland until 1692.

In 1690 a company under CPT Gabriel Towson led a company raised to strengthen Albany, NY

during King William’s War from 1690 to 1697. In 1692 Sir Lionel Copley arrived as the first

Royal Governor of Maryland. His first assembly established the Church of England as the church

of the colony. Copley died in 1692 and Sir Thomas Lawrence and Sir Edmund Andros briefly

followed as Governors.

3

In 1693 three forts were constructed to defend the western frontier of the colony from Native

Americans, one in Charles County, one in Anne Arundel County and another near the falls of the

Patapsco River. CPT John Addison and COL Nicholas Greenberry constructed the forts with

pressed labor and each of the forts were garrisoned by nine militiamen and four Native

Americans.

In July 1694 Francis Nicholson became Governor of Maryland and moved the capital from St

Mary’s City to Ann-Arundel Town, now Annapolis, in 1695. He was succeeded by Nathaniel

Blackiston until 1704. John Seymour became Governor in 1704 until 1709.

In 1705 Richard Clarke was accused of leading an attempted uprising of indentured servants,

Indians and slaves which was put down with the ringleaders disappearing after seizing a ship.

Identified Military Units and Commanders

St. Mary’s County (established 1634)

1634-47 LTG Leonard Calvert, Maryland Militia Commander

1642 St Mary’s and Kent Counties, CPT William Brainthwaite’s Militia Company

1643 CPT Thomas Cornwallis’ expedition

1645 CPT William Stone’s Militia Company

1646 CPT Nathaniel Pope’s Expedition against Kent Island

1646-1652 CPT John Price, commander of Ft Inigoe

1647 Captain General Thomas Green, Commander Maryland Militia

1647 COL John Price’s expedition against the Nanticoke and Wickomick

1647-50 COL John Price, Militia Commander

1650 COL Thomas Dent, Militia Commander

1652-75 CPT Thomas Cornwallis’ Militia Company

1654-57 CPT Josais Fendall’s Militia Company

1654-55 CPT Richard Hodskeys’ Militia Company

1654-55 CPT John Sly’s Militia Company

1655 COL William Stone, Proprietary Force Commander

1655 CPT William Evans’ Militia Company

1655 CPT Nicholas Gwither’s Militia Company

1658 Major General Edward Gibbon, Maryland Militia Commander

1658-59 COL William Evans, Militia Commander

1658-65 CPT George Reed’s Militia Company

1660-61 LTG Phillip Calvert, Commander of the Maryland Militia

1661 CPT Odber’s Company at Susquehannock Fort (St Mary’s, Kent, Charles, Calvert,

Ann Arundel)

1661-75 LTG Charles Calvert, Commander of the Maryland Militia

1661 CPT John Collier’s Militia Company

1664 CPT Luke Gardiner’s Militia Company

1674 COL John Jarboe, Militia Commander

1675 CPT Gerrard Sly’s Ranger’s

1676-79 CPT Henry Jowles’ Militia Company

4

1675 MAJ Thomas Truman’s Expedition against the Susquehannocks (St Mary’s and

Calvert)

1676 CPT John Pierce, Captain of the Guard at Matapenny Sewall, Governor’s residence

and arsenal, 1666-1684

1676-1679 CPT John Coode’s Militia Company

1677-78 COL John Douglas, Militia Commander (St. Mary’s and Charles)

1678-81 COL William Calvert, Militia Foot Commander

1678-82 CPT Justinian Gerard’s Militia Company

1679-88 St. Mary’s Guard

1680 CPT William Diggs’ Militia Company

1689-90 COL John Coode, Commander of Maryland

1689 CPT Edward Greenhald’s Company of Militia Horse

1689 CPT John Payne’s Company of Militia Foot

1694 CPT Edward Greenhald’s Company of Militia Foot

1694-1705 COL Sir Thomas Lawrence’s Militia Regiment of Foot (St., Mary’s and Ann

Arundel)

1695 COL Henry Jowles, Militia Commander

Kent County (established 1642)

1642-44 CPT Giles Brent, Kent Island Military Commander

1645-1660 CPT Robert Vaughn, Kent Island Military Commander

1648 CPT Peter Knight’s Company (in rebellion against Proprietary)

1652-58 COL Phillip Conner, Military Commander

1652-54 CPT William Fuller’s expedition to the Eastern Shore

1658-61 CPT Thomas Bradnox’s Militia Company on Kent Island

1662 CPT William Leed’s Militia Company

1668-69 CPT John Vicaris, Military Commander

1677 CPT Philemon Lloyd’s Militia Troop of Horse

1681 CPT William Lawrence’s Militia Company

1681 COL Philemon Lloyd, Commander of Militia Horse (Kent, Talbot and Cecil)

1687-1694 COL Henry Coursey, Militia Commander

1689 CPT Edward, Sweatnams’ Militia Company

1689 CPT Cornelius Comegys’ Militia Company

1689 CPT John Hynson’s Militia Company

1689 CPT William Pierce’s Militia Company of Foot

1690 CPT John Derricuts’ Militia Company

1692 CPT John Hawkins’ Militia Company

1694-1701 COL Codd St. Leger, Militia Commander

1694-96 CPT John Coppedges’ Militia Company of Foot

1695 COL John Hynson, Militia Commander

Anne Arundel County (established 1650)

1650-52 COL Edward Lloyd, Militia Commander

1655 COL Edward Lloyd, Commander Puritan Forces

1655-1661 CPT John Norwood’s Militia Company

1654-58 CPT Richard Ewen’s Militia Company

1655 CPT William Fuller’s Militia Company (Battle of the Severn 170 men)

1657-58 CPT Thomas Howell’s Militia Company

5

1661-64 CPT William Burges’ South River Rangers

1661 CPT John Norwood’s Militia Company

1665-81 COL William Burgess, Militia Commander

1669 CPT Paul Marsh’s Militia Company of Foot

1678 CPT Nicholas Greenberry’s Militia Company of Foot

1678-81 CPT Nicholas Gassaway’s Militia Company

1687-88 MAJ Edward Dorsey, Militia Commander

1689 CPT Henry Ridgely’s Militia Company of Foot

1691-94 CPT John Hammond’s Militia Troop of Horse

1692-94 COL Nicholas Greenberry, Commander of Militia Horse

1692 CPT James Maxwell’s Rangers

1693 Captain General Nicholas Greenbury, Commander Maryland Militia

1694 COL Nicholas Greenberry’s Rangers (Ann Arundel and Baltimore)

1695-99 COL Henry Ridgely, Militia Commander

1694 CPT James Maxwell’s Militia Company

1694 CPT Robert Lockwood’s Militia Troop of Horse

1701-03 CPT Lawrence Draper’s Militia Company

1707 Major General John Hammond, Militia Commander

Patuxent, later Calvert County (established 1654)

1655 CPT John Smith, Militia Commander

1655 CPT John Smith’s Militia Company

1655 CPT Peter Johnson’s Militia Company

1656 CPT Woodman Stockley

1656 CPT Phillip Morgan’s Militia Company

1658 CPT John Odbur’s Militia Company

1664-70 CPT Sampson Waring’s Militia Company

1665-76 CPT John Cobreath’s Militia Company

1668-81 CPT Ninian Beal and the Calvert County Rangers

1689 CPT Richard Ladd’s Militia Company

1689 CPT Henry Mitchell’s Militia Company of Foot

1689 CPT Richard Smith’s Militia Company of Foot

1689 CPT Thomas Tasker’s Militia Company of Foot

1689-98 CPT /MAJ/COL Ninian Beal’ Rangers

1689-94 CPT John Bigger’s Rangers

1692 CPT Richard Brightwell’s Rangers

1694 CPT John Bigger’s Militia Company

1694-98 COL Ninian Beal, Militia Commander

1694 COL Henry Jowles, Militia Commander

Charles County (established 1658)

1658-75 CPT Thomas Cornwallis’ Militia Company

1658 CPT Gerard Fowke’s Militia Company

1658-60 CPT John Jenkin’s Militia Company

1658 CPT Nicholas Gwither’s Militia Company

1659-61 CPT James Langworth’s Militia Company

1666 CPT William Boreman’s Militia Company

1675-76 CPT John Douglas’ Rangers

6

1676-80 CPT John Wheeler’s Militia Company

1681-83 COL William Chandler, Commander of Militia Foot

1681 COL Henry Darnall Commander of Militia Horse

1682-89 CPT Humphrey Warren’s Militia Company

1689-94 CPT John Coats’ Militia Company of Horse

1689-94 CPT John Addison’s Militia Company of Horse

1694-95 CPT William Dent’s Militia Company

1694-95 COL Humphrey Warren, Commander of Militia Foot Troops

1695-97 COL John Coats, Militia Commander

1706 CPT Philip Lynes’ Rangers

Baltimore County (established 1659)

1664 COL Lewis Stockett, Militia Commander

1678 CPT Thomas Long’s Militia Company of Foot

1678 COL George Wells, Commander of Militia Foot

1686-88 COL George Wells, Militia Commander

1689 CPT Thomas Richardson’s Militia Troop of Horse

1689 CPT Henry Johnson’s Militia Company

1692 CPT Thomas Richardson’s Rangers

1694-98 CPT John Oldton’s Rangers

1694-96 CPT Thomas Hammond’s Militia Troop of Horse

1695-1714 CPT John Dorsey’s Militia Company

1695- 1701 COL Thomas Richardson’s Rangers

1697-99 CPT Richard Owing’s Rangers

1689-90 CPT John Thomas’ Militia Company

1695-01 COL John Thomas, Militia Commander

1701-05 COL Edward Dorsey, Militia Commander

1704 CPT Lawrence Draper’s Militia Company

Talbot County (established 1661)

1677 CPT Davis Hopkin’s Militia Company of Foot

1689 CPT James Murphy’s Militia Company of Foot

1689-96 CPT John Stanley’s Militia Company of Foot

1698-1707 Major General Edward Lloyd Militia Commander

1699 CPT Nicholas Lowe’s Militia Company

Somerset County (established 1666)

1669-73 CPT William Coleborne’s Militia Company of Horse

1672 CPT Thomas Jones’ Militia Company

1678-89 COL William Coleborne, Militia Commander

1681-86 COL William Stephens, Commander of Militia Horse

1683 -94 CPT William Coleborne’s Militia Company

1687 COL William Stephens, Militia Commander

1689 CPT Charles Ratcliffe’s Militia Company

1689 CPT Robert King’s Militia Company

1689-94 CPT William Whittington’s Militia Company of Foot

1694-1703 CPT Arnold Elzeys’ Militia Company of Foot

7

1694 CPT Benjamin Sauser’s Militia Company of Foot

1694 CPT Charles Ratcliffe’s Militia Troop of Horse

1697-1709 CPT Thomas Dixon’s Militia Company

Dorchester County (established 1668)

1676-1685 CPT Henry Tripp’s Militia Company of Foot

1678-80 CPT Thomas Taylor’s Militia Company of Foot

1681-85 CPT Thomas Taylor’s Rangers

1687-1703 MAJ Thomas Taylor, Militia Commander

1689-93 CPT Thomas Ennal’s Militia Company of Foot

1689 CPT John MacKeele’s Militia Company of Foot

Cecil County (established 1672)

1683 CPT James Frisby’s Militia Company

1684-86 CPT Philimon Murray, Commander of the garrison of Christina Fort

1703 COL William Harris, Militia Commander

Prince George’s County (established 1694)

1689 and 1698 MAJ Ninian Beal and 10 -12 rangers

1694 COL John Addison’s Rangers

1694- 97 COL John Addison, Militia Commander

1699-1700 COL Ninian Beal, Militia Commander

Sources

Bozman, John “The History of Maryland,” Vol. II, Lucas & Deaver, Baltimore, 1837

Carr, Lois Green and Jordan, David William, “Maryland's Revolution of Government, 1689-

1692.” Ithaca, NY, Cornell University Press, 1974

Carr, Lois Green, “Margaret Brent, A Brief History,”

http://www.mdgovpap.net/msa/speccol/sc3500/sc3520/002100/002177/html/mbrent2.html

Eshleman, Frank, “Lancaster County Indians,” Lancaster, PA , 1908

Graham, Michael, “Popish Plots: Protestant Fears in Early Colonial Maryland, 1676-1689,” The

Catholic Historical Review, Vol. 79, No. 2, April 1993, pp. 197-216

Mereness, Newton, “Maryland As A Proprietary Province,” MacMillan Company, London, 1901

Pede, Henry, “Colonial Maryland Soldiers and Sailors, 1634-1734,” Heritage Books,

Westminster, MD, 2008

Pincus, Steve, ”1688, The First Modern Revolution,” Yale University Press, New Haven, CT,

2009

Riordan, Timothy, “The Plundering Time, Maryland and the English Civil War,” Maryland

Historical Society, Baltimore, 2004

Schaun, George and Virginia, “Everyday Life in Colonial Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania &

Virginia” 1996

8

NOTES FROM THE EDITOR

Recent circumstances have led longtime pikeman and occasional musketeer Wes Willoughby to

leave the militia after 24 years of service. Since he was instrumental in recruiting his parents,

Ernie and Paula, into the militia, they feel that this is an appropriate time for them to retire from

the leadership positions they have held for the past nine years. Ernie will no longer act as liaison

with St. Mary’s City, organizer of events, and editor of the newsletter. They will continue their

membership in the militia and participate in some events. They value their association with all

of you and consider you their second family, as did Wes.

Lieutenant Paul Willoughby will continue to be active to assist in the transition to new

leadership, but he cannot assume all the responsibilities listed above. Paul will need some of you

to step forward and assume these positions. Please contact him if you are willing to help. Paul’s

e-mail address is [email protected], telephone 301-904-8687.

Ernie stands ready to help ease new leaders into these tasks, [email protected], telephone

410-394-2617, or 240-434-2351

News about members

Harriet Stout, long-time distaff member of the St. Maries Citty Militia, has retired from her

position as Curator of the Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum on May 28, 2016. She served

that museum as Curator since 1989, after working as living history interpreter at Historic St.

Mary’s City.

Harriet has been a member of the St. Maries Citty Militia since the early 1980s, with her spouse,

our master gunner, Rob Alley. She retires with Rob to their 200-year-old farmhouse in Windsor,

North Carolina. We hope Harriet and Rob will continue their association with the Militia.

Wesley Willoughby received the Syracuse University Distinguished Dissertation Award in

Anthropology at the Graduate Honors Convocation in the Maxwell School of Citizenship, and at

the university-wide Doctoral Hooding Ceremony, both on May 13, 2016. The title of his award-

winning doctoral dissertation is The Country’s House: Examining Public Space and Community

in St. Mary’s City’s Seventeenth-Century Town Center.

9

THE MILITIA AT MARYLAND VETERANS MEMORIAL MUSEUM, April 23

Left to right: Lt. Paul Willoughby commanding, Mark Zalonis, Ernie Willoughby, T. J. Maday,

Hugh Pry, Scott Bradbury, drilling with musket.

10

Left to right: Ruth Zalonis, Jessica (Cocoa) Maday, Ivey Maday, Paula Willoughby, baking

waffles on the campfire.