The Old Line State

by Mary Jo

Most states have nicknames that reflect their nature and sometimes show up on license plates. California is the Golden State, New Hampshire is the Granite State, Kansas is the Sunflower State, and so on. (I think Arizona's motto must be, "But it's a DRY heat!" <G>)

One of Maryland's nicknames is the Old Line State. Not being a native, I had only a vague knowledge of the origin of that: something about a Revolutionary War battle in which a Maryland regiment bravely held the line against the British. I didn't know any more until I read an article in the Baltimore Sun.

The battle that inspired the nickname was the Battle of Brooklyn on August 27th--August 30th, 1776. The revolution was new. The British had been pushed back in New England after the Siege of Boston, the traitorous colonials had had the audacity to issue a Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776, and Britain was going to end this nonsense RIGHT NOW, a mere six weeks after independence was declared.

 

Wanting to crush the rebels, the Empire sent 32,000 troops, both seasoned British army regulars and tough Hessian mercenaries. The idea was to crush the inexperienced Continental Army under General George Washington, which was in New York guarding the strategically important harbor. Destroy the army, cut the rebellious colonies in half, and be home in time for Christmas.

But that didn't happen. I've read that the Battle of Brooklyn (also known as the Battle of Long Island) was the largest of the war in terms of troop numbers, and also the bloodiest. Hammered by the British, the untested Continental Army largely fell apart and withdrew.

Fighting on swampy ground, the 1st Maryland regiment was holding down the right end of the line. Over half the men were able to retreat with the rest of the rebel army, but a group called the Maryland 400 stood their ground. (The number was probably nearer 270.)

It's not clear if they were trapped and had to keep fighting, or that they were really brave and really stubborn. Whatever their motivations, they charged the enemy again and again, blocking the advance of the British troops and allowing the battered Continental Army to ferry all 9000 surviving troops to lower Manhattan with no further casualties. 

Watching from a hilltop, it's said that Washington wept and said, "My God, what brave men I must this day lose!"

As for the Marylanders--numbers vary, but I've read that 256 of the 270 Maryland soldiers were killed and buried in an unmarked grave. Excavations are currently going on at a Brooklyn site that might be where their bones were laid to rest.

Though the Continental Army was defeated, Washington's successful retreat saved his army, and the revolution. (Commemorated by the 175th anniversary stamp issued in 1951, left.)

And Maryland earned the proud title "The Old Line State."

There's a memorial monument to the brave soldiers in Prospect Park in Brooklyn.  Other states, other countries, also have their heritage stories that may not be well known outside the area. What stories has your part of the world earned?

Mary Jo

Comments

[Mary M.]

Lol, Mary Jo, you're right about Arizona, it is a dry heat (except for this month, August, but even our humidity is pretty dry). However, our nickname is Grand Canyon State. It's on our license plates. Interestingly, the full name is "Grand Canyon of the Colorado," referring to the Colorado River, which tends to throw people off in Trivial Pursuit. Me, in fact, just before I moved here over 30 years ago. Took a long time to live that one down.

[Sue McCormick]

Well, we're called the "Show-Me State" because Representative said in a Congressional debate "I'm from Missouri and you'll have to show me!" I think many people know that. What they may not know is his name: Vandiver. I learned his name after we moved here. Vandiver is a street name in Columbia, MO. After we moved here, I learned that the street was named in his honor. And, by the way, at least in Columbia, the accent is on the first syllable — there is no "diver" in Vandiver.

This ia not a heroic story. We do have our heroes, but nothing so valiant as those Maryland men!

[Anne]

Re: the Push back in New England, Did you know there never was a battle at Bunker Hill?
The actual battle was fought at Breeds Hill. I am not sure why the battle was missnamed - perhaps Bunker hill sounds better than Breeds hill.
I currently live in New Jersey, known as the garden state. Garden as in truck garden, vegetable supplier to NYC, at one time. Now it is mostly entirely to urbanized.

[Annette Naish]

I live in the Lone Star State....most people know about the Alamo, and all the Texas lore.

I was born in Indiana - Hoosier state (supposedly because people would say "Who's there? when they approached a cabin.

At one point in the country's history, Indiana was the Northwestern frontier. George Rogers Clark was a military hero in the area. He was the elder brother of William Clark...of Lewis and Clark fame.

There was a period of time when that area was the scene of many violent battles with Indians. Clark captured several chiefs who had been supporting the French against the British.

Depending on the time - we were either with or against the British.

[Nancy Miller]

Mary Jo, the DAR recently gave their Excellence in American History award to a book about the Battle of Brooklyn, "Washington's Immortals" by Patrick O'Donnell. http://www.dar.org/national-society/nsdar-excellence-american-history-book-award

[Karin]

I live in New Jersey, and my home town, Ringwood, is definitely not in the urbanized part of the state. Because of the rugged and rocky terrain, it's still mostly wooded. It is home to Ringwood Manor State Park and the state botanical garden, and has a rich history. The iron ore mines there produced shot, cannon, and other materials for the Americans during the Revolutionary War. The Scottish iron master, Robert Erskine, became the Surveyor-General of the Continental Army, and so George Washington visited here a number of times. There were no actual battles in Ringwood, but there was an attempted mutiny nearby which Washington and General Howe successfully put down. Two of the mutineers were executed by firing squad. Not a heroic story, but such is war...
Anyway, Erskine did heroic work, traveling around the colonies, creating all the maps which helped the Americans win the war. Erskine also came up with the solution to defending the Hudson River against British invasion. He designed a unique tetrahedron-shaped obstruction, known as a Marine Chevaux de Frise, which he proposed to be placed in the Hudson River to stop the British sailing vessels by ripping holes into the hulls of the ships. But he did not live to see the end of the war, he caught pneumonia on an expedition to the Hudson Highlands and died of pneumonia in 1780.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Mary M, I've seen "Grand Canyon State" on the license plates, but I did NOT know it was Grand Canyon of the Colorado! That would be a lot to put on a license plate. *G*

[Mary Jo Putney]

Sue McCormick, I knew that Missouri was called the "Show Me State," but not the origin of the phrase, much less who said it.

All states have heroes, but it's hard to match the heroism of those brave young men--most were in their early 20s or younger--who died for independence.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Anne, I actually did know that the battle was mostly on Breed's Hill, but I'm a history buff, so I'm not sure I get much credit for that! I also knew that "Garden State" was because the area was the vegetable garden of NYC. These days, the chemical plants at the top of the New Jersey Turnpike looks like some strange alien landscape. *G*

[Oana-Maria Uliu]

My region (in Moldavia, Romania) is famous for a battle between the Moldavians, led by Stephen the Great (whose statue can be seen in the town square) and the Turks.
If interested, read this - the Battle of Vaslui:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Vaslui

[Mary Jo Putney]

Annette, I've always wondered where "Hoosier" came from! A lot of the Texas lore is well known, as you say. I love the local history that makes every place special.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Nancy, I had not heard of this recent book and the DAR recognition! I'm so glad the story of those brave men might become better known.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Karin, I've never heard of Robert Erskine, but Scots have always been known for their engineering skills (even up to the original Star Trek.) He was one of the unknown heroes of history. Sad that he died as a result of his working for the country's independence.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Oana-Maria, what a fascinating battle! The numbers of casualties were staggering. Was Stephen the Great made a saint? When we cruised the Danube, a lot of churches were dedicated to St. Stephen, and he was named a defender of Christianity.

[Oana-Maria Uliu]

Yes, indeed, Mary Jo. He was made a saint for having defended the Christian faith and for having founded lots of churches and monasteries in his lifetime. I am not sure he should have been made a saint, but he clearly was a great ruler of Moldavia, smart, brave, resilient and charismatic.

[LindaB]

I live in Massachusetts, whose nickname is the Bay State, from Massachusetts Bay, which is the indentation where Boston is located. There were all kinds of battles in MA, the most famous being the Battles of Concord and Lexington, which started the Revolutionary War.

I'm from Connecticut, whose nickname is the Constitution State, since CT's Fundamental Orders lays claim to being the first written constitution in history. Not really many battles in CT, except for raids on the coastal towns, which was fortunate because CT provided provisions and supplies to the Continental Army.

[Mary T]

What an interesting and informative post! The responses are interesting also.

[Vicki L.]

I'm from Georgia and our nickname is The peach State. We used to grow the most peaches in the US but...not any more. But we still are called the Peach state.

As for a local historical even that is not well known...during the Civil War in June 1864 there were a series of small battles and skirmishes in the area I live in as the troops moved towards Kennesaw Mountain and the big battle there.

The very local little battle is called the Battle of Gilgal Church. It was June 15th - 17th, 1864 to be precise. I think our house/property is directly on part of that field of combat.

What I think of the most when I think of that battle is the high, high heat and humidity of June mixed with the rain and the constant slog of men in wool uniforms through the mud. As well as the poor animals slogging along too in the mud. The sheer grinding misery of war.

Plus of course, the sheer terror of the time for the civilians unfortunately in the path of the various pieces of both armies.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Oana-Maria--any man who fasts for 40 days after winning a great victory against overwhelming odds is at least -leaning- toward sainthood!

[Mary Jo Putney]

LindaB, I knew that Massachusetts was the Bay State. Is Connecticut also the Nutmeg State? I might have imagined that--most states have several nicknames.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Indeed the comments are!

[Mary Jo Putney]

VickiL, Georgia may no longer grow the most peaches, but if does seem as if every other street in Atlanta has Peachtree somewhere in the name. *G*

You're right, I knew about the Kennesaw Mountain battle, but I never heard of the Battle of Gilgal Church. Okay, I just went to Wikipedia and it doesn't have a separate listing but includes it in a discussion of multiple battles under the umbrella name of Battle of Marietta. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Marietta
Living on the battlefield would bring it very close. And the wool uniforms in June heat would be AWFUL!

[LindaB]

Yes, CT is also the Nutmeg state, supposedly because merchants cheated customers by giving them wooden nutmegs instead of real ones. But that's a fallacy. If someone had only seen the ground spice, the whole nutmeg was unfamiliar. Nutmegs are hard, too, so the customers thought they were wood and the merchants were cheating them.

[Mary Jo Putney]

That's a very interesting tidbit, Linda! Yes, whole nutmegs do look like wood, but so marvelous when grated. Preferably on eggnog. *G*

[StephanieL]

Well, I'm in Oklahoma which is the Sooner state. "Sooners" were the fellows who jumped the starting line (or more literally snuck in and hid until it started and then staked claims immediately) of the 1889 Land Run. SO technically our nickname is derived from a bunch of cheaters...LOL Why the University of Oklahoma chose that as their mascot, I'll never know.

[Karin]

He's well remembered in Ringwood, a lake, streets and an elementary school are all named after him!

[Mary Jo Putney]

Karin--and that's some of the beauty of local history! Courage and skill are remembered.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Stephanie--say rather that the nickname comes from bold pioneers who were willing to take risks. *G* I read about the land rush in a YA story many, many years ago, and it's stuck in my mind as being so usual.

[Jeanie]

Just read article on Fold3, the military side of ancestry.com, about this battle. Lots of very interesting comments about relatives who were there.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Very interesting, Jeanie--I had no idea that ancestry.com even had a military side. I doubt I have any ancestors there since mine were New Englanders, but as someone who has lived in Maryland for many years, I'm in awe of those young men who fought and died so bravely, and changed the course of the revolution.