Stone hosts Revolutionary War lecture

A ship stuck with its tea, a soldier who double enlisted and a man who may have accidentally hanged himself while stealing a pig.

These stories and more were part of the “For King or for Country?: Tales of Maryland Before & During the American Revolution” presentation by St. Mary’s County Museums Division Manager Karen Stone on July 23 at the Leonardtown Library.

Like at so many other times in its history, Maryland was deeply divided in the early 1770s, as seen by local reaction to the Boston Tea Party, then in the behavior of its leaders and finally by the acts of its soldiers.

“I think the conversation [to do this talk] started with the problems in Maryland during the Civil War and people saying it was so divided,” Stone said. “But I said, ‘No, it was divided long before then in the Revolutionary War,’ and people said, ‘What?’ But it was.”

Stone, who put the lecture together at the request of a local Daughters of the American Revolution chapter, followed a 23-year period from 1765-1788.

“I just want people to remember there are two sides, and one side isn’t right,” Stone said. “Both sides are right in their own way so it’s important to listen to both sides.”

The talk is part of an effort to highlight the role of Maryland, and Southern Maryland in particular, in the country’s founding leading up to America’s semiquincentennial celebration culminating July 4, 2026, commemorating the nation’s founding 250 years ago.

Unique tales from the stateIn August 1774, the brigantine Mary and Jane approached the public landing on the St. Mary’s River expecting to offload its cargo of 11 chests of tea.

However, the locals refused to let the tea — which came from London and was destined for merchants in Bladensburg, Georgetown and Norfolk — be offloaded, much to the chagrin of Capt. George Chapman.

The locals said that “the importation of any commodity from Great Britain liable to the payment of a duty imposed by an Act of Parliament, is in a high degree dangerous to our liberties, as it implies full assent to the claim asserted, by the British Parliament, of a right to impose taxes for the purpose of raising revenue in America,” according to Stone.

Furthermore, “to discourage the pernicious practice” it was determined that the “detestable plant” should not be offloaded in America, but instead “should be sent back in the same ship,” which it was.

Private Hugh Wallace wanted to be a soldier quite badly.

As a member of the 6th Company at Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1776, he was one of only about 13 to escape death or captivity one late-summer day. When his enlistment ended in December, he reenlisted in the 1st Maryland Regiment, but just two days later, also enlisted in the 2nd Canadian Regiment.

Stone said he was caught, but only lightly punished for his crime of double enlisting.

“I tried to pull as many stories as I could out of the Maryland 400,” Stone said, referring to the soldiers who took part in the Battle of Brooklyn and Long Island that began Aug. 26, 1776.

That evening, the 400 had captured, killed or driven away many Americans. The British lay siege to the American position, but due to Gen. George Washington’s ingenuity and the steadfastness of the Maryland line, the general was able to escape, live to fight another day and ultimately win the war, which is when Maryland earned its nickname, The Old Line State.

The 7th Company was able to safely retreat from Brooklyn and one of those who survived was Private John Jasper. Jasper deserted in 1778, but he did not leave, and took a more active approach by joining the 1st Battalion of Maryland Loyalists.

He became somewhat infamous when after the war he stole a pig. He tied the animal’s front and back feet to a short pole and placed the animal behind him with the pole across his chest. But he lost his balance, fell backward and the weight of the pig essentially hung him.

Stone said the country was headed to war long before Independence Day.

“People didn’t wake up on July 4 and say, ‘We’re going to have a revolution,’” she said. “It was years in the making, and it was years in the completing. It didn’t all end at Yorktown. The fighting ended, but there was a lot of work to do before the revolution was over. People were scarred, the land was scarred.”