When you think of Maryland in the American Revolutionary War, what are the first connections that come to mind? Taking a stab at it, probably the Maryland 400 during the Battle of Brooklyn in 1776? Or possibly the 1st Maryland at the Battle of Guilford Court House in 1781? If you are a national park junkie, potentially Thomas Stone National Historic Site, home of one of Maryland’s four Signers of the Declaration of Independence, may come to mind. If you are not familiar with that NPS unit, click here.
To fill in those gaps, Emerging Revolutionary War welcomes historian Drew Palmer. He is the creator of Revolutionary Maryland, which is an online public history blog that is “dedicated to uncovering and sharing all things related to the state’s experience during this transformative period.”
Palmer is a Revolutionary War historian, a U.S. high school history teacher, and the creator of Revolutionary Maryland. Palmer has worked as a public historian at numerous historic sites over the years, including Appomattox Courthouse, Fort Ticonderoga, Adams National Historical Park, and Fort McHenry National Monument and Shrine. Palmer’s research primarily focuses on the Revolutionary War in Maryland and the South. Most recently, he published his research on Fort Whetstone and the Maryland Matrosses during the Revolutionary War. He also worked with Fort McHenry to direct a short documentary on Fort McHenry’s 250 years of history. Palmer earned his B.A. in history from DeSales University in 2023 and his M.A. in applied history from Shippensburg University in 2024. He currently lives outside of Baltimore and is working on multiple research topics involving the Revolutionary War.
Emerging Revolutionary War is proud to welcome a great emerging historian of the Revolutionary War Era to the “Revelry.” We hope you can join us, live, on Sunday, April 19, at 7 p.m. EDT on our Facebook page.
Emerging Revolutionary War Era 
Abel Brown of Anne Arundel County, Maryland in the 1700s fathered 13 children, among them 5 sons who went to fight in the Revolutionary War, only 2 survived. Three brothers, Samuel, David, and James Brown gave their lives for our freedom. I am a direct descendent of James Brown who served at Fort Whetstone Point in 1781. He died in the spring of 1782, at his home, “surmised” a victim of the war.
I would be interested in any historical information that you discover on the fort during the war and the men who fought there.
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Hi Barbara. Thanks for reaching out. Militia garrisoned Fort Whetstone for a time after the Maryland Matrosses were attached to the Continental Army in 1779. After Yorktown in 1781, Much of Whetstone Point land was sold to civilians at private auction.
For most of its existence, Fort Whetstone was garrisoned by artillerymen called Matrosses. The Matrosses were artillerymen whose job it was to defend the narrow channel entrance to Baltimore harbor. They were full-time professional soldiers, paid and formed by the state of Maryland, making them state troops rather than militia. There was also a second company of Matrosses that garrisoned the Annapolis defenses.
For further information and questions, please email me at,
info@revolutionary-maryland.org
I can send a copy of my paper on Fort Whetstone and the Matrosses, which is highly detailed and may have more info that you’re looking for. I’d be happy to help.
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