Amos Green
MSA SC 3520-17472
Biography:
Amos Green enlisted into the First Maryland Regiment on April 8, 1776. At was the time of the Battle of Brooklyn (otherwise known as the Battle of Long Island) on August 27, 1776, Green was a private within Captain Patrick Sim’s Second Company. Although the battle was a defeat for the Americans, the valiant defense by Green and the other soldiers of the “Maryland 400” held off the British long enough to allow much of the trapped American army to escape. Green was one of the lucky soldiers who survived that day, his company losing fewer than ten men. [1]
After the Battle of White Plains, the Battle of Trenton, and the Battle of Princeton, Green reenlisted into the First Maryland Regiment on December 10, 1776 like many of his fellow soldiers. After the reestablishment of a restructured First Maryland Regiment, these Marylanders went on to participate in every main battle fought by the Continental Army until 1780, including the battles of Staten Island, Brandywine, Germantown, and Monmouth. In these battles, the new recruits to Maryland’s forces were provided with a hardened core of experienced soldiers like Green who were able to provide them with stability, strength, and the experience of prior confrontations. This helped with the campaign of 1777, where the First Maryland Regiment acted as a crucial aspect of Washington’s offensive force. [2]
After reenlisting in 1780, Green and the Maryland Line were sent to the south to help the Southern Army’s defense. Green was present at the Battle of Camden. The battle was chaotic; after the militia units, Virginians, and North Carolinians gave way to the British, the remaining units from Maryland and Delaware attempted to advance but were thwarted. No Continental unit was able to keep its identity during the mayhem that ensued. Green was fortunate enough to escape physically unscathed, and continued serving in the Maryland Line.
Green went on to participate at the battles of Cowpens, Guilford Courthouse, and Hobkirk’s Hill. Maryland troops traveled to South Carolina once again in 1782 in preparation for an American assault on Charleston, which was still held by the British. Before the British abandoned the city in December 1782, the troops from Maryland fought them in two small engagements at Combahee Ferry and Johns Island. Green continued to serve in the Continental Army until the First Maryland Regiment was disbanded on November 15, 1783. Although most members of the Maryland Line at the time of the Battle of Brooklyn were discharged in 1779, Green served for almost the entire length of the war. With a total of almost eight years served, he had one of the longest enlistments of the Maryland 400. [3]
There is no known record of Amos Green’s life after the war.
-Taylor Blades, 2017
Notes:
[2] Archives of Maryland Online, vol. 18, p. 112.
[3] Archives of Maryland Online, vol. 18, p. 535.
Return to Amos Green's Introductory Page
|
Tell Us What You Think About the Maryland State Archives Website!
|