American Revolutionary War

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The Maryland Line refers to the infantry regiments of the Continental Army from the state of Maryland. The term was an administrative designation, not a tactical formation like a brigade or division.

The Maryland Line has a reputation of being among the best of the Continental Army. Because of the long service of the high quality regiments, George Washington, according to tradition, referred to the Maryland units as his "Old Line," giving Maryland one of its nicknames as "The Old Line State."^[1]

The Maryland Line was assigned a quota of 8 regiments in 1777, which was reduced to 5 in 1781. The regiments of the line were:

• 1st Maryland Regiment, disbanded in 1783
• 2nd Maryland Regiment, disbanded in 1783
• 3rd Maryland Regiment, disbanded in 1783
• 4th Maryland Regiment, disbanded in 1783
• 5th Maryland Regiment, disbanded in 1783
• 6th Maryland Regiment, disbanded in 1781
• 7th Maryland Regiment, disbanded in 1781
• German Battalion (counted as half a regiment against the quota), disbanded in 1781
• Maryland and Virginia Rifle Regiment (counted as half a regiment against the quota), disbanded in 1781
• 2ND Independent Maryland Company - Somerset County absorbed into the 2nd Maryland Regiment in 1781

Notes

References

• Polk, Ryan. "Holding the Line: The Origin of the 'the Old Line State'. Maryland State Archives, 2005.

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