William Smallwood | |
|---|---|
 A portrait of Smallwood,c. 1780s, byRobert Edge Pine | |
| 4th Governor of Maryland | |
| In office November 26, 1785 – November 24, 1788 | |
| Preceded by | William Paca |
| Succeeded by | John E. Howard |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1732 (1732) |
| Died | (aged 59–60) Marbury, Maryland, U.S. |
| Resting place | Smallwood State Park |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Kingdom of Great Britain United States |
| Branch/service |  Provincial TroopsContinental ArmyNorth Carolina Militia |
| Years of service | 1754-1763 (Britain) 1776–1783 (US) |
| Rank | Lieutenant Major general (US) |
| Commands | 1st Maryland Regiment North Carolina Militia (1780) |
| Battles/wars | French and Indian War American Revolutionary War |
William Smallwood (1732 – February 14, 1792) was an Americanplanter, soldier and politician fromCharles County, Maryland.[1] He served in theAmerican Revolutionary War, rising to the rank ofmajor general. He was serving as thefourth Governor of Maryland when the state adopted theUnited States Constitution.
Smallwood was born in 1732 to planter Bayne Smallwood (1711–1768)[2] and Priscilla Heaberd orHeabeard (c.1715–1784).[3][4] He had six siblings: Lucy Heaberd Smallwood (c. 1734-1768, married John Truman Stoddert), Elizabeth Smallwood (born c. 1736, married James Leiper), Margaret Smallwood (born c. 1738, married Walter Truman Stoddert), Heaberd Smallwood (c. 1740–1780), Eleanor Smallwood (born c. 1743 marriedWilliam Grayson) and Priscilla Heaberd Smallwood (c. 1750–1815, married John Courts in 1794).[3] His sister Eleanor and brother Heaberd served with him later in theAmerican Revolutionary War.[5]
His parents sent the boys toEngland, for their education atEton. His great-grandfather was James Smallwood, who immigrated in 1664[6] and became a member of the Maryland Assembly in 1692.[7] James' son Bayne (1685–1709) followed him later in the Assembly.[8] Bayne (1711–1775) and his sister Hester were the great-great-grandchildren of Maryland GovernorWilliam Stone; Hester (Smallwood) Smith's daughter-in-law Sarah (Butler) Stone was the grandmother ofJames Butler Bonham andMilledge Luke Bonham.[citation needed] A first cousin of James and Milledge Bonham was SenatorMatthew Butler.[citation needed]
Smallwood served as an officer during theFrench and Indian War, the North American theater of theSeven Years' War, and was elected to the pre-Revolution colonial-era provincial assembly for theProvince of Maryland.
When theAmerican Revolutionary War began, Smallwood was appointed a colonel of the1st Maryland Regiment in 1776. He led the regiment in theNew York and New Jersey campaign.
For their role in theBattle of Brooklyn on August 27, 1776, when the Maryland Regiment heroically covered the hasty retreat of the routedContinental Army, GeneralGeorge Washington promoted Smallwood to brigadier general. Washington bestowed on the regiment a future state nickname, "Old Line State", in reference to the extreme sacrifice of theMaryland 400 to hold the line at theOld Stone House against a vastly superior force of British and Hessian troops while suffering massive casualties, roughly 70 percent of whom were killed in action.[10] Shortly thereafter, Smallwood led what remained of his regiment to fight "alongside soldiers from Connecticut, Delaware, and New York" in theBattle of White Plains, when he was twice wounded but "prevented the destruction of the entireContinental Army".[11]
On December 21, 1777, Smallwood commanded 1,500 Delaware and Maryland troops at theContinental Army Encampment Site on the east side ofBrandywine Creek, to prevent occupation of Wilmington by the British and to protect the flour mills on the Brandywine.[12] He continued to serve underGeorge Washington in thePhiladelphia campaign, where his regiment again distinguished itselfat Germantown. He was then quartered at Foulke House, which was occupied by the family ofSally Wister.[13]
In 1780, he was a part of GeneralHoratio Gates' army that wasrouted at Camden, South Carolina; his brigade was among the formations that held their ground, garnering Smallwood a promotion to major general. Smallwood's accounts of the battle and criticisms of Gates' behavior before and during the battle may have contributed to theCongressional inquiries into the debacle. Opposed to the hiring and promotion of foreigners, Smallwood objected to working underBaron von Steuben. Smallwood briefly commanded the militia forces of North Carolina in late 1780 and early 1781 before returning toMaryland, staying there for the remainder of the war. He resigned from theContinental Army in 1783 and later that year was elected to serve as the first president of the newly establishedSociety of the Cincinnati of Maryland.[14][15]
Smallwood was elected toCongress in 1784, but before he could take his seat, the Legislature chose him to succeedWilliam Paca as Governor of Maryland. He qualified on November 26, 1785, and served the customary three terms, retiring from his gubernatorial office on November 24, 1788. Smallwood had the misfortune of serving as governor during one of the most difficult periods in the history of the nation. Not only were theArticles of Confederation proving inoperable, but the country also found itself in the midst of an economic depression. In spite of the country's unsettled affairs, Smallwood was responsible for several major accomplishments, including convening the state's convention that ratified theUnited States Constitution, despite strong opposition to the proposed document in the State.[16]
Smallwood never married. The1790 United States census reveals that he held 56 slaves and a yearly tobacco crop of 3000 pounds.[17]
When he died in 1792, his estate, known as Mattawoman, including his home the Retreat, passed to his sister Eleanor who married ColonelWilliam Grayson of Virginia. William Truman Stoddert, Smallwood's nephew, was orphaned at age nine and raised by his maternal grandfather, Bayne Smallwood.[4][5][17][18] Stoddert also served in theMaryland Line and was admitted as an original member of theSociety of the Cincinnati in Maryland.[19]
Local historical signs inCalvert, Maryland, note that General Smallwood occupied the "East Nottingham Friends House" at the intersections of Calvert Road and Brick Meetinghouse Road (near the intersection of 272 and 273) about 6 miles east ofRising Sun, Maryland.[20]During his occupation of the building in 1778, Gen. Smallwood used the building as a hospital. Some of the soldiers who died in the building were buried in the graveyard directly outside.[21] Smallwood frequented the "Cross Keys Inn" (built in 1774), at the time a several-room inn and bar. This building stands as a private residence at the intersection of Calvert Road and Cross Keys Road directly down the hill. His restored plantation home, Smallwood's Retreat, and burial site is located inSmallwood State Park inMarbury, Maryland. Smallwood Church Road leads from the State Park towardOld Durham Church, where he was avestryman.
Several paintings exist of Smallwood. One hangs in theOld Senate Chamber in theMaryland State House inAnnapolis, Maryland.[22] The portrait ofGeorge Washington resigning his commission inside theMaryland State House in 1783, which hangs in theUS Capitol Rotunda, features Smallwood.
The William Smallwood Collection is housed at theMaryland Center for History and Culture.[23]
According to popular tradition,Washington bestowed his high esteem upon the Maryland Line after viewing their heroic stand at theBattle of Long Island, also known as the Battle of Brooklyn. Given the order to defend the American withdrawal fromLong Island, the Maryland Line saved theContinental Army from annihilation in the first major battle of the war. 'Good God, what brave fellows I must this day lose,' Washington remarked toIsrael Putnam as he witnessed the Marylanders repeatedly chargeCortelyou House, effectively holding back the British advance. Later, Washington described their efforts as an 'hour more precious to American liberty than any other.'
Although Smallwood 'waited onWashington and urged the Necessity of attending [his] Troops,' Washington 'refused to discharge' them… Smallwood was therefore absent during the early portions of theBattle of Brooklyn on August 27, 1776. British soldiers outflanked the American soldiers underMajor Mordecai Gist's command in a surprise attack. The Marylanders retreated, fighting their way toward theGowanus Creek… Smallwood arrived later in the battle and provided covering fire for the retreating American soldiers with two cannons and some reinforcements… and subsequently faced a deadly British onslaught. The Marylanders led several charges against the British, holding them at bay for a crucial period of time that saved Washington's army… On October 28, 1776… in theBattle of White Plains, [Gen.] Smallwood's soldiers once again saved Washington's army… Positioned on Chatterton's Hill, the Marylanders charged British soldiers, pushing them back briefly. A series of British counterattacks forced the Marylanders to retreat, but prevented the destruction of the entireContinental Army. The1st Maryland Regiment suffered greatly in the battle. Smallwood himself received two 'slight' wounds during the orderly retreat, receiving one in his wrist and another in his hip.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Governor of Maryland 1785 –1788 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | President of the Maryland State Senate 1791 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
