08/25/2026
Day 3 — August 24, 1776: The Trap Begins to Take Shape
By August 24, the American army on Long Island faced a serious problem: it was attempting to defend an enormous area against a British force vastly larger than itself.
Washington did not yet know where the main British attack would fall. The Americans had established positions along the Heights of Guana, while British troops occupied positions closer to Brooklyn and Flatbush.
The First Maryland Regiment remained among Washington’s forces in New York, but its deployment was becoming increasingly likely.
The Marylanders were particularly valuable because they represented some of the more experienced and better-equipped Continental troops available to Washington. The First Maryland Regiment had been organized earlier in 1776 under Colonel William Smallwood, and many of its soldiers possessed bayonets, an important advantage in close combat.
Their importance would become even clearer as the British army continued concentrating on Long Island.
The Americans faced an army that was not simply larger, but composed of experienced British regulars, German auxiliaries, artillery, cavalry, and officers who had spent years fighting European wars.
The Marylanders were about to enter a battle in which discipline and experience would matter enormously.
Image- William Smallwood
