HistoricSiteMarkers
American Revolution

Maryland 400 Monument

New York, Kings County, New York

Marker Inscription

In Honor of Maryland's Four Hundred who on this Battle-Field August 27th 1776 saved the American Army

The Story

On August 27, 1776, in the Battle of Brooklyn (also called the Battle of Long Island), the first major engagement after the Declaration of Independence, a small regiment of Maryland soldiers made a series of desperate charges against a far larger British force near the Old Stone House. Their stand held the enemy back long enough for George Washington to pull the battered Continental Army out of a trap and across the East River to fight another day. Roughly 250 of these men fell, and tradition holds that Washington, watching from a distance, lamented the brave fellows he was losing. This monument in what is now Prospect Park honors that sacrifice.

Why it matters

The Maryland 400's stand bought the time that let Washington save his army from destruction in 1776 — arguably preserving the Revolution itself at its most fragile hour.

The story behind this marker

AI context

The era

In the summer of 1776, the American Revolution was barely a nation and very nearly a lost cause. Independence had just been declared in July, and within weeks the British landed an overwhelming force around New York, determined to crush the rebellion before it could take root. What followed, on August 27, 1776, was the first major battle after the Declaration — and it went badly for the Americans.

The fighting swept across the countryside of what was then rural Long Island, in the area now covered by the streets and parks of Brooklyn. Washington's inexperienced Continental Army found itself outflanked and in danger of being destroyed outright. The Battle of Long Island, also called the Battle of Brooklyn, could have ended the Revolution in its infancy.

This monument stands on that ground, now within a great urban park, honoring the men whose sacrifice on that August day helped keep the American cause alive at one of its most desperate moments.

People & events

The marker names the people at the heart of the story. As the British closed in, a regiment of Maryland soldiers under Lord Stirling — William Alexander — and Mordecai Gist threw themselves against a much larger enemy force near a fortified stone house, buying time with their own lives.

Again and again these Maryland men charged, holding the British attention and slowing their advance. Their sacrifice created a window — precious minutes and hours — during which George Washington could pull the rest of the battered army out of the closing trap. Roughly 250 of them are said to have fallen. Tradition holds that Washington, watching the desperate stand from a distance, cried out in grief over the brave fellows he was losing.

Because of what they did, Washington managed one of the great escapes of the war: a nighttime withdrawal of his army across the East River, slipping away from a force that had every expectation of destroying it. The men honored here did not win the battle — but they made survival possible.

Its place in the American story

The stand of Maryland's four hundred is remembered as one of those hinge moments on which the whole Revolution may have turned. Had Washington's army been captured or annihilated at Brooklyn in 1776, there might have been no Continental Army left to fight on — and no United States as we know it.

Instead, a small body of soldiers chose to sacrifice themselves so that the larger army could live to fight another day. Their charges bought the time that let Washington escape across the river, preserving the fragile cause at the very moment it was most likely to collapse. It is hard to overstate how close to ruin the Revolution came, or how much rode on that rear-guard sacrifice.

That is why the inscription credits these men with having "saved the American Army." In the long story of the nation's founding, few acts of self-sacrifice can claim so direct a link to the survival of the whole endeavor.

If you visit

Today this monument stands amid the greenery of Prospect Park, in the heart of a busy borough — a striking place to encounter a Revolutionary War battlefield. Part of what makes a visit so affecting is the contrast: children play and city life flows past ground where an army was nearly lost and a few hundred men made their stand.

Look for the connection between the monument and the nearby Old Stone House, the reconstructed fortified building that anchors the story of the Maryland soldiers' charges. Standing there, you can try to picture open fields and smoke where there are now paths, lawns, and rooftops.

If you're exploring the Revolutionary history of New York, this is an essential and moving stop, easily paired with the surrounding park and neighborhood. Come to pay respects as much as to sightsee — and take a quiet moment to remember that the men honored here gave everything so that an army, and a cause, could survive.

Written by AI to add context, grounded in the marker’s inscription and the historical record. The inscription above is the original, unaltered text.

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Related people

  • · George Washington
  • · Lord Stirling (William Alexander)
  • · Mordecai Gist

Related events

  • · Battle of Long Island (Battle of Brooklyn)

Themes & tags

American RevolutionMonument

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