The survival of our nations freedom. His book washingtons in immortals the first regiment of the American Revolutionary war, immortalized as the maryland 400. We relive their actions, not only at the battle of brooklyn, but subsequent battles for independence, key to the ultimate establishment of the United States of america. A best selling military historian, mr. Odonnell has authored 10 books, including beyond valor, dog company, and first fields. He speaks often on espionage, special operations, and counterinsurgency. It is a pleasure to welcome in as we look at this historic perspective on the founding of our nation. Patrick . Patrick thank you. Thank you. It is a pleasure and an honor to be here today. For me, the journey to mmortalsons i began years ago when the commander of the First Battalion was in new york as a Liaison Officer for the council of foreign relations, and he asked me what i wanted to do that day, if i wanted to go to the mat. I said, no, sir, i said i would like to take you on a battleground tour of brooklyn. I maintained my friendships with all of the marines i was within the battle of falluja in 2004. It provided a lasting memory for me. Its your to my mind. I went house to house. I recorded their story. Iraq, i pulled a marine who had half of his face taken off by ebola out of a firefight these are lasting memories that allowed me to write this book. It also created a bond of friendship that has lasted a lifetime for me. When he asked me what i wanted to do, to take him to the battle of brooklyn the battle of brooklyn is the largest battle and the American Revolution, and interestingly enough, it begins in a watermelon patch. Greenwoodside cemetery. Something called the redline and in. Lion inn. It had a watermelon patch in the backyard. People would, in it was a britishattraction pickets found the watermelons firefight, which began the largest battle of the American Revolution, which was unfolding. The colonel and i went to the gates of Greenwood Cemetery, where the red lion inn once stood, and we started to walk the hills there. Its an amazing cemetery. It is one of the great cemeteries in america where theres not only saw the most famous people in new york city buried, but also the place of an American Revolution battle nation hung in the balance there. We went through the alleys of oakland and we found an old stone house. We went through the alleys of brooklyn and we found an old stone house. That house is on the cover of washingtons immortals. The United States was saved at that point. What i mean by that, there were about 400 ameren drillers marylanders who held off the british army commanded by general lord cornwallis. They made a series of bayonet charges that allowed a large portion of the army that had been on Greenwood Cemetery and around it to escape back to the forts in brooklyn heights. And, i was struck by the significance of this place in the fact that not much had been written about it. Then we walked a little bit further down the alleys of brooklyn, and i found a rusted old sign that said, here life 256 continental soldiers, maryland heroes. They are buried somewhere in brooklyn under a street or empty lots. I was struck, how is it possible that americans that saved the United States are buried in an mt lot . An empty lot. I looked at that sign and i wanted to know the story behind the story. I spent six years recreating that story and washingtons immortals. It begins on a wintry day in 1774 in baltimore city, where men of honor, family, and fortune came together, they risked their lives to form the First Independent company, called the baltimore independent cadets. These are men of wealth. They were prominent merchants. The main person in this group was a sea captain and extremely wealthy man. They signed a contract that put their lives in danger. They put their fortunes in danger, and they also took their careers, their livelihood, and basically put them on hold to fight the war. They were tired of being told by the crown that was 3000 miles away how to run their businesses. They were afraid of tyranny. They were tired of being told what to do. They loved liberty and freedom. It was this spirit that formed in this small tavern that creates some of the greatest fighting regiments of the American Revolution. The men of honor, family, and fortune were a unique group. They put not only their money on the line, but they decided to invest in the best weapons and equipment that money could buy. They trained themselves. They caught the attention of the city of baltimore, which i spent many years going through thousands of pages of documents, original documents, that in most cases had never been published. I remember a letter that really resonated with me. It was signed by an anonymous source. It was an anonymous source. The men had captured the attention of the city in 1775. They said the letter said that they would undergo an amazing test, that they would be part of an american that they would be spartans that would have to face down tens of thousands of troops. This is a prophetic letter that occurs one year before the battle of brooklyn, which is an amazing thing. Somebody had predicted that this was what they would face. Moving forward, the Small Company of men who were called initially the baltimore cadets, becomes a cadre of the greatest fighting regiments of the American Revolution. It first become something called smallwoods battalion and eventually becomes a first maryland regiment and it splits up into multiple other regiments. This book is not a dry reciting of the American Revolution. Its a live history of what these men went through. Much of it is in their own words. It puts you there. As smallwoods battalion trains, they undergo some of their first tests. They defend baltimore against a potential raid from british forces, and ultimately they are called to arms to rally around new york city. The british launch one of the largest invasions in the history at that time, where they invade first Staten Island and they attempt to invade new york city by landing first in long island. The british invade first, Staten Island, and then attempt to invade new york city by lending first in long island. These men are sent as reinforcements. Their initial headquarters is near this stonehouse. On the night of august 27, their first real combat begins. The most desperate days of many of the lives of these men. They are called to arms. They wake up in the dead of night. They marched towards greenwood certainly, in and around the cemetery. They set up an order of battle. They face down the british, who have a demonstration force. A massive flanking maneuver goes around their position. These men held off the british for several hours. They come to the realization that they are surrounded. These men are sent as reinforcements. Their initial headquarters is near this stonehouse. On the night of august 27, their first real combat begins. They have to fight their way back to the stone house. That is an epic story in and of itself. As they make their way to the stonehouse, they early only thing that is allowing potentially hundreds, if not over thousands of american troops from being captured and killed. They launched a series of desperate charges on this position that cornwallis has in the stonehouse. There are several canon in the house. Cannon. They have to withstand as they march and charge towards that house. Many of their numbers are lost. They close ranks of the dead bodies of their fellow countrymen and continue to charge. They allow an opening in the british lines, which allows fellow americans to escape across. Many of these men, up to 256 potential he, the numbers are not exactly certain, were captured or perished that date. Many survived also to fight another day. It is the marylanders that make this epic stand, we see the inflection points of the American Revolution. The most important battles. They are then, even with depleted numbers, washington relies upon them to be the rearguard. One of the greatest escapes in military history occurs a couple days later. John glover and the marblehead men evacuate the british army back into manhattan. The marylanders are blessed men to stand in the are the last men to stand in the in. They are nearly left behind. About 2 weeks later, the british land in manhattan. It is the marylanders that are standing while many other americans are fleeing the battlefield. Its a please near central park that the marylanders make another epic stand. They allow the army to escape to harlem heights. They are involved in the first victory against british troops in 1776 at the bottom of harlem heights. They continue to fight through the campaign in new york city. Theres a group of marylanders in Fort Washington. That is one of the great forgotten stories of the American Revolution. We had about 3000 americans bottled up in a fort about a mile and a half long. If you know where the base of the George Washington bridge is, on the manhattan side, this is a massive fort. It was a mostly lord of the rings in a sense. It was written, sharpened birthday earthen, sharpened logs. Something that occurs over and over in the American Revolution. This book is also about the first civil war. The never wonders in this book the marylanders in this book had divided loyalties. Many had to betray their own fathers to fight for the cause. In for washington, the adjective adjutant fled the fort with the plans in the order of battle and gave it to the british. The men inside the fort were in serious jeopardy. When they attacked, the marylanders helped hold off many assaults. A kernel that we meet in trenton reaches the defenses at Fort Washington. It is an incredible tragedy that occurs. Thousands of americans are captured, many executed by the unit by bayonet. They are unrestrained for a while until british officers come in. It is here that i see the stories of washingtons immortals come to life. I use thousands of pension files to write this book. What i mean by that, if you were lucky enough to survive the American Revolution, you could go to the local courthouse and swear under what you did. Its here that the humanity of this book i wanted to capture the hidden war of the American Revolution. The feelings and emotions. One of my favorite pension applications is from maryland or lawrence everhart, probably the luckiest man in the revolution in some ways. He was able to escort to escape Fort Washington by rowboat. He was able to escape the hudson river while many of his men perished. After he makes his way across the hudson to fort lee, he finds general washington. It is an amazing scene. Washington is witnessing the fall of Fort Washington through a spyglass. Pcs that many of his men he sees that many of his men are bayonetted. Hundreds of hessians, being german allies that fought for great britain, and british soldiers lined up and made their men run through a gauntlet as they were beaten and kicked and robbed. He sees this through his spyglass. Everhart remarks that he saw tears in washingtons eyes. This is the book that i wanted to convey. Washingtons immortals captures that hidden war of feelings and emotions. Is not just old men in the amber of oil paintings. Its a life, boots on the ground stories. The first band of brothers history of the American Revolution. From Fort Washington, the marylanders are in the rearguard as it retreats through the jerseys. The marylanders and delaware blues. The delaware blues are sort of the brother regiment that fights sidebyside with the marylanders through his most epic campaigns. They are constantly in the rear. They are hoping obstruct, holding key bridges, obstructing the passage of british troops. Washington is heading towards the delaware, where there is the safety of the river, but also a friendly population. Within the Maryland Line, you have divided loyalties. Within america, you have a civil war within their many loyalists. Many parts of new jersey were loyal to the crown. Washington has to move his supply base a friendly area. It is here that the stories and letters come out. The book has many notable figures, including james feel, an ensign. That is a low ranking officer, but he often carried the flag. James is the brother of Charles Wilson peel. I will never forget the story i him across the men are fleeing towards the delaware. The sight that charles sees of the men in the army. The army at this time is reduced to rags. These men are barefoot. In eight years of work, many of these men were never properly clothed. They never had shoes. Most of these men were never paid. He sees a figure that has sores delivered his face. He has rags on his person. He sees this man part of a long line of patriots is given towards the delaware, which is lit up with massive bonfires. Sort of this scene from hell. He notices its his brother. He doesnt even realize it at the time until he sees his face so close up. This is the state of easement all of these men, which starts 1000 strong. They are reduced to about hundred 50 marylanders at this point. For they stay together. Through this entire eight years of war, the men of the Maryland Line always stuck together. They were the bedrock that washington would rely upon. When the army was destroyed, they would rebuild it around the marylanders. They would make it across the river, then it is desperate times. Some of the darkest days of america. The winter of 1776, the enlistments of these men are running out. Many marylanders stay behind, even though they dont have to be there. The army is falling apart. Washington has to use his greatest oratory skills to basically tell men, if you give me another month, it will be a time of service to your country that you can do in no other time. Men stay. And he launches an audacious counterattack. The post at trenton, manned by the hero of white plains and Fort Washington, keys manning is manning an outpost. The hessians were drunk on christmas. It was not the case. These were reversible soldiers that were highly trained. They were on constant alert. These men slept in their clothes. They had their bayonets and muskets by their side. They had been raided multiple times by the local militia, as well as the continental army. They were on high alert. Its during a noreaster on Christmas Day that washington crosses the delaware along with the marylanders. They are part of the 10 crucial days in American History where these battles are so precious to our countrys liberty that what i found amazing i traced the root of the battles of trenton. Im struck by the crossing of the delaware. They make their way to a high grant in delaware. Its there that henry knox, this rotund bookseller from boston, they start the fire upon johans men. What is striking is that that spot is an empty junk. There are no markers, nothing. They fire upon them. Its one of the great epic victories in American History. They are able to defeat johan, whos killed and buried in trenton. It is an incredible victory. They rode crossed the delaware. It is a bit of a drunken crews in many ways. They find barrels of rum. Washington tried to stop it. They hardly drank. Some men fell off the boats as they crossed the delaware. There were casualties from that. It looks like a complete and utter victory. A local militiamen from the philadelphia they cross a day after christmas. They were part of the initial assault. The river was so icechunked, they could not make it. Washington has a dilemma. Do i leave john cap water with washington decides to reinforce. That sets up the most forgotten battle. It is called the second battle of trenton. Here washington does not set up inside the city. He sets up on the eastern side of assateague creek, in a line of battles that stretches nearly 2 miles long. Cornwallis, who is a brilliant general, very much a hero with general. In this book i capture not only the marylanders stories but also the british officers, many enlisted men, many hessians also in their accounts. He launches a counterattack immediately on washington. Washington is prepared. He is set up behind the creek. There is one main crossing point, stonebridge built in 1774. That has to be held at all costs. It is an epic story of 3 bayonet charges that were launched against that bridge. And we held. We held at all costs. Had we not held, the center of washingtons line would have been potentially cracked open. It could have meant the loss of a significant portion of the American Army that day. The delaware blues and marylanders and virginians and others held that bridge against all odds. Bodies stacked up as the british continued to charge. Blood was literally on the stones of that bridge. When i found fascinating is that the fabric there are potentially original stones from that bridge still to this day. Tragically, there is nothing marking it. Something i hope to accomplish with washingtons immortals his to bring awareness to these sites and to our heritage. This book is about the founding of america. This is about who we are as americans in the darkest days of the American Revolution. The book continues, where washington has to decide, does he retreat against the delaware . This is peerless at this point. Perilous at this point. Or does he do something novel . He attacks princeton. It is an incredible story of our commanderinchief in battle. This is 18thcentury warfare. The principal general of regiments fought in the front. Washington rallies the troops as they are initially starting to break. It is an epic story. Washington is on his horse, and he says, parade with me, there are