The story I don’t want to be forgotten is the contribution my ancestor William Conrad made in America’s fight for independence.
William was about 28 years old2 when he was commissioned as an Ensign in
Captain Peter Beall’s company, 1st Battalion of militia in Washington County,
Maryland, on January 15, 1777.3 An ensign was the lowest-ranking commissioned
officer, responsible for carrying the regimental colors and assisting the
captain and lieutenant.
In 1778, Maryland’s General Assembly enacted an Oath of Fidelity and
Support, requiring all free, male residents aged 18 and older to renounce
allegiance to the King of England and pledge loyalty to the revolutionary
government of Maryland. William Conrad took that oath before the Hon. Joseph
Sprigg before April 1, 1778.4
On June 27, 1778, William was again called to duty as an Ensign in
Captain John Kershner’s Company to guard British prisoners of war at Fort
Frederick, Maryland.5 With a history since 1756 when it was built for the French
and Indian War, then reconstructed in 1922, Fort Frederick, stands
today, about 25 miles west of William's home in Hagerstown — a quiet but enduring witness to the
Revolution.
I want my family to know that our roots in the American Revolution were
built not only by famous generals, but also by men like William, who stood
guard, took the oath, and served quietly.
His service and loyalty to the cause of American independence made it
possible for me, many generations later, to become a member of the Daughters of
the American Revolution — a connection I hold with great pride.
1. Maryland State Archives. “Understanding Maryland Records: Militia in the Revolution” March 2025. https://guide.msa.maryland.gov/pages/viewer.aspx?page=militia#:~:text=During%20the%20Revolutionary%20War%2C%20Maryland,the%20British%20threatened%20the%20area↩
2. Brumbaugh, Maryland Records, Colonial, Revolutionary, County and Church, from Original Sources. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins, 1915.↩
3. Archives of Maryland, vol XVI. “Journal of Correspondence of the Council of Safety, January 1, 1777-March 20, 1777” and “Journal and Correspondence of the State Council, March 20,177-March 28, 1778” (Baltimore: Maryland Historical Society, 1897).↩
4. Hodges, Margaret Roberts. Unpublished Revolutionary Records of Maryland, Vol. 3, Oaths of Allegiance and Fidelity taken in Washington County in 1778. (Compiled by author c. 1939).↩
5. Archives of Maryland, vol. XVIII, “Muster Rolls and Other Records of Service of Maryland Troops in the American Revolution, 1775-1783” (Baltimore: Maryland Historical Society, 1900), p. 328.↩
1 comment:
This post exhibits a feeling of and for the Revolutionary War as seen through, obviously, numerous historical documents. The factual events describing William Conrad's activities is woven together and makes me want to learn more about him, and the historical time period for Maryland.
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