The Battle of Severn

The Battle of the Severn was a skirmish fought on March 25, 1655, on the Severn River at Horn Point, across Spa Creek from Annapolis, Maryland, in what at that time was referred to as "Providence", in what is now the neighborhood of Eastport. The capital of Maryland was moved from St. Mary's to Ann Arundel Town in 1694, and Ann Arundel Town name was changed to Annapolis in 1695. It was an extension of the conflicts that formed the English Civil War, pitting the forces of Puritan settlers against forces aligned with Lord Baltimore, Lord Proprietor of the colony of Maryland at the time. It has been suggested by Radmila May that this was the last battle of the English Civil War.

Date: March 25, 1655

Location: Annapolis, Maryland

Result: Commonwealth victory

Commander of Forces loyal to Commonwealth of England: Captain William Fuller

Strength: 175

Casualties and losses: 2 killed

Commander of Forces loyal to Lord Baltimore: William Stone

Strength:130

Casualties and losses: 17 killed, 32 wounded, 4 executed after the battle

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Severn

In 1649, the year Charles I was beheaded, the Maryland General Assembly enacted "An Act Concerning Religion" which legislated some degree of religious protection to all Christians. He also replaced the Catholic Acting Governor Thomas Greene with the Virginia Protestant William Stone with the understanding that Stone would help populate his colony. Stone approached a group of nonconformist Virginia Puritans and offered them land and guaranteed freedoms in Maryland. In December of 1649 the first European settlement in Anne Arundel County was founded by these Puritans on the north shore of the Severn River opposite present-day Annapolis. It was called Providence.

William Stone, the third proprietary governor of Maryland, was resisting the commissioners of Parliament for the government of that province. Stone raised a force to press his point and commissioned Fendall, to be one of his officers, along with William Eltonhead, and twenty men, to seize some arms and ammunition at Patuxent, for the governor's force. They ransacked an area of about 40 sq. miles which included the houses of prominent men Richard Preston (“The Great Quaker” ) and John Sutton. The arms and ammunition were gathered for the governor’s force which was planning to attack the Puritan settlers at Providence. Providence was located on the north side at the mouth of the Severn River across from what is today Annapolis, Maryland and was the place of residence of most of the commissioners, and people that were forced out of Virginia by Governor Sir William Berkeley. Along with Governor Stone who had been injured in the shoulder, Fendall was taken prisoner in a conflict which resulted from the attempt, in the Battle of Severn, by Captain William Fuller of the Puritan Army.

The Battle of Severn, was fought on Sunday, March 25, 1655, and was fought at the mouth of the Severn River and on land either at Horn Point (present-day Eastport) or across the river at Hidden Point. It was became known as the first battle ever fought between American soldiers on American soil and the only battle in America in which the flag of the Commonwealth of England was flown. It was also the first battle in which dum-dum bullets (hollow-points) were used. None-the-less Fuller's forces drove Stone's forces to the end of the point. In less than half an hour all was over. The Proprietary Forces numbered about 225, there were 17 killed and 32 wounded. Of the Puritan forces two were kille

Fendall was sentenced to death along with Gov. Stone and 10 others. However, only 4 sentences were actually carried out, including that of William Eltonhead, Esq., Capt. William Lewis, John Legatt, and John Pedro. Before the remaining men could be executed, the people of Providence came before the War Council and petitioned the execution. They were awarded a hearing in which 3 petitioners in support of over 200 townspeople, who were members of the Puritan community, presented a defense for the prisoners. They claimed that the men should be spared, and that they should not judge treason. If they did, they would be guilty of the same transgression the government of Virginia had done to them. In addition the prisoners were only following orders handed out by Lord Baltimore. The War Council as a result reversed the sentences and the prisoners were released. The remaining men that were released were Col. John Price, Maj. Job Chandler, Hon. Robert Clarke, Capt. Nicholas Gwither, John Jarboe, Capt. William Evans.

The Proprietary Forces numbered about 225, yet there are just 27 known troops of St. Mary’s County troops involved at the Battle of Severn

Sixteen - Protestant or otherwise.

Eleven - Catholic

Source: http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/MDSTMARY/2008-01/1201733434

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