Isaac Perkins

A Patriot of the American Revolution for MARYLAND with the rank of COLONEL. DAR Ancestor # A088781

Info: by Jacob Dicus of Ky. - Isaac was a man of great wealth and influence in Maryland. As war clouds gathered in 1775 he organized, equipped and commanded a militia company in Kent County. On July 6. 1776 the Maryland Convention received a letter from John Hancock, President of the Congress, requesting that Maryland "embody your militia for. the establishment of a flying camp, and to march with all possible expedition to the City of Philadelphia." Maryland answered the call by sending all of its available, militia, a total of near four thousand men.

Isaac Perkins was Commissioned Captain, effective July 5, 1776 and led his Kent County company to Philadelphia from where he was ordered to join the Flying Camp at Amboy, New Jersey. He led his company through the disastrous campaign of 1776, the retreat from Long Island in which the Maryland troops served with great glory, the evacuation of New York City, the battle of Harlem Heights, and the retreat into New Jersey. When the term of enlistment of his company expired in December, 1776, he returned to Chestertown. He was immediately commissioned Colonel and assigned as Procurement Officer for the Maryland Convention. He served in that capacity until-the end of the War.

During the hard Winter that General Washington's Army, was at Valley Forge, the men were often in desperate need of food. Robert Morris of Philadelphia with the aid of Colonel Perkins, bought all the wheat they could get, ground it into. flour at Perkins Mill, and wagoned it at the expense of much toil and danger to Valley Forge via Elkton and round about routes to avoid British pickets, whose main force was then in Philadelphia. After the War he served as' a member of the Convention in Maryland that ratified the Federal Constitution on April 28, 1788. Because of his distinguished service to his country he. was known as "The Flaming Patriot".

Col Perkins is called 'The flaming patriot of The Revolutionary War'. In 1775 he was Captain in the 13th Battalion, Kent County Militia And the 4th Maryland Line, Major in 1776 and Lt Colonel on 4 Jun 1778.

He served in the Lower House of the State Legislature in 1777, 1786-1787 and attended the Constitution Ratification Convention in 1788.

Isaac inherited grist mills from his father, added a fulling mill before 1780 and a malt and brewhouse by 1781. The Grist Mill, Saw Mill and Fulling Mill owned by Col Isaac Perkins were burned. The governor of Maryland, Thomas Sam Lee made a proclamation offering a pardon to persons offering information on the persons involved. Isaac Perkins offered a $5,000 reward for information. He also advertised for a well recommended millwright. 2

Isaac Perkins advertised that he had four stills containing 156, 118.5, 68 and 63 gallons for sale at seven dollars per gallon for the whole lot of eight dollars per gallon for a single still. He also had two pair of millstones and a quantity of Wheat and Barley Malt. 3

Isaac Perkins advertised "A COMPLEAT FULLING MILL, with two stocks, the house 28 by 18 feet, two stories high, well finished, the dying, shearing and pressing utensils in good order, the whole being new last fall. The stream affords plenty of water in the driest seasons, and great plenty of work may be had the most of the year. It is situated in Kent County Maryland, in a very Pleasant and healthy part of the county." 4

Isaac Perkins advertised, "TO BE LETT, For One, or a Term of YEARS, A MALT AND BREW-HOUSE, Situated in Kent County, Maryland, a rich and healthy county. This MALT and BREW HOUSE, is capable of making Malt and Brewing thirty or forty barrels of Beer per Week."

Isaac Perkins advertised "FORTY POUNDS Reward, WILL be paid to a good MILLER, for one year service at the subscriber mill, situated on Morgan Creek, in Kent County, Maryland, he must be a single man, about middle age, and well recommended" 5

Isaac Perkins was one of the 4 delegates from Kent County to the Maryland convention to ratify the United States Constitution. He was a Federalist. 6

Isaac Perkins Captain in Fourth Battalion of the Maryland Line (Flying Camp). 7

Isaac Perkins granted a license to keep a ferry to Baltimore, Annapolis & Rock Hall. 8

Sources:

  1. Title: Maryland Eastern Shore Vital Records.

     Abbrev: BK GEN Eastern Shore Vital Rec

     Publication: 1982

     Page: Vol 2, page 9.

  2. Title: Pennsylvania Gazette, The

     Abbrev: NEW Pennsylvania Gazette

     Publication: 9 Feb 1785

     Note:

     Available from Accessible Archives, thru Middlebury College.

     Page: 19 Jul 1780

  3. Title: Pennsylvania Gazette, The

     Abbrev: NEW Pennsylvania Gazette

     Publication: 9 Feb 1785

     Note:

     Available from Accessible Archives, thru Middlebury College.

     Page: 20 Aug 1778

  4. Title: Pennsylvania Gazette, The

     Abbrev: NEW Pennsylvania Gazette

     Publication: 9 Feb 1785

     Note:

     Available from Accessible Archives, thru Middlebury College.

     Page: 10 May 1780

  5. Title: Pennsylvania Gazette, The

     Abbrev: NEW Pennsylvania Gazette

     Publication: 9 Feb 1785

     Note:

     Available from Accessible Archives, thru Middlebury College.

     Page: 30 Aug 1770

  6. Title: Pennsylvania Gazette, The

     Abbrev: NEW Pennsylvania Gazette

     Publication: 9 Feb 1785

     Note:

     Available from Accessible Archives, thru Middlebury College.

     Page: 23 Apr 1788.

  7. Title: Chesapeake Cousins

     Abbrev: PER Chesapeake Cousins

     Page: Vol 29 number 2. Extracts from "A History of the Maryland Line in the Revolutionary War" by Rieman Steuart.

  8. Title: and They Appeared at Court

     Abbrev: BK Kent County Court extracts

     Author: Surles, Trish

     Publication: 2004

     Page: page 5.

  9. Title: Letter from Eleanor Grimes to Guy Wallis about the Perkins Family.

     Abbrev: LET Eleanor Grimes 11Aug1995

     Publication: 11 Aug 1995