On this day 250 years ago in St. Mary’s County, Maryland, 300 militia commanded by Col. Richard Barnes guarded the shore opposite St. Georges Island. The previous day the militia had captured a small British boat with five crewmen and learned that the British fleet commanded by Royal Governor Dunmore of Virginia and Royal Governor Eden of Maryland planned to seize St. Georges Island. Col. Barnes counted about 70 British ships in the fleet off St. Georges Island; the British and Loyalists had lost more boats in a storm since leaving Gwynn’s Island in Virginia. Barnes decided not to defend St. Georges Island but called for more militia reinforcements to oppose British landings on the mainland.

Source: Wrike at 89

On this day 250 years ago in Providence, Rhode Island, the Declaration of Independence was published in the Providence Gazette. That same day the news of the Declaration reached Boston and would be published in the next few days.

Sources: Display at the David M. Rubenstein Visitor Center at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello; https://www.gloucestertimes.com/news/north_of_boston/rare-copies-of-the-declaration-to-be-shown-in-danvers/article_16397acb-dde5-5818-bb58-004ca2d780c0.html