During the 1870s, at the suggestion of J.R. Kenly, former commander of the Maryland Brigade, and Joseph Kirkley, one of the historians of the First Maryland, Colonel Benjamin F. Taylor, last commanding officer of the Second Maryland, wrote a history of his regiment using his diary, and that of Ezra Brown, a regimental guide. After having written the book, Taylor added to it as the Official Records became available and used several other works by both Union and Confederate soldiers.

However, Taylor did present his work as a series of 18 papers before the Grand Army Club in Baltimore, Maryland, where it received a favorable response from his fellow veterans.

His work which has remained unpublished until now is currently being prepared for publication with the working title of For the Glory of Maryland:The Second Maryland Infantry, 1861-1865.

Taylor's book contains numerous accounts not found in any other source: details of the latter part of the Burnside Expedition, an important reconaissance to Clark's Mountain, Va., the attack of Nagle's Brigade at Second Manassas, Antietam, Fredericksburg, garrisson duty in Kentucky, Cold Harbor, Assault on Petersburg, The Crater, and an accoun of the unit's participation in the final battle of the Siege of Petersburg..

Publication Update

(March, 2002) Review of manuscript by editor underway in preparation for final preperations for publication.

(November, 1999) An article giving a short history of the unit's services was published in the November, 1999 issue of America's Civil War

(May, 1999) The manuscript has been accepted for publication by the Maryland Historical Society.

(1998) An article detailing the unit's participation in an action near Clark's Mountain, Virginia just prior to Second Manassas was published in the July, 1998 issue of America's Civil War magazine.

(1991) Editing of the unit history began. (CA 1910-12) Draft unit history completed and corrected by author.