Zachariah Maccubbin was born on April 15, 1752 in Maryland. In 1772,
Maccubbin married Sarah lane and had 9 children from this union.
In 1776,Maccubbin joined a militia in Maryland called the Flying Camp in
Lancaster County Maryland. The Flying Camp had been formed in 1774 to
prepare for the revolution.
In June 1776, the Flying camp was sent to Perth Amboy, NJ to help
prepare the coastal defenses of that city. In August, Maccubbin was part
of an expeditionary force sent from Maryland to fight the British at the
Battle of Long Island.
Long Island was an indefensible position for the American Continental
army. Charles Lee, one of the American Commanders, stated the only way
the Continentals could win this battle is if they controlled the Sea and
the East River. Since the Continental forces didn't have much of a navy
at this time, this wouldn't be possible.
          Washington did the best with what he had to work with.
Washington was outnumbered 3 to 1, and most of his men had no experience
in battle.
On August 22, 1776, The British landed 30 thousand troops south of
Brooklyn. The American artillery should have started firing at the
British, but the cannons were pointed in the wrong direction when they
landed. The British soon turned the left flank of Washington by marching
down an unguarded road called the Jamaica Pass road.
The Marylanders fought bravely. At the Old Stone House, 256 Marylanders
were killed while attacking a British artillery position. Also at
Cartelyou house, Only 9 out of 200 Marylanders survived after attacking
a British line consisting of 1500 British Soldiers in 6 bayonet charges.
The Marylanders were then sent to the fortification of Brooklyn Heights
located along the East River. Had British Admiral Richard Howe been able
to sail up the East River, his 88 frigates could have decimated the
American Line. If Weather ever changed History, it was here. When Howe
was preparing to sail his ships down the East River, a severe storm
arose which wouldn't allow the British ships to sail. This storm also
allowed Washington to escape to Manhattan Island to fight another day.
Maccubbin survived the battle of Long Island. After this battle, the
Flying camp was sent to Fredrick Maryland to help transform an old
French and Indian Fort named Fort Frederick into a prison for Hessian
soldiers.
After the war, Maccubbin returned to Maryland. Sometime before 1830
Maccubbin moved to Claiborne county. On November 24, 1834, Maccubbin
died and was buried in the old Irish Cemetery in Tazewell TN.