DNG News 2002 - Who was Robert Kirkwood, anyway?

Most Delawareans associate the famous Kirkwood name with the highway that runs from Newark to Wilmington or the small southern town. In fact, the name of the highway, the town and the Delaware Army National Guard's Annual Kirkwood Award all stem from a Revolutionary War hero named Capt. Robert Kirkwood.

Commissioned at the age of 20 as a First Lieutenant in Col. John Haslet's (Delaware) Regiment of Continental troops on January 17, 1776, he was promoted to Captain by December of 1776. The casualties of war and short terms of enlistment propelled his career into the fast lane, even though Kirkwood was in no way an opportunist. In fact, he and his fellow officers were known for their boldness in the face of enemy threat. During the Carolina campaigns, the regiment fought so well and with such tenacity that they won the title "Blue Hen's chickens," after the Delaware gamecocks prized for their fighting qualities. During the war, Kirkwood led from the front in 32 battles, never receiving one out of line of duty injury.

Kirkwood fought with the Delaware Regiment in the battle of Long Island (Aug '76), the first battle for our new nation's survival, Brandywine (Sept '77) and Germantown (Oct '77). And in Feb '79 (after a furlough) Kirkwood went with the Delaware Regiment to South Carolina, where Kirkwood survived and escaped capture in the disastrous first battle of Camden, SC, on Aug 16, 1780.

During this engagement 20% of the 250-man Delaware Regiment were killed and 30% (including Lt. Col. Vaughan) were captured.

The remnants of the Delaware Regiment were merged with the Maryland Regiment for the remainder of the war, with Captain Kirkwood as the Delaware contingent's senior officer.

For more than two months, the Americans suffered great hardship, but Kirkwood's leadership enabled the troops to go on and win the race to the Dan River in VA. They inflicted serious damage on the British at Guilford Courthouse, NC, Hobkirk Hill, SC, at the siege of Ninety-Six, SC, and Eutaw Springs, SC.

At the close of the war (Sept 30, 1783) Kirkwood returned to Newark, DE. The following year, he married and moved to an area of Virginia that is now known as Ohio where he was later killed defending his property. Today, there is a monument at Fort Recovery, OH, dedicated to Kirkwood. The next time you're driving in the fast lane on Kirkwood Highway, or through the town of Kirkwood, you will do well to remember his example of honor and leadership that helped paved the way for Delaware's top commanders.