Annapolis in Anne Arundel County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Baron Johann de Kalb, 1721 - 1780
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), March 21, 2026
1. Baron Johann de Kalb, 1721 - 1780 Marker
Baron Johann de Kalb was a distinguished German soldier who served as a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.
commanding a division of Maryland and Delaware soldiers at the Battle of Camden, South Carolina on August 16, 1780, de Kalb was mortally wounded rallying his troops. Though the Americans suffered a defeat, de Kalb praised the Maryland Line's, "gallant behaviour and exemplary conduct." Dying in British captivity three days later, he declared, "I die the death I always prayed for: the death of a soldier fighting for the rights of man."
In October 1780, the United States Congress passed a resolution calling for a monument to de Kalb to be built in Annapolis in honor of his leadership and service to the state. Although the Maryland General Assembly passed a similar resolution in 1817, this statue was not unveiled until 1886.
Monument:
Baron Johann de Kalb
Ephraim Keyser, 1850-1937
Bronze, 1886
Erected by Maryland State Archives.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Patriots & Patriotism • War, US Revolutionary. A significant historical date for this entry is August 16, 1780.
Location. 38° 58.714′ N,
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Central Maryland. It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic, in the Chesapeake Bay Region, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A different marker also named Baron Johann de Kalb (here, next to this marker); Sacred to the Memory of Baron de Kalb (here, next to this marker); a different marker also named Baron Johann de Kalb (here, next to this marker); Maryland State House (a few steps from this marker); Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (a few steps from this marker); Matthew Alexander Henson
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), March 21, 2026
2. Baron Johann de Kalb, 1721 - 1780 Marker in front of the statue
Another marker is no longer nearby. Baron Johann de Kalb, 1721 - 1780 (was a few steps from this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Credits. This page was last revised on March 21, 2026. It was originally submitted on March 21, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 16 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 21, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
