Mordecai Gist was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1743 and he died in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1792. His ancestors were early English emigrants to Maryland. He was educated for commercial pursuits. At the beginning of the Revolution the young men of Baltimore associated under the title of the "Baltimore independent company," and elected Gist captain. It was the first company raised in Maryland for the defense of popular liberty.

In 1776, Gist was appointed major of a battle regulars, and was with them in the battle near Brooklyn. In January, 1779, congress appointed him a Brigadier General in the Continental Army, and he took the command of the 2nd Maryland brigade. He fought stubbornly at the battle of Camden, South Carolina, in 1780, and at one time after a bayonet charge his force secured fifty prisoners, but the British under Cornwallis rallied and the Marylanders gave way.

Gist escaped, and a year later was present at the surrender of Cornwallis. He joined the Southern Army under Major General Nathanael Greene, and again when the army was remodelled in 1782 he was given the command of the light corps. On 26 August, 1782, he rallied the broken forces of the Americans under Laurens at, the battle of the Combahee, and gained a decisive victory over the British.

After the war he resided on his plantation near Charleston, South Carolina. General Gist possessed a tall and graceful figure, symmetrical proportions, great strength, and expressive features. He had but two children, sons, one of whom he named "Independent " and the other "States."

Mordecai Gist was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1743. His ancestors, early emigrants to Maryland, were English. He was educated for commercial pursuits and was engaged in the vocation of a merchant when the storm of the Revolution began to lower. The young men of Baltimore associated under the title of the "Baltimor Independent Company" and elected Gist captain. This was the first company raised in Maryland for the defense of popular liberty.

Gist was appointed major of a batallion of Maryland regulars in 1776 and was with them in the battle near Brooklyn at the close of the summer of that year. He was promoted to colonel in 1777 and was in the battle at Germantown in October of that year. In January 1779, Congress appointed him a brigadier in the Continental army, and he was honored with the command of the 2d Maryland brigade.

He fought bravely and suffered defeat in the battle of Camden in 1780. Gist was present at the surrender of Cornwallis and then joined the Southern army under Greene. When that commander remodeled the army in 1782 while lying near Charleston, he gave General Gist the command of the "light corps." It was a part of his command, under Colonel Laurens, that dealt one of the last blows upon the enemy in an engagement upon the banks of the Combahee.

At the close of the war, he retired to his plantation which he bought near Charleston, where he resided until his death, which occurred in Charleston in 1792. General Gist had but two children, sons; one he named Independent, and the other States.