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During July 1776, Samuel Luckett enlisted in Captain John Hoskins Stone's company of the Flying Camp, Smallwood's Regiment, and participated in the early campaigns around New York. He was discharged in Philadelphia early in December and returned to Charles County, Maryland where on December 10, he enlisted as a private for three years in the First Maryland Regiment, commanded by Colonel John Hoskins Stone, his former captain. Most of the time, however, he served as sergeant.
The Continental Congress began developing plans for a "Flying Camp," a sixteenth century term for a body of armed men available for quick movement. It was to consist of 10,000 militia and state troops from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware, to defend the Middle Department (which originally included the State of New York) from the British. Maryland was to furnish 3400 men, Pennsylvania 6000 and Delaware 600. "A request from the Continental Congress for military personnel had been on the [Maryland] convention's agenda since June 3. On June 25, the delegates agreed to contribute 3405 men for service until December 1, 1776. To command the force…the convention selected Thomas Johnson and awarded him the rank of Brigadier General."5 "The men were to be considered in the service of Congress and were to be paid with Congressional funds. State troops were probably much better organized than the militia and some of them were ordered north to reinforce Washington's army after the British began to land. These state units were paid as and served with the Continental Army and during the reorganization of late 1776 and early 1777 their men were largely incorporated into the Continental Army.