War of 1812 | History, Summary, Causes, Effects, Timeline, Facts [16] Rear Admiral Cockburn, Cochrane's second in command, favoured a quick attack on Washington, but Ross was not eager. Maryland in the American Revolution Though technically a British victory, the stiff American defense surprised the British who failed to pursue, allowing the Americans to join the forces on Hampstead Hill, ready to repel an anticipated attack. e The State of Maryland began as the Province of Maryland, an English settlement in North America founded in 1632 as a proprietary colony. Stansbury's force consisted of the 1st (Ragan's), 2nd (Schutz's), and 5th (Sterrett's) regiments of Maryland Militia, three companies of volunteer riflemen commanded by Major William Pinkney (a former United States Attorney General), and two companies of Baltimore artillery, with six 6-pounder guns. Dec. 24. They, too, fled the capital, and scattered through Maryland and Virginia. Battle of Baltimore - Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Captain Lawrence and a large number of the Chesapeake's officers and crew were new to the ship and untrained in its weaponry, while the Shannon's crew were highly-trained gunners, meticulously drilled by their captain. British forces destroyed town of St. Leonard, Calvert County. All available able-bodied men were called to build defenses. As the Chesapeake Campaign of 1813 allowed no clear victories, American forces fared better on the frontier. Pre-World War I U.S. Army Pension and Bounty Land Applications. Some 3,200 Americans clashed with 4,500 British to delay the advance on Baltimore. Battle of St. Michaels, Talbot County. The circular battery was later named Fort Wood for an officer killed on the Niagara River. Several U.S. Navy warships attempted to break out of the blockade from various ports along the East Coast, but were unsuccessful. His main body proceeded into the Patuxent. Aug. 10. He had four infantry battalions, a battalion of Royal Marines, a force of about 200 men[citation needed] of the Corps of Colonial Marines, which was composed of locally recruited black refugees from slavery, a Congreve rocket detachment from the Royal Marines battalion, 50 Royal Sappers and Miners, 100 gunners from the Navy and 275 sailors to carry supplies. British raid destroyed Principio Iron Works, Cecil County. Had the enemy maneuver succeeded, they could have penetrated the citys western defenses. With great ceremony, fires consumed the barrels of gin hanging from makeshift gallows on Hampstead Hill. Fort McHenry, Baltimore, Maryland, August 2010. Marys mother, daughter, nieces, and African American indentured and enslaved servants helped complete the task in about seven weeks. The explosives were likely used when the British attacked that September. After a brief clash with Ross's leading units on 22 August, Winder ordered a hasty retreat to the Long Old Fields. 1 Infantry Battalion, United States Regulars commanded by Lieutenant Colonel William Scott variously reported at either 300 or 500 men all ranks. British army led by Maj. Gen. Robert Ross defeated American forces under Brig. One British soldier, Jeremiah McCarthy is also recorded. British forces repulsed by American troops at Fort Hollingsworth and Fort Defiance. Stansbury's tactical errors quickly became apparent. Charles Carnan Ridgely, ironmaster and owner of the estate, also contributed funds and other supplies for Baltimores defense in 1814. He had issued a private memorandum to his captains however, which allowed them to levy what was effectively protection money in return for sparing buildings. District of Columbia 1st Regiment of Militia, Colonel George Magruder, 535 all ranks, District of Columbia 2nd Regiment of Militia, Colonel Wm. The former route would involve finding a way across an unfordable part of the Eastern Branch of the Potomac (now called the Anacostia River) if the U.S. destroyed the bridge on the route. Battle of St. Michaels - Wikipedia British intransigence on the issue of impressment brought a declaration of war in June of 1812a shocking announcement which Monroe made to British minister Augustus J. Depot burned by British. Gen. William H. Winder; American sailors and marines commanded by Commodore Joshua Barney fought rear-guard action after which Barney was captured. x 6-pounders, 150 all ranks. General Perry Benson and his militia fought off British forces at Second Battle of St. Michaels, Talbot County. Brigadier Gen. John Stricker (pictured here) to Major Gen. Samuel Smith, September 15, 1814. The attack on Fort McHenry in Baltimore's harbor was a pivotal moment in the War of 1812 as it successfully thwarted the Chesapeake Bay campaign the Royal Navy had been waging against the United States.. Coming only weeks after the burning of the U.S. Capitol and the White House by British forces, the victory at Fort McHenry, and the associated Battle of North Point, were much-needed boosts to . Battle of Slippery Hill, Queenstown, Queen Annes County. Although unfinished when the British arrived, the battery helped fend off a naval flanking attack September 14, 1814. After the American defeat at Bladensburg, and the British capture and partial burning of Washington, D.C. a loss here would be devastating. May 3. Severely damaged and unmaneuverable, the Chesapeake was lashed to the Shannon and the British crew, including Captain Broke, boarded the American frigate and engaged in hand-to-hand combat with its crew, who quickly surrendered. British Rear Admiral George Cockburn to Vice Admiral Alexander F.I. As the Chesapeake Campaign of 1813 allowed no clear victories, American forces fared better on the frontier. Battle of Fort McHenry 1814 By 21 August, Ross had reached Nottingham, and Commodore Joshua Barney was forced to destroy the gunboats and other sailing craft of the Chesapeake Bay Flotilla the next day, and retreat overland towards Washington. Today, the flag house is a museum. Reasons given for the declaration of war had been effects of the Napoleonic Wars, and with Napoleon exiled in April 1814, the two primary American war aims were accomplished despite the ongoing war. The war of 1812 was a military conflict between the United States and Great Britain. The intention was for this force to carry out raids on the Atlantic Seaboard to "effect a diversion on the coasts of the United States of America in favor [sic] of the army employed in the defence of Upper and Lower Canada". Barney's Flotilla scuttled by crew, St. Leonard Creek, Calvert County. They were hunter-gatherers organized into semi-nomadic bands. [citation needed]. PLEASE NOTE: The site may contain material from other sources which may be under copyright. Maryland, a major US privateer base. The original Star-Spangled Banner was spread across the stage at the event. On 5 July, he and Armstrong conferred. When the Americans withdrew, British soldiers camped on the same grounds. Chesapeake Flotilla withdrew to Benedict. The Battle of Bladensburg was a battle of the Chesapeake Campaign during the War of 1812, fought on 24 August 1814, at Bladensburg, Maryland, 8.6 miles (13.8km) northeast of Washington, D.C. Called "the greatest disgrace ever dealt to American arms,"[7] a British force of army regulars and Royal Marines routed a combined U.S. force of Regular Army and state militia troops. When Britain threatened Baltimore a year earlier, Bear Creek was considered a potential landing spot. Battle of Bladensburg, Prince George's County. Author Gregory J. W. Urwin, page 49. Nevertheless, on 2 July, Madison designated the area around Washington and Baltimore as the United States Army's Tenth Military District and, without consulting Armstrong, appointed Brigadier General William H. Winder as its commander. As American forces gained further ground in the North and West, British forces in greater numbers redoubled efforts in the Chesapeake Bay for England, with the defeat of Napoleon in Europe, was able to send an additional 15,000 troops to America. The charter for Maryland does state it was originally founded in 1632, but the credit seems to lie in the 1634 year. Board'em!". Regulars (total: 4500 all ranks) during the Chesapeake campaign. MD The Chesapeake surrendered and the British boarded and seized four men, three of whom were Americans. Officials laid the cornerstone for a memorial to the citizens-soldiers who defended Baltimore against British attack in 1814. Thirty-three incoming patients recorded in August and September 1814 were American seamen, soldiers, and marines wounded from Bladensburg or subsequent engagements. [3] Henry Adams and John S. Williams both give the American casualties as 26 killed and 51 wounded. Here are some options (you do not have to choose . War of 1812 Facts - American Battlefield Trust They occupied Tangier Island off the coast of Virginia, establishing Fort Albion as an anchorage and staging area. Closing lines of The Boy Martyrs, Clifton W. Tayleure, 1858. Hanson and about 25 supporters were escorted to jail for protection. Feb. 7. [59], Note: there were a total of 1350 Marines throughout the Chesapeake campaign[61], Like many historic battlefields that once belonged to the rural American landscape, urban sprawl and heavily-traveled roads associated with urbanization in the DC metro area have made it very difficult to preserve and acquire the complete site of the Bladensburg battleground. Baltimore privateers captured more than 500 British ships during the War of 1812. Key served as a volunteer aide to General Walter Smith at the Battle of Bladensburg in August of 1814. Skirmish at Nottingham, Baltimore County. Skirmish near Queenstown, Queen Anne's County. The excitement was palpable as crowds gathered at Battle Acre on September 12, 1839, to mark the 25th anniversary of the Battle of North Point. After the stinging defeat at Bladensburg and invasion of Washington, Americans rallied to save Baltimore. Why was Maryland Established? Winder now had at least 1,000 regulars from the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Marine Corps, plus about 7,000 less than dependable militia and volunteers from the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. June 18, 1812: The day after the Senate followed the House of Representatives in voting to declare war against Great Britain, President James Madison signs the declaration into lawand the War. While the British were committed in the West, the American Army launched an attack on the Canadian capital of York (now Toronto). [37], Winder had not given any instructions before the battle in the case of a retreat and as the American militia left the battlefield, he issued contradictory orders to halt and reform, or fall back on the Capitol where Secretary of War John Armstrong Jr. hoped vainly to make a stand, using the federal buildings as strongpoints, or retreat through Georgetown to Tenleytown. They could not use oblique fire to prevent the bridge from being seized. The church became a field hospital for both armies. Battle of Lake Erie. Eyewitness account in Salem (MA) Gazette, September 27, 1814. They included the makeshift earthworks of Fort Babcock, the incomplete Fort Covington, and a temporary redoubt at Ferry Point. "[24] Ross, the British commander, estimated the American force at between 8,000 and 9,000 men, with 300400 cavalry. During the 15-minute battle, both ships fired multiple broadsides, but the Shannon's precisely-executed shots killed or injured many of the officers and crew, including Captain Lawrence, who, mortally wounded shortly after the battle commenced, reportedly commanded, "don't give up the ship." Skirmish at Fredericktown, Cecil County. Private Bernard Todd paid dearly for having his home used for military purposes. The American defeat resulted in the capture and burning of the national capital of Washington, D.C., the only time that the city fell to a foreign invader. However, the Earl of Bathurst, Secretary of State for War and the Colonies, dispatched a brigade of 2,500 soldiers, mainly veterans from the Duke of Wellington's army, and commanded by Major General Robert Ross, to the Imperial fortress of Bermuda, from where a blockade of the U.S. coast and even the occupation of some coastal islands had been overseen throughout the war. May 13. Ross had a choice of two routes by which he could advance: from the south via Woodyard or from the east via Bladensburg. Like many states, Maryland has a rich history. During the bombardment of Fort McHenry on September 1314, 1814, these Ferry Branch fortifications stopped a surprise British maneuver to attack Fort McHenry from the less well-defended rear. The War of 1812 Due: . There, American militia crossed the frozen Chesapeake Bay to attack British barges iced in at Taylor's Island off the Eastern Shore. England had sought territory in Maine, New York, and along the Louisianna Purchase northern border. Aug. 10. Many unlucky ships and sailors hailed from Baltimore. The son of a wealthy merchant, he joined the family business after . The mouth of Harris Creek was once part of Baltimores thriving maritime industry. Moved by what he had experienced two days earlier, Key used his time here to complete four stanzas for what would become Americans national anthem. Crawford (2002), p221, quoting a letter from Rear Admiral Cockburn to Vice Admiral Cochrane dated 27 August 1814 'a victory gained.. by a Division of the British Army not amounting to more than Fifteen hundred Men.The Seamen with the guns were with the rear those however attached to the Rocket Brigade were in the Battle'. These ships allowed the British to land troops quickly and easily on either the eastern or western shores of Maryland. The "launcher" is the stick, which, when coupled with the rocket, would be mounted upon a bombarding frame, and fired. Jackson is seriously wounded by a pistol shot in the shoulder. June 1. Genealogical Records of the War of 1812, article discussing Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application Files, Military Service Records, and Naval and Marine Corps Records.Written by Stuart L. Butler, and published in Prologue 23:4 (Winter 1991).. War of 1812 Discharge Certificates, learn about discharge . The Bellona Gunpowder Company offer for sale, gunpowder of various descriptions, and of a superior quality, in half barrels, kegs, canisters and pound papers. Captain Lawrence died en route to Halifax, while the surviving crew were imprisoned. George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore (1580-1632), wished to create a haven for his fellow English Catholics in the New World. Depot burned by British. Pooles Island, Harford County, established as a staging point for British raids. Aug. 27. Beginning the year with a strong hold on the Canadian border, British forces were mobilized towards the Chesapeake Bay. When Minor prevailed on Winder to order muskets to be distributed on the morning of the battle, the junior officer responsible for issuing their flints insisted that they be returned and recounted.)[31]. American forces repulsed sea and land invasions off the busy port city of Baltimore, Maryland, and killed the commander of the invading British forces. Aug. 26. Meanwhile, in Washington, every government department was hastily packing its records and evacuating them to Maryland or Virginia, in requisitioned or hired carts or river boats.[23]. Baltimore Federal Gazette, August 16, 1814. Gin Riots Sept. 19. Skirmish at and burning of Georgetown, Kent County. The site is now Hopkins Plaza in Baltimore City. Baltimores importance as the commercial heart of the Chesapeake region wasnt the only reason the British wanted to capture the city in 1814. 2400 East Fort Avenue "Narrative of General Winder, addressed to the chairman of the Committee of Investigation" as quoted in, Charles E. Brodine, Michael J. Crawford and Christine F. Hughes, editors, Crawford (2002), p290, quoting a letter from Vice Admiral Cochrane to Lord Melville dated 17 September 1814. The Treaty of Ghent also provided that disputed land not covered in the treaty of 1783 would be resolved by joint committees established at a later date (committees authorized by the Treaty never were appointed, nor was the issue addressed again until the London Convention of 1818). Aug. 26. Although Cockburn withdrew from Chesapeake Bay late in 1813, his sailors had taken soundings and even placed buoys to mark channels and sandbars, in preparation for a renewed campaign in 1814. Skirmish near St. Michaels, Talbot County. The site is now Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine. Skirmish near Elkton, Cecil County. This close call exposed Fort McHenrys vulnerability to a flanking attack. In memory, the First Mechancia Volunteers erected the the Aquila Randall Monument in July 1817. Todds is a commodious two story frame house, with a large stable capable of accommodating in it and under its sheds at least thirty horses. The lineages of the old 36th and 38th Infantry Regiments are perpetuated by three currently active battalions of the 4th Infantry (14 Inf, 24 Inf and 34 Inf). April 17. 21230, Download the official NPS app before your next visit. An Overview of the War of 1812 - ThoughtCo Battle of Baltimore McCavitt, John, and Christopher T. George. Though a number of native tribes kept fighting in the West, the British thereafter withdrew from the United States without further conflict. These acts met with little acknowledgment from either England or France, while both nations continued to seize American ships and crew. By the end of 1815, England and America both had returned land and prisoners taken during the War, and reestablished trade. Baltimore successfully resisted the British assault in September 1814, thanks to thousands of determined volunteer citizen-soldiers. On August 24, 1814, at Bladensburg, on the outskirts of Washington, British regulars, many of whom had fought in the Napoleonic Wars in Europe, fought poorly equipped American troops. The naval hospital's 1814 register reflects U.S. seamen Frederick Ernest and George Gallagher both endured amputations in the field.[48]. Naval gunners, fighting on land and led by the heroic Commodore Joshua Barney, delayed the British advance for a . Skirmish near Queenstown, Queen Anne's County. Major Harry Smith, Ross's Brigade major, considered that Ross and Thornton had attacked too hastily, without waiting for other units to support Thornton, or sending forward skirmishers across the fords to cover the advance. Although hampered by its ongoing war with France, England immediately began erecting fortifications and added extra garrisons along the American and Canadian border, and the Great Lakes. Samuel Smith | U.S. Senator, Maryland, War of 1812 Eyewitness account Salem Gazette, September 27, 1814. Foster. Sept. 8. The most famous post-Treaty battle was the Battle of New Orleans, but many more were fought from Maine to Alabama, including the Battle of the Ice Mound in Dorchester County, Maryland. The British later congratulated Barney for his bravery and released him. These ships allowed the British to land troops quickly and easily on either the eastern or western shores of Maryland. Although he rode with the forces directly challenging the British invaders, Winder realized that Bladensburg was the key to Washington's defence. Despite the signing of the Treaty of Ghent on December 24, 1814, the War continued. Ball served with Commodore Barney at Bladensburg and later helped man the defenses at Baltimore. Aug. 13. The Battle of St. Michaels was an engagement contested on August 10, 1813, during the War of 1812. From other contemporary sources, the forces available for the defense of Washington probably numbered about 7,170, of which 6,370 were at Bladensburg. War of 1812 | National Archives Chesapeake-Shannon Battle. April 24. Riding on the shoulders of their success, British commanders now had their eyes set on the third largest city in the United States, the port city of Baltimore. Skirmish at Benedict, Charles County. On June 1, 1813, the USS Chesapeake, famous for the Chesapeake-Leopard Affair and now under Captain James Lawrence, left Boston Harbor and engaged in battle, or a ship-to-ship duel, with the HMS Shannon, commanded by Captain Philip Broke. [14] Winder spent a month visiting the forts and settlements in his new command. Skirmish at Blakeford, Queen Anne's County. "He conducted a brilliant campaign of deception, feinting one way or the other, marching and then doubling back, and was able to paralyze the Americans and prevent them from defending Bladensburg". Fort McHenry, Baltimore, Maryland, August 2010. Slavery, though addressed by the Treaty, had been abolished in England in 1774, and by its colonies in 1807. [Note 2] Rear Admiral Cockburn accompanied this force. [42], The efforts of British commander Robert Ross during the battle deserve praise, according to journalist Steve Vogel, in his book about that era. The American losses were 48 killed and 99 injured, while the British losses were 23 killed and 56 others wounded, including Captain Broke, in what became one of the deadliest single-ship battles in history. At 2:30a.m. on 23 August, Stansbury received a message from Winder, informing him that he had withdrawn across the Eastern Branch and he intended to fire the lower bridge. [6], For many of the U.S. wounded, Naval Hospital Washington was the primary treatment center. Aug. 22. Flotilla withdrew up the Patuxent River. I can picture to myself the sensation of those who in far distant days will contemplate this monumentand the melancholy event which as caused our assemblage at this spot. Francis Scott Key - Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine Aug. 20. Considered heroes, Wells and McComas were buried together and exhumed twice before finally being laid to rest with great fanfare in 1858. In signing the Treaty, both sides agreed to cease the encouragement of native uprisings against the other, and "use their best endeavours to accomplish" the abolition of slavery. He was the grandfather of writer Edgar Allan Poe. March. (Baltimore) wasdefended by extremely Strong Works on every Side, and immediately in front of us by an extensive Hill on which was an entrenched Camp and great quantities of artillery, and at least 15 to 20,000 Men. Brigadier General (John) Stricker took a good position at the junction of the two roads leading from this place to North Point, having his right flanked by Bear Creek and his left by a marsh. replied: "No, Sir they don't know how to run; they will die by their guns first. The Sophia episode was just one of numerous times the British stopped American merchant ships sometimes forcing crewmen into the Royal Navy. British encamped at Queenstown, Queen Annes County. The failed bombardment of Fort McHenry forced the British to abandon their land assault on the crucial port city of Baltimore. Treaty of Ghent ratified by U.S. Senate, officially ending the war. Skirmish at Frenchtown, Cecil County. Militia withdrew to Centreville. [46] Ten cannon and two colors, belonging to the 1st Harford Light Dragoons {Maryland} and the James City Light Infantry {VA},[47] were captured by the British. Commodore Joshua Barney proposed construction of Chesapeake Flotilla to U.S. Department of the Navy. Aug. 2. Both were quickly shot dead by British soldiers. The 1767 farmhouse was part of an intricate early warning system that included schooners and gunboats, shore stations, and horse relays. British forces landed at Blakeford, Queen Anne's County. As many as 1,200 British soldiers would be stationed there. [8], By April 1814, Napoleon had been defeated and was exiled to the island of Elba off the coast of Italy, and large numbers of British ships and troops were now free to be used to prosecute the former backwater war with the United States. PDF Note to Teachers: This War of 1812 Unit was originally created for a 5 Fort McHenry British defeated County militia. Since the war began, the American Navy had defeated the Royal Navy in several major battles, but in 1813, the British, determined to reassert their superiority on the seas, reinforced their fleet and expanded their blockade of American ports, as well as the Chesapeake Bay. I feel pride in the belief that the stand made on Monday, in no small degree, tended to check the temerity of the foe, daring to invade a country like ours, and designing the destruction of our city While the British were committed in the West, the American Army launched an attack on the Canadian capital of York (now Toronto). That same night the British entered Washington unopposed and set fire to many of the government buildings in what became known as the Burning of Washington. Maryland was founded in 1634 as the Maryland Colony and was founded by Lord Baltimore. [48], Black troops also fought on the British side with the Corps of Colonial Marines in the attacks on Bladensburg and Washington DC. Following an initial victory at North Point, the British forces bombarded Baltimore from land and sea. Chesapeake-Shannon Battle. 1460 men) in the rear, composite battalion (formed from ship-based Marines) commanded by Captain. At its peak it produced one-fifth of all the U.S. powder. The Battle of Lake Erie was a naval battle fought by the United States Navy and the British Royal Navy on 10 September 1813 in western Lake Erie during the War of 1812 . Search the Manual Thornton's light brigade made several frontal attacks over the creek, but were repulsed three times by artillery fire, and were counter-attacked by Barney's detachment. However, when the British later withdrew to their ships in the Patuxent, discipline was less effective (partly because of fatigue) and there was considerable looting by foraging parties and by stragglers and deserters. Battle of Slippery Hill, Queenstown, Queen Annes County. The warning was relayed to Baltimores Federal Hill. [37] Thornton was badly wounded and his light infantry were driven back with heavy casualties. Captain Lawrence and a large number of the Chesapeake's officers and crew were new to the ship and untrained in its weaponry, while the Shannon's crew were highly-trained gunners, meticulously drilled by their captain. The United States Cavalry: an illustrated history, 1776 1944. The practice of impressment, forcing American sailors into the British navy, was one of the causes of the War of 1812. In an effort to quell such assaults, as well as hamper transport of goods or troops by sea, the British Navy blockaded much of the eastern seaboard. Prince George's County had also established a museum for the battle at the Bladensburg Waterfront Park, but the museum is indefinitely closed. As Defenders Day, Maryland has commemorated the Battle of North Point and writing of the national anthem since 1908. A scene of horror and murder ensued as the mob stormed the jail, killing or wounded the occupants.