Second presentation by Ralph Eshelman

1. Battles, Raids, and
Graves:
The War of 1812
In
SOUTHERN
Maryland
Ralph Eshelman

2. War of 1812
Icons
Uncle Sam
Old Iron Sides
Old Hickory

3. War of 1812 battlefields 78
War of 1812 associated properties 136
Properties associated with Rev War and 1812 40

5. War of 1812 Resources in Maryland:
battlefields
skirmish sites
raid sites
earthwork sites
buildings and sites where important events took place
historic routes
monuments, memorials, and statues
museums which have pertinent collections and displays
homes and grave sites of individuals associated with the war

6. Benedict
• British raid Benedict with no
opposition on June 15, 1814.
• British raid Benedict June 21, 1814
but are repulsed after skirmish. Five
or six British soldiers captured and
a sergeant killed. One American,
Francis Wise, killed.
• 4,370 British troops land
without opposition on August 19-20,
1814. Few realized this was an
invasion force which would beat
the American troops at the Battle
of Bladensburg and capture
Washington.

7. Hog Neck Creek
Sotterley Creek Sotterley
Point

8. Sotterley
June 13, 1814 – about 300 militiamen
assemble at Sotterley to support
American troops at St. Leonard
Creek.
June 14, 1814 - British cannonade
plantation and burn warehouse.
Thirty-nine slaves escape.

9. Fenno Road extended

10. Col. George Dent and Capt. John Beckett
GRAVES

11. St. Thomas Chapel

12. Upper Marlboro, Prince George’s County

13. BATTLES
Battles of St. Leonard Creek

14. Second Battle of St. Leonard Creek

15. Corn grows in the same
fields where the Battle
of Caulks Field took
place August 31, 1814
Kent County

16. SKIRMISH SITES
“Battle of Cedar Point”

17. I am sorry to see you...have such a mean opinion of the citizens of Calvert...to think that the
militia could not fight...for the defense of old [Joshua] Barney who has been the means of
ruining Calvert for if he had never of come in the Patuxent the British would never have
thought nor had an idea that they could come as high as Lower Marlboro in the world but by
his going down the Bay and giving them a challenge as it were he could not think they would
let him return without following him up and he pitched on the Patuxent as a place of safety
and as he knew Calvert St. Marys Charles and Prince George’s County were all Federalist he
thought it would be the means of making them all advocates of old Jim [James] Madison but
this has enraged them so that a great many that were in favor of him now are abusing him
every day but I think when I tell you the mischief the British have done it will be enough to
make you and every man abuse Jim Madison and old Barney in Hell...
Thomas B. King, July 14, 1814
RAIDS

18. courtesy
Peter Himmelheber

19. Fort Point, Corsica River, Centreville, Queen Anne’s County
Earthworks

20. Propaganda
British account of raid: on 30th. We went 20 miles up the Wicomico River, there took possession
of the Town of Chaptico – where some Ladies who had heard of our good behaviour at Leonards
Town remained – and sang and played on the Piano. We took from thence 70 Hhds. of tobacco,
some flour, & military stores but preserved their houses purchased from them stock and various
articles of provisions. The men all fled, but the Ladies remained to see the wonderful [Rear]
Admrl. [George] Cockburn and the British folks (Capt. Robert Rowley report to his superiors,
August 1814)

21. Propaganda
American account of raid: they [British] got about 30 hhds. [hogsheads] of tobacco and no other
plunder, the inhabitants having moved all their property out of their grasp. Yet here they made a
most furious attack on every window, door, and pane of glass in the village, not one was left in
the whole....They picked their stolen geese in the church, dashed the pipes of the church organ
on the pavement, opened a family vault in the churchyard, broke open the coffins, stirred the
bones about with their hands in search of hidden treasure… (Baltimore Niles’ Weekly Register,
August 14, 1814)

22. Calvert Marine Museum War of 1812 Exhibit
EXHIBITS

23. Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum
War of 1812 Exhibit

24. Grand Tactical
Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum
September 20-21, 2008

25. Summary of War of 1812 military actions in Calvert County
Battles (2): First Battle of St. Leonard Creek, June 10, 1814
Second Battle of St. Leonard Creek, June 26, 1814
Skirmishes (4): Dares Beach, August 1, 1814
Hall Creek, June 16, 1814
Hollands Cliffs, June 17, 1814
St. Leonard Creek, June 8-9, 1814
Raids (14): Broomes Island, June 12, 1814
Calverton, July 19, 1814
Cove Point, June 1, 1814
Drum Point, September 2-18, 1814
Gods Grace Plantation, July 17, 1814
Hallowing Point, July 21, 1814
Huntingtown, July 17, 1814
Lower Marlboro, June 16-17, 1814
Point Patience, June 26, 1814
Prince Frederick, July 19, 1814
Rousby Hall, June 9, 1814
St. Leonard Creek, June 11, 1814
Sheridan Point, July 22, 1814
Taney Place, July 20, 1814

26. Summary of War of 1812 military actions in Charles County
Skirmishes (4): Benedict, June 21, 1814
Indian Head, September 5-6, 1814
Lower Cedar Point, July, 1814
Woodland Point, July 16, 1813
Raids (2): Benedict, June 15, 1814
Bryantown, summer, 1814
Encampments (2): Benedict, August 19, 1814
Patuxent City, August 20, 1814

27. Summary of War of 1812 military actions in St. Mary’s County
Skirmishes (3): Cedar Point, June 1, 1814
Point Lookout, late spring, 1813
Porto Bello, August 27, 1814
Raids (17): Brenton Bay, fall, 1814
Carroll Plantation, August 13, 1814
Cedar Point, June 3, 1814
Cedar Point, July 17, 1814
Chaptico, July 30, 1814
Coles Landing, June 18, 1814
Great Mills, August 12, 1814
Leonardtown, July 19, 1814
St. Clement Bay, July 23, 1814 and August 27, 1814
St. Clement Island, November 2, 1813
St. George Island, November 1-9, 1813
St. Inigoes Manor, October 30, 1814
St. Jerome Creek, July 4, 1813 and June 1, 1814
St. Mary’s River, August 11-12, 1814 and September 27, 1814
Scott Neck, August 17, 1814
Sotterley, June 14, 1814
Trent Hall, July, 1814
Woodlawn, August 22, 1814

28. Battle for Baltimore
Battle of North Point, September 12, 1814
Bombardment of Fort McHenry, September
13-14, 1814
Battle of Bladensburg, August 24, 1814
Battle of Caulks Field, August 31, 1814
First Battle of St. Leonard Creek, June 10, 1814
Second Battle of St. Leonard Creek, June 26, 1814
Battle of St. Michaels, August 26, 18131
Summary of Patuxent River military resources
Battles 2
Skirmishes 8
Raids 24
Encampments 5
Gun batteries 3
Defensive boom 1
MARYLAND BATTLES

29. What state suffered more from the enemy during the War of 1812?

30. What state suffered more from the enemy during the War of 1812?
• While the other states have not been inventoried to extent that Maryland has
thus far, it can be argued that MARYLAND experienced more battles,
skirmishes and raids than any other state.

31. What state suffered more from the enemy during the War of 1812?
• While the other states have not been inventoried to extent that Maryland has
thus far, it can be argued that MARYLAND experienced more battles,
skirmishes and raids than any other state.
• Both shores of the Patuxent River suffered as much or more than any other
region of the state.

32. What state suffered more from the enemy during the War of 1812?
• While the other states have not been inventoried to extent that Maryland has
thus far, it can be argued that MARYLAND experienced more battles,
skirmishes and raids than any other state.
• Both shores of the Patuxent River suffered as much or more than any other
region of the state.
• The Patuxent River valley has a tremendous resource base rooted in the
War of 1812.

33. What state suffered more from the enemy during the War of 1812?
• While the other states have not been inventoried to extent that Maryland has
thus far, it can be argued that MARYLAND experienced more battles,
skirmishes and raids than any other state.
• Both shores of the Patuxent River suffered as much or more than any other
region of the state.
• The Patuxent River valley has a tremendous resource base rooted in the
War of 1812.
• How will Maryland and this region preserve and interpret these resources?

34. Maryland is fortunate to have a
diverse and in some instances
significant resources related to
the War of 1812.
Challenges include:
• Lack of research on many
sites
• Lack of interpretation
• Some sites are on private
property or on restricted military lands
Opportunities include:
Signage and interpretive displays
Driving, bicycle and boat excursion tours
Reenactments
Cooperative programs among sites, counties, and state