John Miller
The most forgotten war in
America's history is the War of 1812. Overshadowed by
the Neapolitan's War in Europe, the War of 1812 is known
as the Second War for American Independence. Although
the major campaigns were fought in the Great Lakes and
Canadian region, a campaign was launched by the British
that focused on our nations newly formed capital city of
Washington. The only time that an enemy force has ever
entered the city.
On June 18, 1812 the United States
declared war on Great Britain. The reasons for a war was because
the Royal Navy was boarding US ships and taking back English
escaped sailors. William Cobbet an Englishman said "They seemed to
be wanting just such a war as this to complete the separation of
England from America; and make the latter feel that she had no
safety against the former but in the arms of her free citizens."
During the beginning of the War of 1812, the American territory
was penetrated at three different points, by way of Lake
Champlain, the Chesapeake Bay, and the Mississippi.
The British began an offensive campaign of
capturing Washington in the summer of 1814. With much speculation
of invasion, the Americans began construction of earth works on
Fort McHenry by winter of 1813 to initiated preparations for a
defensive campaign. The final year of the War of 1812 was
distinguished by a greater invasive vigorous British force than
what had earlier distinguished them.
As preparations on the Chesapeake were
carried out, Captains Michael Sluss, Jacob Row, and privates
Michael C. Adelsberger, James Storm, Felix B. Taney, Jesse Nusseur,
John Wetzel, and Peter Remby were all men from the Emmitsburg
area, who joined the Maryland Militia to help defend Baltimore and
Washington from the threat of a possible British infringement.
Although Emmitsburg was a forgotten footnote in American history,
the Toms Creek area became famous due to one individual, named
Francis Scott Key.
Francis Scott Key (son of General John
Ross Key) was born on August 1, 1779, in western Maryland on the
family estate outside of Tom's Creek called Terra Ruba. He was the
son of an established Maryland family, and attended grammar school
at Annapolis when he was 10 years old. At the age of 17, he
graduated from St. Johns College in Annapolis and moved to
Frederick, Maryland. He became a lawyer in Frederick until he
moved to Georgetown. By 1805 he had established in law practice in
Georgetown, Maryland and became one of the best lawyers in
Washington. Francis Scott Key was a religious man and was involved
in the Episcopal Church. Although opposed to the war, he served
for a brief period with the Georgetown Light Field Artillery.
During the Battle of Bladensburg, Key was
assigned of giving out field positions to the American troops. As
the British began preparations to attack Fort McHenry, Francis
Scott Key was taken into captivity while arranging Dr. Beans'
release and witnessed the British bombardment of Fort McHenry in
the Baltimore Harbor. He often wrote poems and the sight of the
American flag still flying over the fort at daybreak inspired him
to write the poem entitled "The Star-Spangled Banner," which he
set to the tune of an old English drinking song called, "To
Anacreon in Heaven.
President James Madison warned his cabinet
that he expected the British to attack Washington. The president
then selected General Winder to command a newly created Tenth
Military District that covered Maryland, Northern Virginia, and
the District of Columbia. General Winder and 500 troops were
available for defense of Washington, as the troops were quartered
in the near by forts in Washington. With much debate with the
number of troops he had in his command, he could not order the
defenses of Washington to be reinforced by additional troops until
there was imminent danger.
The worn tried British had marched in
quick time for seven miles. The British Army still felt the
swaying of the sea in their knees as some of the soldiers dropped
dead in their tracks. As British approached Bladensburg the danger
became more than threatening, as they clashed for three hours with
a much stronger American force on August 24. Reinforcements
arrived on August 23rd bring the total to 6,000 men to contest a
British force of 4,000 men. The unprepared British came onto the
field without their Sharpshooters. The Americans thought how
strange for the British to engage without support of their
Sharpshooters. The Americans had thought a quick victory was at
hand.
The defense's on the American right flank
consisted of the Baltimore Artillery, who were entrenched on a
knoll over looking the bridge that the British had to use. The
Secretary of State James Monroe had arrived on the field and
helped changed General Tobias Stansbury's deployments giving the
Americans a chance for victory. General Stansbury's command fired
a massive volley at the on coming British allies under Duke
Wellington, as they began to scatter.
Seeing the British approach and the
deployment of their artillery the Baltimore artillery held off the
British. As the British began to charge the bridge, Colonel
Thornton gave the order to his command to charge. The Baltimore
artillery had no chance to fire the oncoming British as Colonel
Thornton's early charge did not allow them time to weaken the
army. The British seeing the American advance, the red coats
hurried as they placed their three cannon and began to fire at the
defenses of the Americans. As the British engaged Colonel
Thornton's small army, they began to break through.
The British soon advanced on Colonel
Wadsworth's Baltimore Artillery, seeing the British charge,
Wadsworth gave the command "load" as the Americans mistakenly
placed the wadding in the barrel of the cannon, before placing the
charge of powder, and this left the Americans fleeing, leaving
both cannon behind. The 5th regiment was ordered to support the
Baltimore Artillery; soon they were repulsed as rockets flew in
the air. The British with three cannon and the Congreve Rocket
petrified the militia as they broke and fled after a few volleys
were fired. The right of the American army began to splinter, as
General Winder pleaded with these men not to retreat and advance
the British. The whole right flank of the American army started to
retreat. Out of 1350 men the Americans had only fifty stayed and
fought before they to retreated. The Americans were breaking
giving the National Turnpike to the British, as the militia was in
full flight as they were insufficiently trained to withdraw in
good order. At this point private Henry Fulford quoted "Our main
objective was to flee from the British and head to a near by
swamp. During the American retreat President Madison and his party
became lost with each person heading into a different direction.
The Americans received reinforcements from
Commodore Joshua Barney and 400 seamen and marines who arrived at
Bladensburg and formed the second line of battle. The sailors and
the marines held as long as they could while the Americans
retreated. The only defense of the Americans had to slow the
British advance on Washington, was a battery of five naval cannon.
This prevented the British advance on the Washington Pike. Only
the sailors and marines held firm, but the British eventually
maneuvered around them. Commodore Joshua Barney and his battalion
were the only Americans to gain credit for the day. President
Madison was tracking down the Secretary of War to find out what
steps were in the works to meet the final British assault, he was
shocked and disheartened to find out there was no plan. By 4:00
P.M. the Battle of Bladensburg was over, it had lasted three
hours.
The position of American troops at
Bladensburg was improperly coordinated; because President James
Madison on the field had the ideal he was over all commander of
the army, not allowing the other officers to peruse their ideals.
General Winder himself contributed to the defeat by ordering the
militiamen to retire before they were properly deployed. The
militia's performance at the battle of Bladensburg was among the
worst in American history up to that point. The Battle of
Blandensburg became known as "The Bladenburg Races." After a few
hours rest the British formed up and continued on toward
Washington. The route at Bladensburg allowed the British to take
Washington that night, in a dishonorable instance of vandalism on
the part of the British commanders, the public buildings were
burned. That night the British camped outside of Washington
resting their weary troops.
On August 25, the British approached the
heart of Washington, march down Constitution Avenue bearing a flag
of truce and demand a surrender. Suddenly from a house window the
flag of truce is fired upon. The British troops rushed into the
house where the shots had been fired from, and put all who were
found in the house to the sword and then reduced the house to
ashes. They went onto burn and destroy every building connected to
the government. This was a major embarrassment to our nation,
which resulted disastrously to the Americans as important
historical landmarks and official government documents were
destroyed. The British stayed in Washington for two nights as the
city laid in agony. The weather had turned for the worst, as a
hurricane made landfall. This forced the British to abandon
Washington the next night.
Early September, after their success in
Washington, the British decided to follow up with an attack on
Baltimore. This city was an attractive target not only because it
was a large commercial center and an important base for privateers
but also because it was such a hotbed of algophobia. On the
afternoon of September 11, General John Stricker of the American
army marches out of Baltimore toward North Point with 3,200 men.
That evening he encamped seven miles from the city near the
Methodist-meeting house. The next morning a British force of 5,000
landed at North Point under the command of General Robert Ross and
Admiral George Cockburn.
At 7 A.M. on September 12, General
Stricker receives word of the British landing and orders all
baggage to the rear, while he arranges his brigade into three
defense lines at the narrowest point between the Patapsco and Back
Rivers. At noon the two forces met and a brief skirmish erupts.
During the skirmish, British General Ross was killed. The command
was then given to Colonel Arthur Brooke. Colonel Brooke brings up
the Light Infantry and Rocket Batteries and encounters General
Stricker's 3rd Brigade. Unable to hold his left flank against a
British flanking assault, he orders an orderly fallback to the
defenses of Baltimore City on Hampstead Hill. By 4 p.m. General
Sticker the burning of a large ropewalk (a long, low building used
for manufacturing rope for ships), creating "a very brilliant
light" that temporarily causes panic in Baltimore. British
warships began to sail up the river to take position two miles
from Fort McHenry.
By 5:30 A.M. on September 13, the British
warships commence the bombardment of Fort McHenry, their artillery
quickly reply. British warships then move out to sea and anchor
out of range from the fort's cannon. While on land at north Point,
the British push forward and try to out flank the American left,
but is countered. As the British return to their former position
east of Hampstead Hill, Colonel Brooke considers a frontal assault
at midnight upon the American left flank. If he would pursue this
plan, he would need the British navy to distract the Americans. As
the British continued to attack Fort McHenry, a British mortar
shell make a direct hit on Bastion Number 3 dismounting a 24-pound
cannon and killing Lt. Levi Claggett and Sergeant John Clemm of
the Baltimore Fencibles.
The British, believing they had executed
severe damage, moved nearer to the fort. With the British ships
now within range of the fort's guns, the American defenders
respond with all available guns, scoring several hits. As the land
battle of North Point was underway, Colonel Brooke receives a
message from the Vice Admiral that the ships cannot lend support
to his assault because sunken vessels and the extensive American
shore batteries block the channel. The British intend to engage
the western shore batteries and create a diversion in hopes of
pulling the Americans from Hampstead Hill to support the threat on
Fort McHenry and the backdoor of their defenses, favoring an
assault by Brook's forces on Hampstead Hill.
The British continued their march to
Baltimore. After getting within sight of the cities defenses, the
British decided to turn back because they could not lure the
Americans out from their defensive works. Meanwhile Cohchrane had
brought up his bomb and rocket ships to attack Fort McHenry. Major
George Armistead stood with 1000 men to defend the fort. Cohcrane
wanted to silence the guns of the fort so that he could bring in
the smaller ships and then weaken the American lines.
As midnight approached, the British
flotilla proceeds with its diversionary plan up the Ferry Branch.
Colonel Brooke has already decided to withdraw the Army and return
to their shipping at North Point. Once word of Brooke's decision
would not reach the Navy in time to cancel the Ferry Branch
offensive. The American defenders at Forts Covington and Babcock
discover the British flotilla offshore and open a crossfire on the
barges. Two barges are sunk. After the bombardment, Fort McHenry
ceases its fire against the British ships. By 7 a.m. the next
morning, the British cease-fire and begin to withdraw. As the last
British ship sails down river, Fort McHenry raises the
Star-Spangled Banner over the ramparts. That evening, a small
cartel vessel passes Fort McHenry and docks at Fells Point and on
board is Francis Scott Key.
The British bombardment of Fort McHenry
began at 5:00 a.m. on the morning of September 13, as a young
lawyer named Francis Scott Key watched the red glare of the
British rockets, the bombs bursting in air over the Fort and wrote
a poem about the flag that was still flying over the fort after a
siege of three days and nights. The British gave up the siege and
retreated, the Americans had held out, it was a heartening victory
and a version of Key's poem would become our National Anthem.
After the War of 1812 Francis Scott Key
continued practicing law. He was the district attorney in
Washington, D.C. until his death on January 11, 1843. He is buried
at Mount Olive Cemetery in Frederick, Maryland. "The Star-Spangled
Banner," which Francis Scott Key wrote became our country's
national anthem in 1931.
Today, Tera Ruba (Latin for Red Earth)
stands as a monument in honor of Francis Scott Key outside of Toms
Creek in the small town of Keysville. The surroundings can still
give a visitor a feeling of how the Toms Creek area looked like in
the early 1800's. The area is known to have old stone houses and
also a stone bridge that can give a visitor a feel of being back
in time. Although the property is in private ownership, the
Maryland Plantation of Tera Ruba has played an important role in
the founding and protection of this country. From the days of the
War for Independence to the Second War of Independence, Tera Ruba
has a special history of its own.
The only monuments for their brave acts
during the War of 1812 are the tombstones in which these soldiers
of Emmitsburg sleep. May their deeds go unnoticed. In James
Helman's 1906 book A
History of Emmitsburg history he list those who are buried
in the Cemeteries around the Toms Creek area and they are as
follows:
- Michael C. Adelsberger
- Jesse Nusseur
- Paxton Peter Remby
- Capt. Jacob Row
- Capt. Michael Sluss
- James Storm
- Felix B. Taney
- John Wetzel
A personal note: While researching this
article, I ran into two of my ancestors who fought in the War of
1812. Private Miller Junkins, died December 1, 1814 and Private
John Durst who served in the First Rifle Battalion Maryland
Militia . My mother has always told me Francis Scott Key is a
relation in my family heritage.
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