| War of 1812 North American Grand Tactical: September 20 - 21, 2008 |
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It is no coincidence that Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum has been tapped to host the War of 1812 North American Grand Tactical. JPPM sits on the site of the Battle of St. Leonard Creek of 1814, which together make up the largest naval engagement in the State of Maryland’s history. The following history of the War of 1812 has been adapted from Dr. Ralph Eshelman’s publication “Maryland’s Largest Naval Engagement.” |
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What was the War of 1812 and how did it begin? Contrary to popular belief, the War of 1812 was NOT the “Second War for Independence.” The British were not attempting to retake the United States, rather seeking to protect their remaining North American interest, Canada. Maritime issues were the main cause of the War of 1812; it is estimated that in 1807, over 1,000 Maryland sailors has been illegally forced into service on British warships. It was a combination of these repeated maritime issues and the desire for national expansion into Canada that caused the War of 1812. Commodore Barney and the Chesapeake Flotilla In December of 1812, the British blockaded the Delaware and the Chesapeake Bays. At this time, the United States had no navy to defend the Chesapeake, nor its access to the nation’s capital. In an effort to protect the citizens of the Chesapeake, Captain Joshua Barney, a Revoluntionary War hero, established the “United States Chesapeake Flotilla,” which was comprised of seven 75-foot barges, six 50-foot barges, two gunboats, one row-galley, one lookout boat and the 49' sloop-rigged flagship Scorpion. These 18 vessels left Baltimore in May of 1814 to engage the British at Tangier Island. The Battle of St. Leonard Creek The First Battle of St. Leonard Creek occurred on June 10, 1814, followed by the Second Battle of St. Leonard Creek on June 26, 1814. During the First Battle, six hours of continuous fighting produced no lost American lives, and the Flotilla succeed in its mission of harassing the British Navy. During the Second Battle, both American and British forces withdrew, with the British retreating down the Patuxent for repairs and the Americans holding the St. Leonard Creek position and then withdrawing up the Patuxent. “Thus, we have beat them and their rockets, which they did not spare...The moment the enemy ran off, we moved up the river, so that thanks to hot and cold shot, the blockade is raised.” - Joshua Barney, June 29, 1814. Eshelman, Ralph E., Maryland’s Largest Naval Engagement. St. Leonard, Maryland: Friends of Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum, 2005. |
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Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum |
