The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1914-10-20

command of Gen. Samuel Smith. a
Revolutionary veteran, and General
Stricken, the former as commander
in-cmef of the defense OF the city and
the latter an active head of the de-
fensive operations.
To aid in. these operations of de-
tense was Fort McHenry, at the
mouth of the Patapsco river, just out
side ct the city, by no means formid-
able fortress. 1t was not bomb-proof,
and Its armament, even for that day,
was woefully inadequate. On the OPP
poslte side of the river earthwOrks
had been hastily thrown up under the
direction of General Smith, and behind
tnese were mounted 100 small cannon.
This was at a place then known as
Hampstead HILL" and it still bears
that name, although it is included In
what is now Patterson park, one of
Baltimore's pleasure grounds. Guns
were also posted at North Point, some
distance away, and at Lazaretto Point.
directly opposite Fort McHenry.
To the hurried erecting of these for
tifications practically the entire popu-
lation of Baltimore-men, women and
children-devoted itself as soon as it
was learned that the British purposed
an attack upon the city.
On September II the dread news
that the enemy's fleet was off the har-
Dor was made known. This fleet con-
sisted of SO ships, an extremely pow
erful armada for that day, carrying
5000 veteran troops.
Troops were landed from the fleet
on Monday, September IL, and on that
day began the first fight, known as
THE battle of North Point" For the
number of men engaged, it was an ex-
ceedingly sanguinary affair. 1t began
British and ended with the Americans
in possession of the field, after hot
fight of doubtful issue.
Riding at the head of his troops,
General Ross was the first man to
fall. A few American skirmishers
posted along the line Of march of the
British saw their approach. Tradi-
ton has it that two young sharpshoOt-
ers, Daniel Wells and Henry c. Nc
Comas, selected General Ross as their
target in the hope of hating the Brit
ish advance, and fired at him with un-
erring aim. These two boys, respect
lively eighteen and nineteen years old,
were secreted in clump of bushes
and Immediately after they had NOR
tally wounded the British commander
they were killed, as they were certain
to be, by a tremendous volley fired
into their shelter. A monument to
those two lads stands today in AL
SOUTH square, at the conjunction of
Gay, Monument and Alsquith streets,
in the city of Baltimore, being one of
the several structures of the kind
which gave it the name of the Mon
umental city"
But this disaster only meant tenn
porary check to the British. Under
the direction of Admiral Cockburn
and Colonel Brooke, they continued to
dUNduCS, anu HI the early dllSIuOOn
began the real battle Of North Point.
The Americans were short of ammuni-
ton, but determinedly poured a fire of
shot, slugs, old nails and scrap iron
into their foes. Fearful execution was
done during the hour and a half Of
this fights duration, after which Gen.
eral Stricken fell back in good order
20 his base, near Hampstead Hill.
The American loss was $50 killed and
the British Goo
A heavy rainstorm halted further
fighting for the day, and at night, leav-
ing their campfres burning, the Brit
ish withdrew to the cover of their
ships, defeated in their attempt to
carry the defending works, and trust
ing to their feet to reduce Fort Nc
Henry and thus give them an easier
entrance into the city
And in the meantime what of the
fort? During the day of the battle OF
North Point it was idle, It's defenders.
under the intrepid Major George Arm
istead, awaiting the inevitable attack.
1t came the next morning.
In order to prevent the passage of
the British feet into the mouth Of
the river and thus render it able d.