The Raymer enterprise., 1922-06-01

sailing vessels ahoat had set forth from beside
Its parapets. Eludlng the frigates that once i'm
pressed American seanen, these light-armed clip
per ships pursued and captured enemy merchant.
men BY the hundred, prisoners by he thousands
and booty that ran into millions.
To the enemy the waters Of the Chesapeake
had now become little better than NEST Of pr.
yateers and pirates" II was clear to them that
the Chesapeake must be rid Of these pests the
federal capital captured, and Baltimore forced to
pay for damage done and be made the point Of
wedge to drive the North and South apart Then
Fredericksburg and Richmond could be threatened
or captured on the south, Philadelphia and New
York on the north
The British were driving south from Canada
and were at Plattsburg. They proposed to sweep
down and make a junction with the 1900 troops
CHARTERED on the feet In the Chesapeake. Then
BY uniting their forces from Lake Champlain and
the Chesapeake and having neutrallzed New Eng.
land. they would coerce and subjugate America
once AGAIN.
Washington had fallen easily body of our reg.
ulars and militia had been defeated at Bladens.
burg and the Chesapeake coast line was at the
mercy OF the "redcoats"-all but that section pro-
tected by the guns Of Fort McHenry and troops
gathered In the vicinity. To be pitted against our
soldiers were continental veterans fresh from
their victories on the continent OF Europe In the
Chesapeake were not only Wellington's Invincibles
but Nelson's marines. distinguished at Trafalgar
and the battle Of the Nile
The invading feet numbered some fftv mil
q large proportion Of them classed as men.ofwar
and frigates Of the line. Against this armada
with Its troop Transports America could oppose
nothing aaoat
The hope Of the Middle Atlantic seaboard and
perhaps the Union itself lay In the city of Bal,i.
more. and the hope OF Baltimore lay In the parri
son and guns OF Fort McHenry and such IN.
trained troops as could be mustered for other lana
defenses
No wonder that Gen. Sir Robert Ross who con.
manded the British troops, declared that he
would "eat his supper In Baltimore" subseopent
to his first day on land Nothing seemed to him
more certain even IT, as he said at rains militia -
Baltimore was picked to be his winter headouar
tiers and logical base for further operafions
north, south or west
Early on Sunday morning. September II. the
alarm was sounded through the streets of Rolti.
more. The British feet had entered the Patapsco
r. r. The cannon doomed on the courtbouse
paza summoning the militia to arms.
The defensive force and equipment OF Fort Nc
Henry were supplied largely by the citizens of the
beleaguered port. Regardless Of blazing sun,
"'eh anu ""meh toileu Win PICK ana shovel 70
throw up breastworks at every approach to rho
city and Its chief reliance, Fort McHenry. Mai
Gen. Samuel Smith was In command of tho mi.
litla, and under him was Brlgadier Genera,
Stricken. Sailors, lacking ships to 90 to sea were
converted Into land forces under the brilliant Com
modore John Rogers
Before dawn had streaked the sky on the 10Th
OF September the British were astir and boat after
boat carried men and arms to North Point WHARF
now stands Fort Howard. General Ross. who had
won his laurels In Holland Egypt and the penin.
sula, took command. At his side was Rear "A.
miral Cockburn. who was hated for his plunderinp
OF defenseless villages Admiral Sir AIerander
Cochrane. successor of Admiral Warren as com.
mander In chief Of the British forces In America.
remained on his flagship and In person supervised
the plans for the attack by water
The American commanders sent forward out.
posts to engage the British. and scarcely were
the latter assembled on shore when General Ross
fell Tradition has It that two youths, perched in
a tree. shot him when he passed within range Of
their rifles As he was carried to the rear he de-
manded that he be covered. for fear the knowledge
Of his fall would reach his men and dlsmay
them. Shortly after giving these directions he
lost consciousness and died In the arms Of his
aid, Sir Duncan McDougall.
The encounter at North Point was that phase of
the engagements which In their entirety might be
called the Battle Of Baltimore the attack upon