The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1922-06-15

sailing vessels afOat had set fGyth from beside
Its parapets. Ending the frigates that once i'm
pressed American seamen, these lght-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 pri-
vateerS and pirates" II 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
q wedge 10 drive the North and South apart. Then
Fredericksburg and Richmond could be threatened
captured on the SOUTH Philadelphia and New
York on the north.
The British driving south from Canada
and were at PlattSburg They proposed 70 sweep
down and make junction with the 5000 troops
quartered the fleet in the Chesapeake. Then
by uniting their forces from Lake Champaign and
the Chesapeake and having neutralized New Eng
land they would cOerce and subjugate America
again.
Washington had fallen easily. body of our reg
ulhrs and militia had been defeated at Bladens-
burg, and the Chesapeake coast line was at the
mercy of the 'redcOas'-all but that section pro-
tected by the guns of Fort McHenry and troops
gathered in the vicinity. To be ptted against our
soldiers were continental veterans fresh from
their victories the continent Of Europe In the
Chesapeake were not only WelingtOn's Invncibles
but Nelson's marines. distinguished at Trafalgar
and the battle of the Nile.
The invading feet numbered some fifty sail
a large proportion Of them classed as men-of-war
and frigates of the line Against this armada
with its troop transports, America could oppose
nothing aflOat
The hope of the Middle Atlantic seabOord and
perhaps the Union itself lay in the city of BaIti
more. and the hope of Baltimore lay in the carri-
son. and guns Of Fort McFIenry and such nm
trained troops could be mustered for other land
defenses.
Ne wonder that Gen. Sir Robert Ross who COM
manded the British troops. declared that he
would "eat his supper in Baltimore" subseGuenr
to his first day land. Nothing seemed TO him
more certain even if as he said lit rains militia
Baltimore was picked to be his winter headquar-
tiers and logical base for further operations
north south west
Early on Sunday morning, September H. the
alarm was sounded through the streets of Balti-
more. The British fleet had entered the Patapsco
river. The cannon doomed on the courthouse
plaza, 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 a blazing sun
men and women tOed with pick and shovel 70
throw up breastwOrks at every approach TO the
city and It's chief reliance Fort McHenry Mai
Gen Samuel Smith was in command of the mi
litia, and under him was Brigader General
Stricken. Sailors, Lacking ships to 90 to sea were
converted into land forces under the brilliant Com
mOdOre John Rogers.
Before dawn had Strcaked the sky on the 10Th
of September the British were astir and boat after
boat carried men and arms to North Point where
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 Adj
mral COckburn, who was hated for his plundering
OF defenseless villages. Admiral Sir Alexander
COchrane. successor of Admiral Warren as CON-
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 1t that two youths perched in
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 dismay
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