The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1928-09-06

The British admiral sent up a flag
Of truce under preteXt of forwarding
a letter to the Secretary of State, but
he was evidently seeking information
about Baltimore's defenses. The Of
ficer in charge of the flag of truce was
detained by one of our barges about
four miles from the city, and when he
learned that the report was true that
the people Of Baltimore had mounted
these extra guns at Fort McHenry it
evidently persuaded Admiral Cock
burn to change his plans to attack the
city at that time, because his fleet
sailed up the bay, where they took
Havre de Grace, occupied Spesutia Is
land and sacked Fredericktown and
Georgetown, on the Sassafras river
The British stayed in the upper
part of the Chesapeake all summer,
landing at St. Michaels and at other
places on the Eastern Shore and men
acing Annapolis. From another en-
campment near Point Lookout they
ravaged the Potomac and the PatuX
ent sections until the whole bay was
under their control.
On August 8 fifteen of their vessels
moved up in sight of Baltimore and
prepared for an attack, but when
they saw that the fortifcation around
the city were properly manned it dis
Outraged them and in few days the
fleet again moved off and occupied
Kent Island, from which place they
marauded the Eastern Shore and
Anne Arundel county. In November
the most of this fleet left for Bermu
da to be repaired, returning in the
spring of 1914 with reinforcements.
Although the British fleets had been
blockading the Chesapeake and ravag-
ing it's shores almost within sight of
the City of Washington, there were on
June 1, 1914, but 2,20S soldiers of the
regular army in the whole district
from Norfolk to Baltimare. On July 2
the Tenth Military district was form
ed, consisting of the State of Mary
land, the District of Columbia and
that part of Virginia lying between
the Rapahannock and the Potomac.
On July 9, General Winder, command
ing that district, whose entire force of
regular troops was between 700 and
800 men, suggested that 1000 militia
should be called out, 1000 of whom
should be stationed between the South
river and Washington, and 1000 in
the vicinity of Baltimore.
On August 20 General Winder's
suggestion was approved, and on that
same day the British fleet, accompan-
led by their new troops from the war
in Wellington's Invincibles-
assembled the Patuxent and forced Bar
ney to burn his fleet. They disembark-
ed at Pig Point and moved on to Up
per Marlborough, and at daylight on
August "a General Ross began his
advance on Bladensburg, where the
Washington troops were joined by
1000 volunteers from Baltimore.
Americans Routed.
The morning report of this recently
organized American army consisted of
400 regular troops, 500 marines and
1000 militia, and when the fight &C.
Cured the Americans were routed iii
the presence of the President and his
Cabinet. Bladensburg decided the fate
of the Capitol at Washington, which
was burned and the President forced
to flee. After several days the Brit
ish returned to their ships and sailed
for Baltimore, appearing at the mouth
of the Patapsco on the morning of
September II.
They attempted to make a landing
at Bodkin Point, evidently to attack
Baltimore from the south and the
rear, but battalion of the Twenty
second Regiment (Anne Arundel coun-
ty) fired on their boats from behind
the trees on the bluff and they with
drew and crossed over to North Point,
on the opposite side of the river.
Here their army was disembarked on
the morning of September IL and be-
gan its march up the North Point road
while their fleet come up the Patapsco