The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1929-02-21

effort to cripple the port and its pop
ulation. A blockade Of the Chesa-
peake Bay was undertaken by the
British forces in 1913. Headquarters
were established by the invaders on
Tangier Island and at Point Lookout.
In April the hostile fleet appeared at
the mouth of the Patapsco River near
Baltimore, and the people of the city
realized that their community was in
serious peril.
The responsibility for meeting the
threatened attack fell upon the Shout
ders of Baltimore itself, then the
third largest city in the United
States. The national government
lacked funds for the construction of
adequate defense works and the nee
essary money had to be provided
through local enterprise To meet
this situation the Baltimore city
council appropriated $4,000 for for
tifcations, while public spirited citi-
zens subscribed fund of half a mil
lon dollars for use in strengthening
the defenses surrounding the city.
This financial activity was backed
up by an order which called for the
services of every able-b bodied citizen
of the community. Men and boys re-
sponded with wheelbarrows and
earthworks were thrown up in every
direction with little delay.
Fort McHenry was strengthened
by the addition of heavy guns taken
from the French frigate Poursui-
vante. This vessel had come to a
local shipyard for repairs after her
fight with the British frigate Her
cules, and had been interned as a
war time precaution.
Attack Postponed
The value of these guns was rec
ognized by the British commander,
and caused alteration in the plans for
an immediate attack on Baltimore
and Fort McHenry. AS an alternative
measure Admiral Cockburn and his
fleet sailed past Baltimore and cap
tured Havre de Grace, Georgetown
and Fredericktown.
On the eighth of August fifteen en-
envy vessels reappeared at the mouth
of the Patapsco and took positions
for attacking the city Of Baltimore.
By this time the entertainments sur
rounding the city had been completed
and forty additional guns were in po-
sition. The prompt manning of the
Fort by soldiers who showed disci
pline and courage caused further
postponement of the contemplated at
tack. In this situation the invading
fleet dropped down the Bay and as
sumed entire control of the marine
situation from Annapolis toward the
Susquehanna. In November the most
of the fleet left for Bermuda, for re-
pairs, returning in the spring Of 1914
with reinforcements.
In the meantime Baltimore had
equipped 26 gunboats and barges, Of
ficered and manned by local seafar-
ing men. Commanded by Commodore
Joshua Barney, the home fleet was
ordered to break the British block
ade of the Chesapeake Bay Several
small naval encounters were followed
by British victory which enabled the
invading troops to reach and capture
the city of Washington, where they
burned the capitol and other Federal
structures.
Encouraged by their success at the
seat of government the British forces
boosted that Baltimore would soon be
in their hands. Establishing rem
devious near the mouth of the Poto-
mac, the fleet prepared for concen-
trated attack on the Meryland me-
tropolis. Troops were landed at
North Point on September IL to be-
gin their march against Baltimore.
At the same moment the fleet moved
up the river for the bombardment of
Fort McHenry. The plan was that
the outer denfenses of the city should
be taken by storm and that the SOL
diers should join the fleet near the
Fort for the final assault on the city
itself.
Baltimore was in a state of intense