The Republican., 1938-09-15
Old Defenders Day, 1914

Monday, September II, marked the
anniversary of the defense of Balti-
more against the British forces in the
War of 1912. After the battle of
Bladensburg and the capture of Wash
ington, Maj. Gen. Robert Ross and
Vice-Admiral Sir Alexander Coch-
rane, commanding the British forces,
decided to attack Baltimore.
On August 27, 1914, the work of
fortifying the city got under way. On
Sunday, September II, the British
fleet, numbering about forty or fifty
ships, was spotted in the mouth of the
Patapsco river off North Point. On the
same day, Maj Gen. Samuel Smith,
commanding the defense Of Baltimore,
! ordered Brig. Gen. John Stricken and
his Baltimore brigade of 3,185 men to
advance along the North Point road
to meet the enemy.
! They halted at the head of Bear
creek and sent out scouts, who re
ported next morning that the enemy
was landing. General Stricken sent
ahead two regiments to engage the
British. But let Niles Weekly Register,
Baltimore newspaper of the period,
tell about the battle which followed:
"The troops (British) were part of
Wellington's 'invincibles'. Some works
were erecting not far from North
Point to arrest their progress; but
their incipient state forbade stand
being made at them; and the enemy
marched four miles toward us unin-
terrupted, except by few flying
shots from the cavalry.
"The rest of our forces were ju-
diciously stationed in or near the var
ious defenses. About l o'clock a party
of $50 or 200 men, consisting of Capt.
Levering's and Capt. Hawkard's COM
panies of the Fifth Regiment and Cap
tain Aisquith's Rife Corps, were de-
tached from the line to feel the enemy
and bring on the battle; they were ac-
companied by a few artillerists with
one of their pieces.
Before they expected it, they were
attacked by the British, in very supe-
rior numbers, and driven in with some
loss after few fires to the main body.
The whole number actually engaged
did not exceed 1,700 men.
NEARLY as much perhaps being
done at this point as was expected,
our force retreated toward the city.
The enemy followed slowly, and on
Tuesday night approached within two
miles of our entertainments. Measures
were taken to cut them off and punish
their temerity; but before General
Winder, with the Virginia militia and
squadron of the United States Cav
airy, could bring his plans fully to
bear, the British, suspecting the de-
sign or not liking the appearance of
our works, decamped suddenly in the
night.
During the fighting of the first day,
the British commander, General Ross,
was fatally shot. There are several
versions of how this officer met his
death, but the account in the Life of
John H. w. Hawkins" by William
George Hawkins, is given general
credence. This story has it that Ross
was shot by Wells and McComas, two
young Baltimoreans, who were among
the troops sent ahead to engage the
British.
Instead of retreating with their
comrades, Wells and McComas are
said to have penetrated the British
lines, and seeing Ross on his white
horse, fired the fatal shots.
From this point, let US take up the
account of the battle from behind the
enemy's lines as told by G. R. Gleig, a
British subaltern. Gleig's account is
considered an accurate one. He says:
"By the fall of our gallant leader,
the command devolved upon Colonel
Brook, of the Forty-fourth Regiment,
an officer of decided personal courage
but perhaps better calculated to lead
battalion than to guide an army.
Being informed of his unexpected and
undesired elevation, he came to the
front, and under him we continued to
move on. =.
"The skirmishing had now ceased,
for the American rifemen were driven
in; and in a few minutes we found
ourselves opposite to considerable
force, drawn up with some skill, and
occupying a strong position. As our
troops came up, they filed off to right
and left, and drew up just within can
non shot.
"While this formation was going on,
the artillery, being brought up, opened
upon the American army, and smart
cannonade ensued on both sides. That
our guns were well served, 1 myself
can bear witness; for | saw the
shrapnel shells which were thrown
II