Second Battle of St. Michaels | |||||||
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Part of the War of 1812 | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
United Kingdom | United States | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
George Cockburn Thomas Sydney Beckwith | Perry Benson | ||||||
Units involved | |||||||
Royal Navy * 1st Bn Royal Marines * 2nd Bn Royal Marines British Army * 102nd Regiment of Foot | 12th Maryland Brigade * 4th Maryland Regiment * 26th Maryland Regiment * 9th Cavalry District | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
Land: 2,100 | Land: 500 | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
Unknown | 14 captured |
The Second Battle of St. Michaels was a raid conducted on Maryland's Eastern Shore by British soldiers during the War of 1812. The raid occurred on August 26, 1813, at points between Tilghman Island and the town of St. Michaels, Maryland. Local militia defended against the raiders.
The Maryland Eastern Shore communities had access to the Chesapeake Bay, which was the main shipping route to important American cities such as Baltimore and Washington, D.C. St. Michaels was one of the communities with access to the bay, and was a target for the British because of its shipbuilding. About two weeks earlier, the town was successfully defended by artillerists from the local militia when British forces attacked on August 10 in the Battle of St. Michaels.
A large British force landed on the shore at Auld's Point early in the morning on August 26. After marching to the main road, the force split into a small group of 300 and a large group of about 1,800. The small group moved toward Tilghman Island in pursuit of a militia company. Two merchant vessels were burned and a small number of militiamen were captured. Most of the militia fled to safety. The larger group of British moved toward St. Michaels. They were confronted by Maryland militia numbering less than one third of the size of the British force. After a short exchange of artillery and musket fire, the British mysteriously withdrew.
On June 17, 1812, the United States Senate approved a resolution passed by the United States House of Representatives that declared war against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (a.k.a. Great Britain). President James Madison signed the resolution into law on June 18. [1] [2] The country was not united in its feelings toward Great Britain. Many members of the Federalist political party, a coalition of bankers and businessmen, were opposed to the war. [3] [4] Contrary to the Federalists, members of the Democratic-Republican Party, who had a numerical superiority, believed a war was justified. [5]
After the declaration of war, the British government declared the ports of the United States to be in a state of blockade. [6] They began stricter enforcement of the blockade in 1813, when ships were sent to close the port of New York and others further south, including those on the Chesapeake Bay. Early in February 1813, British ships under the command of Rear Admiral George Cockburn took possession of Hampton Roads at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay, which stopped traffic in and out of the bay. This effectively closed major ports such Norfolk in Virginia and the Port of Baltimore in Maryland. [6]
Beginning in spring, Cockburn conducted raids on towns along the Chesapeake. The raids involved the destruction or removal of property including crops and livestock. [7] On May 3, Cockburn burned most of Havre de Grace, Maryland. [8] [Note 1] More Maryland coastal towns, Georgetown and Fredericktown, were burned on May 6. [11] First Lady Dolley Madison called Cockburn's raids "savage", and Cockburn threatened to capture and parade her through London. [7] [Note 2] Cockburn established a policy that if a town kept no guns or militia, he would leave them unharmed. [13]
Vice Admiral Sir John Borlase Warren was appointed commander of North America and the West Indies during the summer of 1812, and in January 1813 Cockburn reported to Warren in HMS Marlborough. [14] Cockburn led the August 26 raid that began on Auld's Point (Wades Point) near St. Michaels. He had eight ships, plus the First and Second battalions of Royal Marines. He also had the 102nd Regiment of Foot, which was an army regiment. [15] He used about 2,100 men who came ashore in 60 barges. [Note 3] Cockburn led 300 Royal Marines while Colonel Thomas Sydney Beckwith led a larger group of 1,800 men. [17]
Talbot County, which contains the towns Easton, St. Michaels, and other smaller communities, was defended mostly by state militia in 1813. Maryland's militia was organized into three divisions with a total of 12 brigades and 11 cavalry districts. [18] Much of the Talbot County militia was formed in 1807 after the attack on the American USS Chesapeake by the British HMS Leopard. [19] Brigadier General Perry Benson, who was a veteran of the American Revolutionary War, commanded the 12th Maryland Brigade, which consisted of militia from Talbot, Caroline, and Dorchester counties. [20] His force at the battle consisted of the 4th and 26th Maryland infantry regiments, plus several companies of cavalry from the 9th Cavalry District. This force totaled to about 500 men. [17] The 4th Maryland Regiment consisted of men mostly from Easton, and had an artillery company. [21] The 26th Maryland Regiment had companies from the St. Michaels area including Bayside. [22] The 9th Cavalry District included companies from Easton, St. Michaels, and Trappe. [22]
The British captured Maryland's Kent Island during early August 1813. The island is located north of St. Michaels and across the bay from the Maryland state capital, Annapolis. The British landed about 3,000 men on the island, but faced no resistance because most of the inhabitants fled when they learned of the invasion. [23] [Note 4] The island had food and fresh water, and provided a base for operations against Maryland's Eastern Shore, Annapolis, Baltimore, and Washington. [25] The town of Easton, the largest city on Maryland's Eastern Shore, was also a potential target. [26]
During this time, the British had ships in Eastern Bay between Kent Island and St. Michaels, causing alarm in Queenstown, St. Michaels, Easton, and the surrounding area. [26] St. Michaels was a target because of its shipbuilding, and had already been attacked on August 10. At that time, artillerists from Talbot County's Maryland Militia prevented the British from destroying the town and its shipbuilding wharfs. [27] [Note 5] St. Michaels is located on the St. Michaels River, which is a water route near Kent Island that could be used to get close to Easton. [Note 6] The Eastern Shore's only armory was located in Easton, as was a bank and plenty of goods for the British to plunder. As a precaution, Easton's bank sent its specie to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. [32] A second water route to Easton, Treadhaven Creek, was protected by a six-gun battery called Fort Stokes. [20] [Note 7] Queenstown, which is less than 20 miles (32 km) from Easton and close to Kent island, was attacked on August 13. [34]
Much of the Talbot County militia was sent home after the repulse of the British attack on St. Michaels on August 10. [35] However, the August 13 attack on Queenstown, and rumors that the entire British fleet was planning to sail up the Choptank River, put the county on alert again. [35] The Choptank River could be used to attack St. Michaels via a branch of Broad Creek, and the Choptank could also be used to get close to Easton via Treadhaven Creek. Militia members were recalled from their homes and prepared for a British invasion of southern Talbot County. [36]
Brigadier General Benson waited near St. Michaels with 500 to 600 militiamen. [Note 8] At 3:00 am on August 26, the British sent 60 barges of troops to Auld's point (also known as Wade's Point) at Bayside. [38] HMS Conflict remained nearby in the bay. At the same time, HMS Highflyer and three schooners were moving toward the St. Michaels River from Eastern Bay. [38] Eleven more barges landed at Hamilton's Point northwest of St. Michaels. [38] Locals were informed by the British that more troops would land soon—and if the locals remained in their houses, their property would be safe. [36] Around dawn, Benson's videttes observed the British near Auld's point, which is about six miles (9.7 km) away from St. Michaels. [36] Rear Admiral Cockburn landed about 2,100 men with artillery. [17]
Cockburn's plan was to attack a militia camp he believed was located between St. Michaels and Tilghman Island. [39] He marched his men approximately two miles (3.2 km) to the main Tilghman Island–St. Michaels road, where they split into two forces. A force of 300 Royal Marines went with Cockburn southwest toward Tilghman Island. [17] [Note 9] A second force, led by Colonel Thomas Sydney Beckwith, totaled to about 1,800 men and moved southeast toward St. Michaels. [17] Cockburn hoped to advance past the militia camp and then drive it toward Beckwith. [39] He was also looking for a party of deserters known to have taken a barge to the Bayside shore. [37]
The militia camp was not found by Cockburn because it did not exist. A small company of militia, led by Captain John Caulk, patrolled the Bayside and Tilghman's Island area. [37] Once Caulk's men discovered that their route to other militia forces near St. Michaels was blocked by Cockburn, they dispersed. Most of them escaped by crossing Harris Creek. [37] Those that were captured were taken from their homes. Two small vessels were burned, and a large amount of plunder was taken. [40] The boat used by some deserters from the British army had already been sunk, and the deserters and their sunken boat were not found. [37]
Beckwith marched his men along the Tilghman Island–St. Michaels road toward St. Michaels to a point where Porter Creek and Broad Creek are not far from each other. Here, he formed a line across the road. He was about two miles (3.2 km) from St. Michaels, and close to Benson's militia. Benson's men were positioned in a wooded area, making it difficult for any intruder to determine the size of the militia force. [37] Benson had three artillery pieces in the middle of his line, surrounded by infantry and cavalry. [38] Eventually the two sides exchanged fire, but what the U.S. National Park Service calls "the largest Eastern Shore battle" of the War of 1812 lasted for only a few artillery shots and musket volleys. [41] The British "mysteriously withdrew", and the reason for their withdrawal is still unknown. [42]
The British withdrew with their prisoners and plunder, and both forces were back aboard their ships by 5:00 PM after departing from Auld's (Wade's) Point. [39] [Note 10] The ships on the St. Michaels River, and barges at Hamilton's Point, did not engage. [37] [38] The only known casualties were 14 militiamen captured by Cockburn. [36] The prisoners were paroled on the next day. [43] On August 30, the British fleet was observed sailing down (south) the bay, so most of the militia was sent home. [44]
The British determined that attacks on Annapolis and Baltimore would be ill-advised because those American cities had received substantial reinforcements. They also wished to leave the region before the start of hurricane season. [45] By September, Cockburn had departed for Bermuda, and a small "skeleton force" was stationed at the Virginia Capes for blockade purposes. [46] Almost exactly one year after the Second Battle of St. Michaels, the British burned the United States Capitol and President's Mansion (White House) in Washington, DC. [47] While Easton and Annapolis were not attacked during the war, Baltimore fought off the British during September 1814 in the Battle of Baltimore. [48]
Today (2021), the Maryland Historical Trust maintains a historic marker near the spot where Benson placed his militia. [49] Little else remains from the battle, and most discussion about the War of 1812 near St. Michaels revolves around the artillery duel on August 10. [41] The St. Michaels Museum at St. Mary's Square is a small museum near the place Benson and his infantry waited during the August 10 battle. [50] A larger exhibition hall is the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, which is located on the north side of the St. Michaels harbor at Navy Point. [51]
Talbot County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the population was 37,526. Its county seat is Easton. The county was named for Lady Grace Talbot, the wife of Sir Robert Talbot, an Anglo-Irish statesman, and the sister of Lord Baltimore. The county is part of the Mid-Eastern Shore region of the state.
Saint Michaels, also known as St. Michaels, is a town in Talbot County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,094 at the 2023 World Population Review. Growing at a rate of 1.3% annually, its population hit a peak with the 2020 Census reporting a 3.99% increase. Saint Michaels derives its name from the Episcopal parish — itself named after Michael the Archangel — established there in 1677. The church attracted settlers who engaged in tobacco growing and ship-building, and thence further development.
Claiborne is an unincorporated community in Talbot County, Maryland, United States. The village is located on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay near the mouth of the Eastern Bay at 38°50′15″N76°16′40″W, and uses ZIP code 21624. The 2000 U.S. Census listed the population as 147 and the number of homes as 84, slightly down from its 1941 population of 156. Between 1890 and 1930, the village was a busy port for passenger and then automobile ferry service across the Chesapeake Bay, with numerous stores and motels/resorts, including Maple Hall and the Bellfonte Hotel. A post office was added in 1893 and the Protestant Episcopal Church of Claiborne was built in 1898. In 1912, an elementary school and Methodist Church were added. Before 1912, students attended school in nearby McDaniel. The town's first school consisted of the kitchen of the local railroad pavilion, used as a classroom. In 1913, the town became home to the Claiborne Fresh Air Association, Inc., which was formed for the purpose of providing 10 weeks of fresh air and summer vacation for children who had been exposed to tuberculosis. The role of Claiborne as a terminal for cross-Bay ferries was diminished in 1930 when the primary route shifted to Matapeake in Kent Island. It ended altogether in 1938 when the direct connection from Annapolis to Claiborne was terminated and only an auxiliary shuttle between Claiborne and Romancoke on Kent Island remained. This shuttle service ended in 1952, a few months after the opening of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge; thus ending all ferry service to Claiborne after more than six decades.
The Battle of Baltimore took place between British and American forces in the War of 1812. American forces repulsed sea and land invasions off the busy port city of Baltimore, Maryland, and killed the commander of the invading British forces.
The Eastern Shore of Maryland is a part of the U.S. state of Maryland that lies mostly on the east side of the Chesapeake Bay. Nine counties are normally included in the region. The Eastern Shore is part of the larger Delmarva Peninsula that Maryland shares with Delaware and Virginia.
The Battle of Bladensburg, also known as the Bladensburg Races, took place during the Chesapeake Campaign, part of the War of 1812, on 24 August 1814, at Bladensburg, Maryland, 8.6 miles (13.8 km) northeast of Washington, D.C.
The Battle of Craney Island was a victory for the United States during the War of 1812. The battle saved the city of Norfolk, and the adjacent city of Portsmouth, from British invasion. Especially important to Virginia and northeastern North Carolina, the region was a major hub for American commerce.
The Battle of St. Michaels was an engagement contested on August 10, 1813, during the War of 1812. British soldiers attacked the American militia at St. Michaels, Maryland, which is located on Maryland's Eastern Shore with access to Chesapeake Bay. At the time, this small town was on the main shipping route to important cities such as Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
Point Lookout State Park is a public recreation area and historic preserve occupying Point Lookout, the southernmost tip of a peninsula formed by the confluence of Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River in St. Mary's County, Maryland. The state park preserves the site of an American Civil War prisoner of war camp and the Point Lookout Light, which was built in 1830. It is the southernmost spot on Maryland's western shore, the coastal region on the western side of the Chesapeake Bay.
Timeline of the War of 1812 is a chronology of the War of 1812, including a list of battles.
Maryland Route 33 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs 23.17 mi (37.29 km) from Tilghman Island east to Washington Street in Easton. MD 33 connects Easton, the county seat of Talbot County, with all communities on the peninsula that juts west into the Chesapeake Bay between the Miles River and Eastern Bay on the north and the Tred Avon River and Choptank River on the south. The state highway passes through the historic town of Saint Michaels, home of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, and enters Tilghman Island by passing over Knapps Narrows on the busiest bascule drawbridge in the United States.
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The Chesapeake campaign, also known as the Chesapeake Bay campaign, of the War of 1812 was a British naval campaign that took place from 23 April 1813 to 14 September 1814 on and around the Delaware and Chesapeake bays of the United States.
The Saint Michaels Historic District encompasses the historic center of Saint Michaels, Maryland. The town, which has about 1,000 permanent residents, is on a tributary to the Chesapeake Bay on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. After over 100 years as a center for trade and shipbuilding, the community was incorporated as a town in 1805. Shipbuilding peaked in 1820, and the town's economy became focused more on oyster and seafood collection and packing. In the 1970s, the town transitioned to tourism.
The Easton Historic District is a historic district that covers most of the core of the town of Easton, Maryland. The town is the county seat of Talbot County. The state of Maryland is nearly split by the Chesapeake Bay, and Easton is located on the east side of the bay that is known as Maryland's Eastern Shore. Although the town is part of the east coast of the United States, the region's history goes back to a time when Maryland was a colonial province of England.
HMS Highflyer was originally an American privateer schooner built in 1811. As a privateer she took several British vessels as prizes. The Royal Navy captured her in 1813. She then participated in several raids on the Chesapeake and coastal Virginia before the Americans recaptured her later in 1813.
The Raid on Havre de Grace was a seaborne raid that took place on 3 May 1813 during the broader War of 1812. A squadron of the British Royal Navy under Rear Admiral George Cockburn attacked the town of Havre de Grace, Maryland, at the mouth of the Susquehanna River. Cockburn's forces routed the town's defenders and sacked and burnt several buildings before withdrawing.
The Tilghman Watermen's Museum records the maritime traditions of the people of Tilghman Island and the unique way of life of the watermen who lived on the island. It is located on Tilghman Island, Talbot County, Maryland, United States.
Ratcliffe Manor, occasionally misspelled as "Radcliffe Manor", is a Georgian colonial home in Maryland completed around 1762 by Henry Hollyday. It gets its name from the "Mannour of Ratcliffe", which is one of the Maryland Eastern Shore's oldest land grants. The dwelling is considered one of the most distinctive plantation houses on the Eastern Shore, with a northeast facade on the land approach side and a nearly identical southwest facade on the river approach side. The entire property is included in the Maryland Historical Trust's Inventory of Historic Properties. A set of photographs of the estate, made in the 1930s and 1940s, is part of the Historic American Buildings Survey administered by the Library of Congress and National Park Service.
The Talbot Resolves was a proclamation made by Talbot County citizens of the British Province of Maryland, on May 24, 1774. The British Parliament had decided to blockade Boston Harbor as punishment for a protest against taxes on tea. The protest became known as the Boston Tea Party. The Talbot Resolves was a statement of support for the city of Boston in the Province of Massachusetts Bay.