Instructions. Although Major General Ross commanded the British troops in Chesapeake Bay, the point of attack was to be decided by Vice Admiral Alexander Cochrane, commander in chief of the Royal Navy's North American Station. Sketch of the Action fought near Bladensburg, Help Save 110 Acres at Three Civil War Battlefields, Preserve 108 Acres of the Most Important Unprotected Battlefield Land, Kentuckians: Support Battlefield Preservation Legislation, Virginians: Support Battlefield Preservation Legislation. Details Amenities Reviews ... Map. Eventually, as the British 1/4th and 1/44th Regiments enveloped their left flank, Barney ordered his men to retreat to avoid capture. Find any address on the map of Bladensburg or calculate your itinerary to and from Bladensburg, find all the tourist attractions and Michelin Guide restaurants in Bladensburg. From $79. Most of these troops went to Canada where Lieutenant General Sir George Prevost, Governor General of Canada and commander in chief in North America, was preparing to lead an invasion into New York from Canada, heading for Lake Champlain and the upper Hudson River. Thirty-three incoming patients recorded in August and September 1814 were American seamen, soldiers, and marines wounded from Bladensburg or subsequent engagements. The Act also authorized the town commissioners to purchase 60 acres (240,000 m2) of land to be laid out in 1-acre (4,000 m2) lots. The Maryland militia infantry regiments were posted in a line of battle south of the earthwork, too far away to protect the artillery and exposed to British fire. When Minor prevailed on Winder to order muskets to be distributed on the morning of the battle, the junior officer responsible for issuing their flints insisted that they be returned and recounted.)[31]. The British 1/44th Regiment had meanwhile forded the East Branch above the bridge. Feel free to download the PDF version of the Bladensburg, MD map so that you can easily access it while you travel without any means to the Internet. By April 1814, Napoleon had been defeated and was exiled to the island of Elba off the coast of Italy. Because the bridge had not been burned, it had to be defended. His main body proceeded into the Patuxent. The Battle of Bladensburg was a battle of the Chesapeake campaign of the War of 1812, fought on 24 August 1814 at Bladensburg, Maryland, 8.6 miles (13.8 km) northeast of Washington, D.C. Called "the greatest disgrace ever dealt to American arms,"[8] a British force of army regulars and Royal Marines routed a combined U.S. force of Regular Army and state militia troops. [3] Some of the British dead "died without sustaining a scratch. [21], Stansbury chose a defensible position, though hardly the best one available, on the west side of the Eastern Branch of the Potomac opposite the town of Bladensburg. Instead of strengthening his commanding position, he immediately decamped and marched his exhausted troops across Bladensburg bridge, which he did not burn, to a brickyard 1.5 miles (2.4 km) further on. The "launcher" is the stick, which, when coupled with the rocket, would be mounted upon a bombarding frame, and fired. Enter Battle. Most of the militia simply fled the field with no destination in mind, or deserted the ranks to see to the safety of their families. Winder now had at least 1,000 regulars from the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Marine Corps, plus about 7,000 less than dependable militia and volunteers from the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. Old maps of Bladensburg on Old Maps Online. On the night of 23–24 August, at the urging of Rear Admiral Cockburn and some of the British Army officers under his own command, Ross decided to risk an attack on Washington. Winder suggested calling up some militia in advance of any attack, but Armstrong insisted that militia could best be used on the spur of the moment. The United States Cavalry: an illustrated history, 1776 - 1944. Get Directions. By 21 August, Ross had reached Nottingham, and Commodore Joshua Barney was forced to destroy the gunboats and other sailing craft of the Chesapeake Bay Flotilla the next day, and retreat overland towards Washington. Armstrong was half right; the British would launch attacks against both Baltimore and Washington. Boston City Map in 1775. This allowed the British to march on Washington resulting in the town being burned. Gleig, pp.124-5 'The loss on the part of the English was severe, since, out of two thirds of the engaged [being unscaved, however], upwards of five hundred men were killed and wounded.' [32] However, Thornton's men eventually established themselves on the south bank of the river, and began advancing in loose order. [citation needed]. [6], For many of the U.S. wounded, Naval Hospital Washington was the primary treatment center. Called "the greatest disgrace ever dealt to American arms", a British force of army regulars and Royal Marines routed a combined U.S. force of Regular Army and state militia troops at Bladensburg, Maryland, 8.6 miles (13.8 km) northeast of the federal capital of … The hasty and disorganized U.S. retreat led to the battle becoming known as the "Bladensburg Races" from an 1816 poem. He felt the most likely target would be the city of Baltimore,[12] which offered more commercial targets and plunder than Washington. The rocket itself would be attached to the side of a stick, doing so allowed them to be launched at a greater range. The Battle of Bladensburg opened the road for the British Army to sack and burn Washington, D.C.  American militia broke quickly under fire from the British veterans, many of whom had just come from fighting Napoleon in Europe. The Battle of Bladensburg opened the road for the British Army to sack and burn Washington, D.C. American militia broke quickly under fire from the British veterans, many of whom had just come from fighting Napoleon in Europe. From other contemporary sources, the forces available for the defense of Washington probably numbered about 7,170, of which 6,370 were at Bladensburg. As many as 1,200 British soldiers would be stationed there. Ragan's and Schutz's regiments were hastily organised amalgamations of companies, all without uniforms. Media in category "Battle of Bladensburg" The following 37 files are in this category, out of 37 total. They occupied Tangier Island off the coast of Virginia, establishing Fort Albion as an anchorage and staging area. He had four infantry battalions, a battalion of Royal Marines, a force of about 200 men[citation needed] of the Corps of Colonial Marines, which was composed of locally recruited black refugees from slavery, a rocket detachment from the Royal Marines battalion, 50 Royal Sappers and Miners, 100 gunners from the Navy and 275 sailors to carry supplies. by Ralph E. Eshelman, Burton … The naval hospital's 1814 register reflects U.S. seamen Frederick Ernest and George Gallagher both endured amputations in the field.[47]. Battle of Bladensburg BladensburgArchaeology.com O n August 24, 1814, British troops defeated American forces at the Battle of Bladensburg, and went on to burn important public buildings in the Nation’s Capital. On 22 August, Stansbury deployed his force on Lowndes Hill, where he hastily dug earthworks for artillery emplacements. Artillery demonstration bladensburg 2659.JPG 1,600 × 1,200; 1.26 MB [51] One of the best accounts is that of Charles Ball, born 1785. CREDITS. They occupied Washington and set on fire public buildings … x 6-pounders, 150 all ranks. Stansbury's force consisted of the 1st (Ragan's), 2nd (Schutz's), and 5th (Sterrett's) regiments of Maryland Militia, three companies of volunteer riflemen commanded by Major William Pinkney (a former United States Attorney General), and two companies of Baltimore artillery, with six 6-pounder guns. He had thus thrown away almost every tactical advantage available to him. The battle of Bladensburg, 24 August 1814, was a British victory during the War of 1812 that left Washington vulnerable to attack. (Barney had originally been posted to guard the lower bridge over the Eastern Branch and destroy it if necessary, but he had pleaded to President Madison and the Secretary of the Navy that he and his men were needed where the action was. The American defeat resulted in the capture and burning of Washington, the only time since the American Revolutionary War that the federal capital has fallen to a foreign invader. Although he rode with the forces directly challenging the British invaders, Winder realized that Bladensburg was the key to Washington's defence. • Battle of Bladensburg, 1814, sketch, battle plan, … However, as the 1/44th threatened Smith's open left flank, Winder ordered Smith to retreat also. [27], Behind Stansbury's troops and to his right was a brigade of District of Columbia militia under Brigadier General Walter Smith, which had marched from Long Old Fields. On this page the Companies from the City of Bladensburg, MD are displayed: The successor units within the British Army are, respectively: The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, the Royal Regiment of Scotland, the Royal Anglian Regiment and the Rifles. Light companies, 1/4th, 21st, 1/44th Foot, Company of Royal Marines, commanded by Lt Athelstan Stevens, detached from the, Rocket Detachment of 26 Royal Marine Artillery gunners, commanded by Lt John Lawrence, likewise detached from the Royal Marine battalion, 3rd Brigade (Colonel Patterson) (ca. Though superior in number, most of the American defensive forces were poorly trained, ill-equipped, and positioned so the lines could not support one another. Free printable PDF Map of Bladensburg, Prince George's county. - Town Hall and City United States - Free directory United States town halls and towns. Major Harry Smith, Ross's Brigade major, considered that Ross and Thornton had attacked too hastily, without waiting for other units to support Thornton, or sending forward skirmishers across the fords to cover the advance. Armstrong did not provide him with any staff, and despite his fears that the British could launch an attack against almost any point with very little warning, Winder did not order any field fortifications to be constructed, nor make any other preparations.[15]. From Nottingham, Ross continued up the Patuxent to Upper Marlboro, from where he could threaten to advance on either Washington or Baltimore, confusing the Americans. McCavitt, John, and Christopher T. George. "He conducted a brilliant campaign of deception, feinting one way or the other, marching and then doubling back, and was able to paralyze the Americans and prevent them from defending Bladensburg". Though much of the original land has been developed, a portion of the battlefield has been preserved under the Prince George's County Department of Parks and Recreation. [25] The earthwork had been designed for heavier weapons, and the 6-pounder field guns had a restricted field of fire through its embrasures. A battalion under Lieutenant Colonel Kramer lined the creek. [35] As the 5th Maryland exchanged fire with British infantry in cover on three sides, Schutz's and Ragan's conscripted militia broke and fled under a barrage of Congreve rockets. [13] Winder was the nephew of Levin Winder, Federalist Governor of Maryland. The Act required that a house covering at least 400 square feet (37 m2) of ground with a brick or stone chimney be … The British took heavier casualties during the battle, but due to the Americans flee Crawford (2002), p221, quoting a letter from Rear Admiral Cockburn to Vice Admiral Cochrane dated 27 August 1814 'a victory gained.. by a Division of the British Army not amounting to more than Fifteen hundred Men....The Seamen with the guns were ...with the rear... those however attached to the Rocket Brigade were in the Battle'. Cochrane dispatched two forces to make diversions. District of Columbia 1st Regiment of Militia, Colonel George Magruder, 535 all ranks, District of Columbia 2nd Regiment of Militia, Colonel Wm. A major battle in the War of 1812, the Battle of Bladensburg was a disastrous defeat for the United States that led to the burning of Washington, including the White House and the Capitol Building. 38° 56.15′ N, 76° 56.313′ W. Marker is in Bladensburg, Maryland, in Prince George's County. [48], After Major General Ross was killed at the Battle of North Point on 12 September 1814, his descendants were given an augmentation of honor to their armorial bearings by a royal warrant dated 25 August 1815, and their family name was changed to the victory title Ross-of-Bladensburg in memory of Ross's most famous battle.[49]. Battle Map. However, the Earl of Bathurst, Secretary of State for War and the Colonies, dispatched a brigade composed mainly of veterans from the Duke of Wellington's army and commanded by Major General Robert Ross, to Bermuda, from where a blockade of the U.S. coast and even the occupation of some coastal islands had been overseen throughout the war. Nevertheless, on 2 July, Madison designated the area around Washington and Baltimore as the United States Army's Tenth Military District and, without consulting Armstrong, appointed Brigadier General William H. Winder as its commander. "[52] Modern scholars estimate that blacks made up 15% to 20% of the American naval forces in the War of 1812. Had he held Lowndes Hill, Stansbury could have made the British approach a costly one (although this would have involved fighting with the East Branch at his back, which would not have improved his men's morale and might have been disastrous in a hasty retreat). This drive – and biking route – is a pleasant way to explore the history of the area, but also see some pristine agricultural landscapes in Prince George’s County. [43] Heidler's Encyclopedia of the War of 1812 gives the U.S. loss as "10 or 12 killed, 40 wounded" and "about 100" captured. Lieutenant General Prevost had urged Vice Admiral Cochrane to avenge the Raid on Port Dover on the north shore of Lake Erie earlier in the year, in which the undefended settlement had been set ablaze by American troops. [45] Ten cannon and two colors-1st Harford Light Dragoons {Maryland} and the James City Light Infantry {VA}[46] were captured by the British. [41], The efforts of British commander Robert Ross during the battle deserve praise, according journalist Steve Vogel, in his book about that era. The embarrassing defeat of American forces under General William Winder allowed British Army Officer Robert Ross’ men to subsequently march into nearby Washington D.C. and set fire to public buildings, including the presidential The fall of Napoleon had allowed the British to move relatively large numbers of troops across the Atlantic. This was no ordinary map, but rather the one my grandfather had in his flight suit during his missions over … )[28] To Barney's left was the 1st Regiment of "District" Militia, a militia artillery company under Major George Peter with six 6-pounder guns and a provisional battalion of regulars under Lieutenant Colonel William Scott. Bladensburg commanded the roads to Baltimore and Annapolis, along which reinforcements were moving to join him. Prince George's County had also established a museum for the battle at the Bladensburg Waterfront Park, but the museum is indefinitely closed. Raiding parties had destroyed foundries, batteries and several small towns, but lack of troops restricted Cockburn to mounting small-scale raids, the largest of which was the Battle of Craney Island, in the Hampton Roads harbor near Norfolk, Virginia, which involved 2,000 men of the British Army and the Royal Marines. The American Battlefield Trust's map of the Battle of Bladensburg on August 24, 1814. Located in Maryland region, the Bladensburg town is an a local administrative entity run by a mayor. He first positioned troops on the high ground above Bladensburg. Secretary of State for War and the Colonies, burned many U.S. government and military buildings, Army National Guard units with campaign credit for the War of 1812, three currently active battalions of the 4th Infantry, 85th Regiment of Foot (Bucks Volunteers)(Light Infantry), 21st Regiment (Royal North British Fusiliers), "Recollections of the Expedition to the Chesapeake, and against New Orleans, by an Old Sub", "Interview With War of 1812 Author Steve Vogel", "The 85th Light Infantry in North America 1812 - 1815", https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/r/register-patients-naval-hospital-washington-dc-1814.html, https://www.lib.umd.edu/bladensburg/reputation-ruined/battle-of-bladensburg, Battle of Bladensburg: Reputation Ruined -University of Maryland Library, University of Maryland Special Collections Guide on the War of 1812, Battle of Bladensburg, War of 1812 Bicentennial preparations top Port Towns' priorities, "The Short History of Defense of Maryland During the War of 1812," by John Miller, Animated history of the Battle of Bladensburg, Battle of Bladensburg Map - Bladensburg Archaeology (video), "Beyond the Battle: Bladensburg Rediscovered" exhibit at the University of Maryland, College Park, "Battle of Bladensburg bicentennial undaunted by rain", Hyattsville Community Newspaper, August 24, 2014, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Bladensburg&oldid=1007835027, United States Marine Corps in the 18th and 19th centuries, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2018, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2021, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. [37], Winder had not given any instructions before the battle in the case of a retreat and as the American militia left the battlefield, he issued contradictory orders to halt and reform, or fall back on the Capitol where Secretary of War John Armstrong, Jr. hoped vainly to make a stand, using the federal buildings as strongpoints, or retreat through Georgetown to Tenleytown. Amenities ADA Accessible; Reviews September 18, 2019. zeromostel22201 Kayak rental. Enter Battle. The American Battlefield Trust and our members have saved more than 53,000 acres in 24 states! [33] Pinkney (whose elbow was shattered by a musket ball)[34] was driven back and as Thornton's men closed in, the Baltimore artillerymen retreated with five of their cannon, being forced to spike and abandon another. [17] His first objective had to be the capture or destruction of the U.S. flotilla. The next morning, … Only a desperate rear-guard action prevented the capture of the whole American force. Show your pride in battlefield preservation by shopping in our store. 1000-2010 Mercator. The Battle of Bladensburg took place outside of Washington, D.C. in Maryland on 24 August 1814. [54], Blacks also fought on the British side with the Colonial Marines in the attacks on Bladensburg and Washington DC. - Bladensburg, Battle of, Bladensburg, Md., 1814--Maps ... 1 map : mounted on linen ; 47 x 35 cm. [20] Winder had been captured in just such a night attack at Stoney Creek the year before. … The battle was termed "the greatest disgrace ever dealt to American arms" and "the most humiliating episode in American history". The Battle of Bladensburg opened the road for the British Army to sack and burn Washington, D.C. American militia broke quickly under fire from the British veterans, many of whom had just come from fighting Napoleon in Europe. Skip Replay. The majority of those wounded however, were first treated on the field of battle and often by British surgeons. Brent, 535 all ranks, Company of District of Columbia Union Rifles, Captain John Davidson, 116 all ranks, Company of District of Columbia Rifles, Captain John Stull, 116 all ranks, Detachment of Navy Yard Rifles (volunteers), Captain John Doughty, 116 all ranks, Detachment of Captain Maynard, 100 men all ranks, Detachment of Captain Waring, 100 men all ranks, Battery, The Washington Irish Artillery, Captain Ben Burch, ? [29], To Smith's right rear in turn was a column of Maryland militia under Colonel William Beall, which had just arrived from Annapolis. Author Gregory J. W. Urwin, page 49. BATTLE OF BLADENSBURG BATTLEFIELD TOUR MARYLAND MILESTONES August 23, 1814 - Overnight in Bladensburg, General Winder assembled the American troops. The town also lay on one of the only two routes available for the British to advance on Washington, in fact the preferred route because the Eastern Branch was easy to ford there. His force totaled 4,370 men, with one 6-pounder gun, two 3-pounder guns[18] and sixty launchers,[2] each being attached to a Congreve rocket. "[53] The Commodore was correct as the men did not run; one such man was young sailor Harry Jones (No. At 2:30 a.m. on 23 August, Stansbury received a message from Winder, informing him that he had withdrawn across the Eastern Branch and he intended to fire the lower bridge. U.S. City Bladensburg, Prince Georges Conty, Maryland, MD, City. Cochrane had concentrated four ships of the line, twenty frigates and sloops of war and twenty transports carrying Ross's troops at Tangier Island. Leading up to the Battle of Bladensburg, the British came ashore off the Patuxent River. Content for the War of 1812 on the Chesapeake: Interactive Battlefields Map website was provided by the following resources: In Full Glory Reflected: Discovering the War of 1812 on the Chesapeake. Divisions of the American Battlefield Trust: The American Battlefield Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. From www.goprincegeorgescounty.com: The Memorial Peace Cross is an area landmark that has become synonymous with the historic town of Bladensburg. [30] (Minor's men had arrived in Washington without arms or ammunition. Monroe moved companies and detachments without correcting the major faults in Stansbury's position, while Winder moved the three militia regiments into even more exposed positions behind the Baltimore artillery's redoubt, though Monroe reinforced them with a militia artillery company under Captain Benjamin Burch. The corps received the same training, uniforms, pay, and pensions as their Royal Marine counterparts. Smith's brigade was strongly posted behind a creek and along the crest of some rising ground, but Smith had not conferred with Stansbury before deploying his brigade, and there was a gap of a mile between them. This page was last edited on 20 February 2021, at 04:37. In Washington, Brigadier General Winder could call in theory upon 15,000 militia, but he actually had only 120 dragoons and 300 other Regulars, plus 1,500 poorly trained and under-equipped militiamen at his immediate disposal. [50] This force provided crucial artillery support during the battle. Vice Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane formed the Corps of Colonial Marines in 1813, deliberately recruiting enslaved blacks with a promise of freedom for themselves and their families. Capital Region. The artillery was posted in an earthwork hastily constructed by Colonel Decius Wadsworth, the Army's Commissary General of Ordnance, to the north of the bridge. The road from Annapolis crossed the hill, and the road from Upper Marlboro ran to its south and west. Learn More: The Battle of Bladensburg … "[24] Ross, the British commander, estimated the American force at between 8,000 and 9,000 men, with 300–400 cavalry. That same night the British entered Washington unopposed and set fire to many of the government buildings in what became known as the Burning of Washington. The lineages of the 5th Maryland Regiment and the Columbian Division are perpetuated by the present-day 175th Infantry (ARNG MD) and the HHD/372nd Military Police Battalion (ARNG DC), two of only nineteen Army National Guard units with campaign credit for the War of 1812. [10], Meanwhile, Albert Gallatin, President James Madison's nominated commissioner for negotiations with the British government, sent news from Europe of Napoleon's abdication and the apparent hardening of British attitudes towards the United States.[11]. From $79. Explore Map Next Battle. The ViaMichelin map of Bladensburg: get the famous Michelin maps, the result of … [19] On 20 August, Winder ordered this force to advance south towards Long Old Fields and Woodyard (off modern Route 5) to confront the British forces at Upper Marlboro. Although the Royal Navy controlled Chesapeake Bay from early 1813 onwards, lack of troops restricted them to mounting comparatively small-scale raids, the largest of which was The opposing troops clashed just west of Bladensburg on August 24, 1814, in three hours of intense fighting. This story map was created with the Story Map Journal application in ArcGIS Online. [55] Following the Treaty of Ghent, the British kept their promise and in 1815 evacuated the Colonial Marines and their families to Halifax, Nova Scotia and Bermuda.