Battle Monument: The Story of the Battle of Baltimore

Located in Battle Monument Square on North Calvert street between East Fayette and East Lexington streets.

American cities have rarely seen war apart from the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. The city of Baltimore, though, was profoundly impacted by its role in a different battle, in a different war. The War of 1812 is sometimes called “the Forgotten War” in American history. It’s not hard to see why. It was relatively short, it existed in the world stage as a relatively minor extension of the Napoleonic wars, and it ended with both sides in close to the same positions they started. If it’s remembered at all, the War of 1812 is known for the burning of Washington D.C. and the White House, and for the battle that inspired a man named Francis Scott Key to write the most famous song in America: the Star-Spangled Banner. This is the Battle of Baltimore.

The origins of the War of 1812 are multi-faceted and complex, but most historians agree that British impressment of American sailors was a major factor. Faced with the battles of the Napoleonic Wars, Britain needed more sailors to crew its ship. The British did not accept that anyone could renounce their British citizenship, and thus they believed they were justified in impressing (forced conscription into the military) British-born American sailors, or even American sailors they suspected of being British.

Outraged at this violation of its sovereignty and eager to prove itself as a nation worthy of respect, America declared war on Britain on June 18, 1812. Though this date has given the war its name, it wouldn’t be over for another two years.

By 1814, the British seemed to have the upper hand in the war. They’d sacked Washington after dealing the US its worst military defeat ever in the Battle of Bladensburg, and their forces appeared to be converging on Baltimore. Baltimore’s reliance on its ships and port left it significantly affected by the British’s impressment, breeding a special hatred of the invading army. In retaliation, the most successful American privateers (sailors officially sanctioned by the government to raid enemy ships) set sail from Baltimore’s harbor, giving the British particular reason to hate Baltimore in return. The British wanted to punish Baltimore and deal the final blow before the malaria season (frequently August and September) set in. The harbor would be invaluable to the British, as it could serve as a method of resupplying equipment and fresh soldiers.

British Major General Robert Ross’s troops planned a land attack at North Point, a peninsula southeast of Baltimore in the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, while his Vice Admiral Alexander Cochrane planned a siege to Fort McHenry, Baltimore’s primary defense. The Americans were not caught unawares, though. Major General Samuel Smith devoted many weeks to the defense of the city, and recruited the entire population to help the war effort. Soldiers, militia, civilians, and slaves built over a mile of trenches at Hampstead Hill, in addition to more ground bulwarks around Fort McHenry. Baltimore was ready for an attack and its people were devoted to protecting their city and their country. Revolutionary war hero John Eager Howard said upon hearing of the advance: “My wife, my children, my friends and all that is nearest to me on Earth are here, but I had sooner see them all buried in ruins and myself along with them, then see Baltimore make a last and disgraceful surrender to the enemies of our beloved country.”

The day arrived. September 13, 1814. Baltimore scouts sighted a hostile fleet of 30 ships from North Point and signaled to the city that the British had arrived. Bells rang and the city braced itself for war. As citizen streamed away towards the battle effort, Reverend John Gruber of the Light Street Methodist Church was reported to have said “The Lord Bless King George, convert him, and take him to heaven as we want no more of him.”

Protected by the dark twilight, Ross’ troops landed at North Point, only to find that Baltimore’s defenders, led by Brigadier General John Stricker, had anticipated their movements. The British looked up to see 15,000 Americans – a collection of citizens, soldiers, and new recruits from the surrounding area – defending an enormous series of trenches. In the ensuing battle, Ross was killed by the defenders’ cannon fire, causing command of the army to fall to Colonel Arthur Brooke. British Lt. Gleig later described the battle:

“The British soldiers moved forward with their accustomed fearlessness, and the Americans, with much apparent coolness, stood to receive them…Volley upon Volley having been given, we were now advanced within less than twenty yards of the American line; yet such was the denseness of the smoke, that it was only when a passing breeze swept aside the cloud for a moment that either force became visible to the other…The Flashes of the enemy’s muskets alone served as an object to aim at.”

Though they were demoralized at the loss of their leader, soaked by an unexpected rainstorm, and weakened by a far more extensive American defense than they had anticipated, the British managed to force the Americans to retreat from North Point. Brooke, though, realized that Baltimore was too well defended to be taken by a frontal assault. Baltimore had known of the impending British invasion and prepared its fortifications appropriately. Weighing the risks of taking the city, Brooke called for a retreat, telling his superiors that “the capture of the town would not have been sufficient to the loss which might probably be sustained in storming the heights.” Resigned, the British returned to their ships to bolster the troops already focusing on the assault on Fort McHenry, hoping to take the city after the Fort fell. Though the Americans had retreated, they had succeeded in keeping Ross’ land forces from the heart of the city.

In preparation for the sea battle, the Baltimore defenders had reinforced Fort McHenry’s defenses and even sunk a line of merchant ships at the mouth of the harbor to delay the British. While the Battle of North Point was raging on, Cochrane’s forces found themselves stuck in the shallow waters of the Patapsco. Unable to bring their heaviest ships, they were left with only sixteen ships. However, this was still a formidable fleet, including the 74-gun flagship Albion, the rocket-launching ship Erebus, and five mortar-bearing ships appropriately named Terror, Volcano, Meteor, Devastation, and Aetna. Positioning themselves to stay just out of range of Fort McHenry’s cannons, the British warships bombarded Fort McHenry with mortar shells and Congreve rockets for 25 hours. The British attempted to land a small party ashore to distract the invaders, but the militia’s artillery defenses kept them at bay. Sailing master Webster later described the nighttime assault: “I could hear a splashing in the water…we were convinced it was the noise of the muffled oars of the British barges…it was raining fast…I trained the guns and opened on them…a rapid firing followed from the barges…I could distinctly hear the balls from our guns strike the barges. My men stated to me that they could hear the shrieks of the wounded.”

Despite the British’s relentless barrage, Baltimorean defenses proved too difficult to mount. Realizing that the city could not be taken without significant losses – if it could be taken at all – the British decided that their efforts would be better spent at New Orleans, where the final battle of the war would take place. The War of 1812 was not over, but this major failure on the part of the British sealed their eventual defeat.

Baltimore may not have been the last battle of the war, but it was the turning point, proving to the British that a victory over the Americans would be far too costly. After the Battle of New Orleans, the War of 1812 was over, and never again would the United States and the United Kingdom fight on opposing sides of a war.