War of 1812
The most famous events of the War of 1812 occurred in the Chesapeake Bay area. In 1814, the defeat of Napoleon in Europe allowed Great Britain to take a more aggressive strategy in the American war. Noting the strategic importance of the Chesapeake, the British blockaded the bay and began raiding American towns. In August of 1814, a force of 4,500 British regulars under Major General John Ross was transported up the Chesapeake and into the Patuxent River, where they landed in Benedict Maryland and went on to rout the American army at Bladensburg, and to burn Washington, D.C.
In response to British raids, the Chesapeake Bay Flotilla was created. The flotilla was in reality a squadron of small and hastily constructed gunboats, or barges, that were fitted with two or three cannons. These barges were much smaller than the British vessels, and so they were able to travel in and out of the shallow waters in the Chesapeake Bay and were successful in their attempts to harass the British Fleet, delaying British advances up the Patuxent river for three months in the summer of 1814. In the end, however, the British army attacked the flotilla from land, and the British fleet continued to push up the Chesapeake Bay and marched on Washington D. C. The Royal Marines burned the White House, the Capitol, and many other government offices to the ground. It is the only time in American History since the Revolutionary War, that the United States’ capital has been invaded.
The Battle of St. Leonard’s Creek and The Chesapeake Bay Flotilla
The British fleet under the command of Rear Admiral George Cockburn had received little in the way of opposition during 1813 and was able to conduct raids from tidewater Virginia to the northern end of the bay. When the bulk of his small fleet retired at the end of the year to winter in Bermuda, Commodore Joshua Barney and Secretary of the Navy William Jones were given a small window of opportunity to construct a defense.
“I am therefore of opinion the only defense we have in our power, is a Kind of Barge or Row-galley, so constructed, as to draw a small draft of water, to carry Oars, light sails, and One heavy long gun” wrote Barney in July of 1813. It was a “mosquito fleet” of eighteen vessels that hindered the British advance on Baltimore and Washington the following summer.
The British fleet vastly overpowered Barney’s squadron; but Barney could retreat to shallow rivers where Cockburn’s frigates could not follow. Additionally, his ships were skillfully manned by experienced seamen who were all volunteers. After a brief engagement off Cedar Point, this Chesapeake Flotilla retreated up the Patuxent to St. Leonard’s creek. Cockburn could not allow Barney’s fleet to harass his operation, so he sent a detachment comprised of a 74-gun frigate, a brig-sloop, and a number of his own gunships to blockade the entrance of the Creek. On June 9th, 1814 some fifteen British barges attempted to force Barney out of his hiding spot and into the range of the 74-gun frigate. The ploy didn’t work, as the first few British barges to come within range of Barney’s guns quickly retreated back to the mouth of the creek. The next day, the British flotilla returned in force but were met with a heavy barrage. In the pursuit, Barney managed to ground the 18-gun schooner St. Lawrence.
With his initial attempts to destroy the flotilla frustrated, Admiral Cockburn settled on blockading the creek and raiding the surrounding countryside to deprive Barney of much-needed local support. The flotilla had to move quickly or disband to avoid capture. A quickly built battery commanded by Colonel Wadsworth allowed Barney’s men to force their way out of the creek on June 27th. Though he admitted “our shot was terrible” and Wadsworth commented that he had difficulty setting the battery up in time, the combined barrage commanded by the two men was enough to allow the flotilla to escape up the Patuxent with only a few gunboats lost.
Ultimately though, Barney’s flotilla was forced to disband. Towards the end of August, the British army received reinforcements and presented a greater threat to the flotilla men from the shore. In addition, Barney was under pressure from the Secretary of the Navy, who knew that reinforcing the flotilla would draw strength away from defending Baltimore and Washington. And so Barney opted to blow up his flotilla. For nearly three months, he and his men had prevented Cockburn from making the sweeping advances he had enjoyed in 1813, forcing him to expend time and effort that allowed Baltimore to mount a successful defense. Once disbanded, many of the flotilla men joined American forces defending Washington D.C. on land and were among the last to lose their position at the Battle of Bladensburg on August 24th. Barney survived the war to become a decorated naval hero.
