Terror on the Chesapeake: The War of 1812 on the Bay"For nearly two years during the War of 1812, the British treated the Chesapeake Bay as their private lake. But in 1814, as attention moved from the northern frontier to the mid-Atlantic region, the Americans fought back and drove the invaders from the bay. Christopher T. George traces the abuses of the inhabitants of the Chesapeake Bay by Royal Navy raiding parties under arrogant Rear Admiral George Cockburn. Cockburn's burning and pillaging of bay communities preceded the burning of our nation's capital, Washington, D.C., on August 24-25, 1814, by Major General Robert Ross. Cockburn persuaded Ross that the Americans could not stand up to Lord Wellington's Peninsular War veterans. But he miscalculated when it came to attacking Baltimore, where citizen soldiers, strongly led by Revolutionary War veterans Generals Samuel Smith and John Stricker, and backed by U.S. Navy regulars, held the British at bay, killing Ross and reclaiming American pride."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved |
Contents
Chapter Two A Nest of Pirates | 11 |
Chapter Four Cockburns Terror | 27 |
Chapter Five Norfolk Attacked Hampton Ravished | 40 |
Copyright | |
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Terror on the Chesapeake: The War of 1812 on the Bay Christopher T. George No preview available - 2001 |
Common terms and phrases
admiral American Annapolis Armistead Armstrong army artillery August August 29 Baltimore barges Barney Barney's battery battle Beckwith Bladensburg boats bombardment Brig brigade British attack Brooke cannons Capt Captain captured Chamier Chesapeake Cochrane Papers Cockburn Colonel commander Commodore Congreve rocket County Craney Island Creek defense diary Dudley enemy Federalists fire fleet flotilla flotillamen force Fort McHenry frigate George Gleig gunboats guns Harford County Havre de Grace Ibid Infantry James John John McHenry Jones Joshua Barney June killed land later Lord Madison Maryland militia McHenry miles militiamen Napier naval night Norfolk North Point officers ordered Parker Patapsco Patuxent Philip Reed Potomac raids Regiment retreat riflemen River road rocket Ross Ross's Royal Marines Royal Navy sail sailors schooner Secretary September September 13 ships Shomette shore shot Sir Peter Parker slaves Smith squadron Star-Spangled Banner Stricker troops U.S. Navy vessels Virginia Warren William Winder wounded wrote Yankee