Sailors Fighting Sailors
U.S. Chesapeake Flotilla vs. Royal Navy
Sailors provided the backbone of Baltimore’s defense during the War of 1812. A strong detachment of U.S. Navy seamen defended trenches on the outskirts of the city while members of the U.S. Chesapeake Flotilla served Fort McHenry’s largest cannons in the Water Battery. Here, eighteen men strained to load, aim and fire each of the 12,000 pound cannons as enemy bombs and rockets burst overhead.
The 471 men of the U.S. Chesapeake Bay Flotilla protected local residents of the Chesapeake Bay region and fought numerous battles with the Royal Navy before coming to Baltimore. Their combat experience and teamwork proved vital in repulsing the British ships
Marker can be reached from Fort Avenue.
Courtesy hmdb.org
