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Battle of Baltimore

Woodcut depicting the bombardment of Fort McHenry, Baltimore
Source: The War of 1812, by Don Lawson

"The capture of the town would not have been a sufficient equivalent to the loss which might probably be sustained in storming the heights."
British Colonel Arthur Brooke

After their victory at Washington, the British, led by Vice Admrial Sir Alexander Cochrane, Admiral Sir George Cockburn, and Major General Robert Ross, boarded their ships and traveled north in the Chesapeake Bay to Baltimore and Fort McHenry. Their target was an important commercial center and a base for privateers.

On September 12, 1814, British troops landed to attack Baltimore, but the situation was very diffferent from the one at Washington a few weeks earlier. The defenders were better prepared, more organized, and consequently fought much more efficiently than they had at Washington. During the advance on Baltimore, General Ross was killed and his command taken over by Colonel Arthur Brooke. There was a confrontation within five miles of Baltimore, where the American force was defeated. However, when the British forces did reach the city, they could not lure the Americans from their defensive positions, while attacking the fortifications directly would result in heavy losses. Instead, the British retreated to begin a naval bombardment of Fort McHenry.

Ships had been sunk in the harbour to prevent the British fleet from approaching too close to inflict serious damage. The British bombardment was intended to destroy larger cannons in order to approach in smaller ships and weaken American lines at close range. Fort McHenry sustained minimal damage from British cannonballs and rockets. An interesting fact - the Star Sprangled Banner, America's national anthem, was written at the time of this bombardment by Francis Scott Key, a Baltimore lawyer who witnessed the attack.

On September 14, the British fleet retreated from Baltimore, abandoning their attempts to capture the city. This battle was the last battle to take place before the signing of the Treaty of Ghent and the official end of the war. Despite this, the Battle of New Orleans was still to come.