12th United States Infantry Regiment, 1812-1814

Home
United States
Lewes, DE
12th United States Infantry Regiment, 1812-1814

Directions Website Contact the organization

The 12th U. S. Infantry Regiment recreates a regiment raised in Virginia which fought in the Canadian and Chesapeake theaters of the War of 1812.

09/30/2026

US House Vote For The Declaration of War On The United Kingdom In 1812

09/13/2026

08/26/2026

On the night of August 26, 1814, with the capital still burning behind him after an attack by British troops, President James Madison’s carriage rolled into Brookeville, Maryland, looking for a place to sleep.

The first man he asked would not get out of bed for the President. The second, a Federalist, said he had no use for anyone waging a war he found distasteful. The third door, at the home of Caleb Bentley, opened.

Madison never slept anyway. He sat up all night in an armchair writing orders while his guard marched around the house and trampled the family garden. For one night, a tiny Montgomery County town was the capital of the United States.

WETA’s Boundary Stones has the full story at the link in the comments below.

08/26/2026

08/24/2026

August 24,1814 the takes place. By the time the Americans realized that the British invasion force was heading to Washington, they had little time to prepare. They hastily established three lines of defense near the port town of Bladensburg, MD where the British would cross the Eastern Branch of the Potomac River, known today as the Anacostia.

The opposing troops clashed in three hours of intense fighting. Though superior in number, most of the American defensive forces were poorly trained, ill-equipped, and positioned so the lines could not support one another. They were no match for the seasoned British army. The British stormed the bridge and, after one failed attempt, crossed the river and pushed the Americans back. The first defensive line folded into the second, and soon confusion and panic swept through the American ranks.

Only the third defensive line made a heroic stand. There 400 flotillamen and 114 US Marines and militiamen held off the British advance until the defenders were outflanked and their commander, Commodore Joshua Barney, was wounded.

President James Madison and several cabinet members were on the field of battle that day. Seeing the start of an American rout, they beat a hasty retreat to Washington, sending word ahead to First Lady Dolley Madison and others to save what possessions they could and flee. After a few hours of rest, the British then moved on to Washington.

“The enemy are in full march to Washington. Have the materials to destroy the bridges.” – Secretary of State James Monroe to President James Madison, August 23, 1814

Maryland Milestones (Anacostia Trails Heritage Area)

📸 aerial illustration of the Battle of Bladensburg; soldiers in red and blue uniforms fire at one another, while smoke rises from bomb, cannons, and muskets; © Richard Schlecht

08/24/2026

08/24/2026

#‎onthisday‬ - August 23, 1814: British forces camped on land that is now Andrews Air Force Base. Local lore claims that British officers, including Major General Robert Ross, invited themselves over to the nearby Melwood House to have dinner with its owner, widow Mary Carroll Digges.

📸 a black and white photograph of a two-story home; this image of Melwood is from 1936 for the Historic American Buildings Survey, image courtesy of the Library of Congress

07/16/2026

07/12/2026

We tried. Come visit!

Address

110 Shipcarpenter St
Lewes, DE
19958

Website

http://www.12thinfantry.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when 12th United States Infantry Regiment, 1812-1814 posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.