War of 1812 Bicentennial, St. Michaels MD

02/27/2017

Ahoy, there history buffs! Tall ships invade St. Michaels this summer. See the Scooner "Sultana" in May and June, "Maryland Dove" in July and "Pride of Baltimore II" in August as they sail into the harbor at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. For a schedule, visit:
http://cbmm.org/news/tall-ships-dock-st-michaels-summer/

12/16/2016

Coming in 2017...we will post tidbits about the history of our lovely, wonderful, interesting small town. Hope you find it fun! SHARE to spread the word to your fellow history buffs!

12/16/2016

Do you know the history of St. Michaels? Here is a handy-dandy "walking tour" from the St. Michaels Museum to get you started.

09/18/2015

Enjoy this brief video about the battle narrated by Peter Lesher, Chief Curator of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.

St. Michaels, the town that fooled the British

08/26/2015

August 26, 1813: The British returned for a second attack on St. Michaels, landing 2,100 men in 60 small boats near Wade’s Point. Three hundred of the men were sent to attack a nearby militia camp, but the remaining 1,800 advanced toward St. Michaels. Five hundred American defenders met them along the road, and after a brief exchange of fire, the British again withdrew.

08/10/2015

August 10, 1813: Beginning about 4 am, when it was still breezy and raining, sailors and marines in 11 small boats commanded by Lieutenant Puckinghorne landed near Parrott’s Point and attacked the battery there. They were met with a shot from one of the battery’s cannon’s but the defenders fled into the town. The cannons were spiked to render them useless, and the British returned to their boats and proceeded to fire on the town of St. Michaels. Two American militia batteries in the town under Lieutenant Graham and Captain Vickers returned fire. About 1 pm, the small boats returned to the British 14-gun brig-sloop Conflict, which then withdrew downriver. The Americans suffered no casualties; the British suffered two wounded.

08/10/2015

On the afternoon of August 9th women, children and elderly were evacuated to nearby Pea Neck area called “Onion Hill” where many of the shipyard workers in the San Domingo and Broad Creek shipyards lived.

08/10/2015

August 9, 1813: The brig-sloop Conflict, 14-guns, commanded by Henry Loraine Baker, towed 11 small vessels ranging from 18 to 34 feet in length up Eastern Bay and into the Miles River in preparation for the attack.

08/10/2015

August 8, 1813: Adm. Cockburn received an order from his commander, Admiral Warren, “You are hereby required and directed … having received information that an Armed Vessel or Vessels are at present Stationed in St. Michaels River at the Mouth of which a small Battery is erected; You will direct the Commander of His Majesty’s Sloop Conflict to proceed with the Boats of this ship [San Domingo], the Sceptre & Marlborough to that place in order to Capture and bring them out, or, in the event of the impossibility of their being moved from the above River, to destroy them…”

08/07/2015

The towns along the Chesapeake began preparing for British attacks as soon as the Royal Navy appeared around Norfolk. St. Michaels was no exception. During a ceremony at the Fort on Parrott's Point, St. Michaels women presented a flag to Gen. Perry Benson that was embroidered with the names of the officers of his company. It flew over the fort during the attack. Gen. Benson praised the patriotism of the women, and remarked that "The flag was raised under the fire of gun and music, the soldiers promising to defend it with their lives."

08/06/2015

In August 2013, we celebrated the 200th Anniversary of the historic Battle of St. Michaels that made us forever known as "The Town that Fooled the British."

08/06/2015

August 6: Several Talbot county Militia units (total of around 500 men) gather in St. Michaels. They are quartered in St. Michaels' two churches, Christ Church and Sardis Chapel. The soldiers are under the command of Brig. General Perry Benson (1729 -1827) a veteran of the American Revolution War. Benson establishes his headquarters on St. Mary’s Square.The soldiers drill on St. Mary’s Square. Several St. Michaels militia men are local. Joseph Kemp (boat builder and local shipyard owner) is a captain of the St, Michaels Patriotic Blues. St. Michaels packet captain, Captain William Dodson commands a detachment of St. Michaels Patriotic Blues artillerists and captains a boat that keeps track of the British ships.