What Archaeology Can Tell Us About the War of 1812-- Part 2

At Fort McHenry in Baltimore they found a defensive trench that was dug quickly and filled in afterwards.  History had forgotten of its existence.

Julie Schablitsky talked about the Battle of Caulk's Field near Chestertown, Md., fought August 31, 1814 and said it was the best-preserved site as it had been used as a farm the last 200 years.  There has been a monument by it since 1902.

Metal detectors had lead shot hits  This helped locate troop positions and determined the battlefield boundaries.

A slave led the British to the American positions.  British commander Peter Parker, liberated the slave who knew where the American militia was camped.  The next morning the British turned him over to the Americans.  he was supposed to be killed, but escaped.

--Brock-Perry

Battle of Caulk's Field Bicentennial Planned Back in 2014

From the April 15, 2014, Star-Democrat (Maryland).

the re-enactment will take place on August 31, 2014, on the very same battlefield  where American Kent County militiamen turned back a British night attack.  In addition, there will be activities at the county seat in Chestertown where there will be a parade August 30th.

This battle took place during the week before the burning of Washington, D.C..

The field was named for Isaac caulk, owner of the land at the time.  The 35-acre site is now owned by Tulip Forest Farm.

There will be a flag raising and wreath laying at the War of 1812 monument in Monument Plaza.  In addition, there will be a militia camp set up at the 18th century Customs House.  The Historical Society of Kent County will have a display of Caulk's Field artifacts.

--Brock-Perry

200 Years Ago: Battle of Caulk's Field, Maryland

AUGUST 30, 1814:  Captain Sir Peter Parker is killed leading a British naval landing party near Chestertown, Maryland.  They are repulsed and the event will become known as "The Battle of Caulk's Field."

I have written a lot about OPeter parker and this battle.  Click on the labels.

--Brock-Perry

HMS Menelaus

From Wikipedia.

Built at Plymouth Dockyard and completed 21 June 1810. Sold for breaking up in 1897 (a long time for a ship). Lively-class 38-gun frigate. 154 feet long, 284 crew.

Original commander Captain Peter Parker whose father was son of Admiral Peter Parker and mother was daughter of Vice Admiral John Bryon. Killed at the battle of Caulk's Field.

This started sounding familiar and I looked the ship and Peter Parker up in my labels. I've written a lot about them. See HMS Menelaus, Parker Peter and Battle of Caulk's Field.

--Brock-Perry

November 1813 Timeline-- Part 6: Decisive Battle of Crysler's Farm

NOVEMBER 11TH

In October, Wilkinson's Army began a coordinated campaign to capture Montreal with between 7,000 and 8,000 soldiers based at Sackets Harbor. He was to link up with Major General Wade Hampton's army which was to advance to Montreal along the Richelieu River.

British Lt. Col. Joseph Morrison's force of about 1,100 men pursued Wilkinson's flotilla down the St. Lawrence River. When the Americans turned to engage with about 3,000 of their force, the British landed and took a strong defensive position on John Crysler's field.

After a bloody battle Wilkinson's troops hastily retreated to their boats and descended the river to French Mills, New York, where they took up winter quarters abandoning their effort to capture Montreal after hearing news of Hampton's defeat at Chateauquay.

Losses for the Americans. Big Win for the Canadians  --Brock-Perry

The War of 1812 in Maryland-- Part 2

The exhibit focuses on individual stories that happened.

Some of the Maryland/Chesapeake Bay stories:

**  Gabriel Hall, a slave from Calvert County.  He and two others escaped to the British fleet in the Patuxent River and eventually moved to Halifax, Canada.

**  Four slaves escaped to a British ship, probably the HMS Menelaus, off Poole's Island in Kent County in 1814 and led the British attack at Caulk's Field where the British were ambushed and soundly defeated resulting in the death of  Captain Peter Parker (whom I have written a lot about).  It is believed that the slaves lied and deliberately led the British into the attack.

**  Mrs. Dawson was a young Quaker mother.  She and her two small children were captured by the British while on a small commercial sloop traveling between Easton Point and Baltimore.  They were taken to Tangier Island for a dew days and entertained lavishly.

One night, she was feeding her infant and an admiring British officer gave her a silver spoon on which he had her name engraved.  That spoon is now a cherished family heirloom.

Little Stories Like These Make History So Much More Interesting.  --Brock-Perry

Why It Takes So Long to Do These Darn Blog Entries

This all started with a article about the Battle of Caulk's Field in Maryland.  Then, it led to his ship, the HMS Menelaus and then on his various raids and expeditions in Maryland.  Then to the ship's commander, Captain Peter Parker. 

I found more information about his pre-Menelaus life as well as his family which consisted of several Royal Navy officers.  Then, at one point, I found that he had sent two men to walk around American Annapolis and they evidently walked right through Fort Madison there.

This fort will be the subject of the next several entries.

One Thing Leads to Another.  --Brock-Perry

Sir Captain Peter Parker-- Part 1

From the Maryland In the War of 1812 Blog.

This all started out as a newspaper article about the Battle of Caulk's Field, but has expanded a bit.

Sir Captain Peter Parker (1785-1814) was the descendant of several Royal Navy flag officers and received the command of the HMS Menelaus when it was launched in 1810.

The story is often told that when Parker was mortally wounded that he was carried to the Thomas Mitchell home (on the Maryland Parkway, off Route 21) and that he died in the kitchen and his men "got a blanket and sheet to wrap Sir Peter in."

Today, the house is a popular Bed and Breakfast, but Parker was never there, but taken directly back to the Menelaus, which was laying off today's Parker Point (named after him?).

Lt. Henry Crease assumed command of the ship after Parker died.

More to Come.  --Brock-Perry

Digging for Answers at the Battle of Caulk's Field-- Part 5

Sure is a lot about a battle I'd never heard of before.

Three cadaver dogs zeroed in on three sites that most likely were used to bury the British dead, except for Parker whose body was returned to England.  Those sites will not be touched.

Julie Schablitsky's next step is to put together the story of the battle.  They will continue to work with the property owners, Tulip Forest Farming Corporation, to insure that the battlefield will continue to be an untouched resource.

And, there are not too many War of 1812 battlefields preserved as well as this.

Brock-Perry

Digging for Answers at the Battle of Caulk's Field-- Part 4

Archaeologists are hoping to determine the opponents' battle lines by surveying dropped artifacts.  According to Julie Schablitsky, during the height of battle, soldiers were "shedding metal."  The pattern of these brass buttons, spent munitions and coins will show where they stood.

Also knowing that American musket shot was smaller than the British helped draw the battle lines.  There is also unfired ammunition that was dropped in the heat of battle as soldiers hurried to reload.

And, Schablitsky says she sees definite patterns emerging.  A sweep of 40 acres last fall shows clearly that the fighting occurred over a larger area than originally thought.

More to Come.  --Brock-Perry

Digging for Answers at Caulk's Field-- Part 3

The Americans ambushed the British and in an hour-long battle, 14 British soldiers (actually Marines and sailors), died, including Captain Peter Parker, the expedition leader and captain of the HMS Menelaus.  He bled to death from a gunshot wound.  You would not generally expect a ship's commander to lead an onshore expedition like this.  Normally that job would fall to junior officers.  Three Americans were wounded.

With their commander dead and the Americans holding the high ground, the Brits retreated back to the ship.

The ship then participated in the Battle of Baltimore (Fort McHenry) and left the Chesapeake after that failed.  Fort McHenry, of course, is what inspired Francis Scott Key to write "The Star-Spangled Banner."

Archaeologists are looking for where the forces actually stood and where camp was made.  According to Julie Schablitsky, "It's really like a crime scene.  You have to let the artifacts-- the evidence-- tell you what was going on."

Two sets of post-battle reports exist, one British, one American.  She enlisted the help of the New Jersey-based Battlefield Restoration and Archaeological Volunteer Organization to scour the field and mark each artifact with a flag.

More to Come.  --Brock-Perry

Some More Information On the Battle of Caulk's Field

I'd never heard of it the engagement, small as it was, before so did some Wiki-ing and found out these items:

**  Caulk's house still stands on the battlefield.

**  A monument was erected to the battle in 1902.

**  Captain Parker's body was preserved in a barrel of whiskey and sent back to England.  (Talk about your pickling.)

**  The British suffered 14 Marines killed and 27 wounded.

**  One of the Kent County American militia men was Ezekial Foreman Chambers who was later a judge and a U.S. senator.

Brock-Perry

Digging for Answers At Caulk's Field-- Part 2

The dig is a project of the Maryland War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission, which secured a $40,000 federal grant to do it.  Julie Schablitsky, 43, has been involved in other digs related to the war, but is most famous for her work the Donner Party campsite in the Sierra Nevada and John Paul Jones' birthplace in Scotland.

Caulk's Field is close to the town of Fairlee, on Maryland's east shore Chesapeake Bay.  Executive director of the Maryland War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission, Bill Pencek says, "This is easily the best-preserved 1812 battlefield in the Mid-Atlantic, thanks to the excellent stewardship of the owners, Tulip Forest Farming Corp., who understood its importance and protected it."


THE BATTLE

Late on August 30, 1814, Parker's troops came ashore from the HMS Menelaus with plans to get information about Baltimore's defenses.  Washington had already been burned and they were preparing to lay siege to Baltimore..

But, the Americans knew the British were coming and ambushed them in an hour-long battle.

More to Come.  --Brock-Perry

Digging for Answers at Caulk's Field-- Part 1

From the Jan. 23, 2013, Chicago Tribune "Digging for answers from 1814 battle" by Candy Thomson.

They're looking for the DNA of a battle that helped turn the tide of the war and lay just 6 inches below a Maryland corn field.  For nearly two centuries musket balls, cannister and other artifacts waited to tell the story of that August night when a British raiding party battle American militia.

Cadaver sniffing dogs and history buffs with metal detectors are sweeping the field to discover what happened.

According to archaeologist Julie Schablitsky: "This battlefield is frozen in time.  It was a pasture 200 years ago, and its a pasture now.  If Capt. Parker or Col. Reed came by today, they'd know exactly where they were."

Sir Peter Parker, a British Marine captain led around 170 troops who fought a group of American militia of about the same number led by Col. Philip Reed.

From mid-August to mid-September, Maryland was a war zone.  People lived in terror, houses were burned, people taken away, Washington burned and Fort McHenry attacked..

I'd Never heard of This Battle Before the Article.  --Brock-Perry