Historians Fret Fate of War of 1812 Sites-- Part 1

From the May 27, 2012, Baltimore Sun.

There is a grassy hill a mile west of the Patuxent River.  British soldiers camped here after disembarking from ships in the summer of 1814, their first stop on the way to Washington, DC. 

There had been an earlier raid by the British on the site, but they had been repulsed by American militia.  This time, the 4,000 British soldiers met no resistance in southern Maryland on August 19th.  Four days later, they defeated a disorganized American Army at Bladensburg and then marched into the capital unopposed.

Lands west of Benedict where they camped are now privately owned.  This is one of seven War of 1812 and Revolutionary War sites in Maryland the U.S. Department of the Interior considers as facing medium to high risk of destruction by 2018.

More than 100 historical sites are already gone.

Since 1996, there has been much focus on Civil War sites, but fewer resources have been devoted to the War of 1812.

More to Come.  --Brock-Perry