Battle of Baltimore
The Battle of Baltimore, which took place during the War of 1812, was a significant military engagement occurring from September 13 to 14, 1814. Following the British capture of Washington, D.C., they turned their sights on Baltimore, a critical port city and base for privateers targeting British merchant vessels. The defensive efforts centered around Fort McHenry, a coastal fortification that protected Baltimore Harbor. On September 11, British forces under Vice Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane arrived in the outer harbor, and the following day, Major General Robert Ross led British troops toward the city.
A decisive confrontation occurred at the Battle of North Point, where a U.S. force commanded by Major General Samuel Smith engaged the British. Although the Americans retreated to fortified positions, the following day, Fort McHenry endured a lengthy bombardment by British naval forces. Ultimately, the British were unsuccessful in capturing the fort and retreated on September 15. The failure to seize Baltimore had a significant impact on the War of 1812, influencing British leaders to seek peace, which culminated in the Treaty of Ghent in December 1814, restoring the prewar status quo.
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Subject Terms
Battle of Baltimore
Type of action: Ground and naval battle in the War of 1812
Date: September 12-14, 1814
Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Combatants: 10,000 Americans vs. 4,700 British troops and 16 ships
Principal commanders:British Army, Major General Robert Ross (1766–1814); British Navy, Vice Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane (1758–1832); United States, Major General Samuel Smith (1752–1839)
Result: Successful U.S. defense of a major Atlantic port
In the summer of 1814, Britain dispatched a naval-military expedition to the Chesapeake Bay. After capturing Washington, D.C. (August 24), the British turned their attention to Baltimore. This port was the main U.S. base for privateers employed against the British merchant marine and therefore was an important military target.
Baltimore’s inner harbor was protected by Fort McHenry. The landward approaches to the city had also been fortified. The British navy, led by Vice Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane, arrived in the outer harbor on September 11. The next day, the army under Major General Robert Ross disembarked onto the North Point Peninsula and marched toward Baltimore. Midway up the peninsula, a 3,200-man U.S. force led by Major General Samuel Smith opposed the British advance. After the ensuing Battle of North Point (September 12), the defeated Americans retired into the mile-long fortifications on Hampstead Hill, just to the east of the city. In the early morning hours of September 13, the British subjected Fort McHenry to a twenty-hour bombardment. Discouraged by their inability to subdue the fort and by the strength of the U.S. army on Hampstead Hill, the British withdrew on September 15.
Significance
Britain’s failure at Baltimore strongly influenced the outcome of the War of 1812. This defeat, coupled with U.S. victories at Plattsburgh (September 11, 1814) and Lake Champlain (September 11, 1814), encouraged British leaders to seek a compromise peace. The result was the Treaty of Ghent (December 24, 1814; ratified January 15, 1815), which reestablished the prewar status quo.
Bibliography
Lord, Walter. The Dawn’s Early Light. New York: W. W. Norton, 1972.
Pitch, Anthony S. The Burning of Washington: The British Invasion of 1814. Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press, 1998.
Sheads, Scott S. The Rockets’ Red Glare: The Maritime Defense of Baltimore in 1814. Centreville, Md.: Tidewater, 1986.