Battle of St. Michaels

The First Battle of St. Michaels was an engagement contested on August 10, 1813, during the War of 1812. British soldiers attacked Maryland militia at St. Michaels, which is located on Eastern Shore of Maryland with access to Chesapeake Bay. At the time, this small town was on the main shipping route to important cities such as Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

Although St. Michaels had little importance compared to Washington and Baltimore, it was a target for the British because of its ship building and its connection with the town of Easton, which was the largest community in the Maryland Eastern Shore region. St.Michaels is located on the St. Michaels (later named Miles) River, which could be used with smaller boats to get within of Easton.

St. Michaels was attacked early in the morning before sunrise, when British forces arrived on the shore near the town. They quickly disabled an artillery battery, and returned to their boats. As they maneuvered their flotilla closer to the town, two other batteries manned by local militia opened fire. A boom placed across the mouth of the town's harbor successfully prevented the British from getting closer. Although the British returned fire, they eventually retreated to their base at Maryland's Kent Island. The locals suffered no casualties, while the British had casualties and damage to at least one barge. According to local legend, the citizens of St. Michaels hung lanterns in trees to fool the British artillerists, causing them to overshoot most of the town's buildings.

Background

thumb|upright=1.25|right|The British began a blockade of ports in the United States|alt=old map showing US in 1812

On June 17, 1812, the United States Senate approved a resolution passed by the United States House of Representatives that declared war against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. President James Madison signed the resolution into law on June 18. The country was not united in its feelings toward Great Britain. Many members of the Federalist political party, a coalition of bankers and businessmen, were against the war. Contrary to the Federalists, members of the Democratic-Republican Party, who had a numerical superiority, believed a war was justified.

After the declaration of war, the British government declared the ports of the United States to be in a state of blockade. They began stricter enforcement of the blockade in 1813, when ships were sent to close the port of New York and others further south, including those on the Chesapeake Bay. Early in February 1813, British ships under the command of Rear Admiral George Cockburn took possession of Hampton Roads at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay, which stopped traffic in and out of the bay. This effectively closed major ports such as Norfolk in Virginia and the Port of Baltimore in Maryland. On May 3, Cockburn burned most of Havre de Grace, Maryland. Additional Maryland coastal towns, Georgetown and Fredericktown, were burned on May 6. First Lady Dolley Madison called Cockburn's raids "savage", and Cockburn threatened to capture and parade her through London. A second water route to Easton, Tredhaven Creek, was protected by a six-gun battery called Fort Stokes.|group=Note

Preparing for the British

Kemp's company and at least three of the Easton companies wore uniforms. The militia troops totaled to about 500 men, and they were led by Brigadier General Benson, Colonel Auld, and Colonel Thomas Jones.

By 9:00am the artillery duel was over, and the British returned to their base. Benson, his infantry, and his cavalry were waiting at the town square. They outnumbered the British force, but did not need to engage. The town had been successfully defended, and did not suffer the same fate as Havre de Grace.

Casualties

Lieutenant Polkinghorne's report said his British ground force had losses of "only two wounded". He also thought one of the barges had significant damage. A second deserter believed that one of the British dead was an officer. His men began preparing to sail away from Kent Island on August 22 after determining that attacks on Annapolis and Baltimore would be ill-advised because those American cities had received substantial reinforcements.

Performance and legend

Lieutenant Polkinghorne of the British Royal Navy reported that he "deemed the object of the enterprize fulfilled". Shots from the British six-pounder guns were generally high, and hit the roofs or higher bables of some houses. Benson's report said the "militia generally behaved well", and did not mention that some fled without firing a shot. For years afterward, two of the Easton companies feuded with each other over their performance at the battle.