The Battles of St. Leonard's Creek

June 1814

 

 

Jefferson Patterson Park is located on a small peninsula positioned between the Patuxent River to its west and St Leonard Creek to its southeast.  The largest naval battle ever to take place in Maryland, the actions that took place here in June of 1814 set in place the events which led to the capture of Washington.

 

The Chesapeake Flotilla, formed by US Commodore Joshua Barney in Baltimore, left Baltimore on May 24, 1814 with the intention of attacking the Royal Navy near its base at Tangier Island.  An encounter with a small British squadron on June 1 quickly escalated as British reinforcements appeared sailing northward.  Outmatched, Barney’s squadron pulled for the safety of the mouth of the Patuxent River and then the shallower waters of St Leonard’s Creek. Within a few days, the British fleet at the mouth of the Creek amounted to the HMS Loire, Lawrence, and Jasseur, 21 barges and a rocket boat manned by approximately 800 sailors and Marines.  Although Barney’s flotilla contained about 500 sailors and a slightly smaller number of militia, the British enjoyed more than a 4-1 ratio in guns.

 

During June 8^th -10^th, the first Battle of St. Leonard’s Creek, the British sailed up the creek and attacked the flotilla with rockets from long range.  On the 8^th and 9^th, Barney attempted to close with the British ships but the British barges would withdraw to the safety of the larger ships.  Failing to close with the British barges, Barney withdrew his flotilla further up the creek nearer to the town of St Leonard and constructed a boom and batteries at a narrow point of the creek. A more pressing attack by the British barges and the HMS Lawrence on June 10^th was driven off by Barney’s oared gunboats. During the action, the Lawrence ran aground and was abandoned by the British although the British line laid down a covering fire to allow the remainder of the line to withdraw. Barney’s flotilla withdrew to a cove just inside the mouth of the creek and was bombarded by the British over a projection of land. The British also landed troops to occupy the high ground overlooking the cove.  After nearly 6 hours of fighting, the flotilla withdrew back up the creek and the British did not pursue.  The Lawrence was re-floated and within a few days was repaired and back on station.   

 

In an attempt to draw the flotilla out, the British began a campaign of destruction along both sides of the Patuxent river valley.  A raiding party of Royal Marines, Colonial marines and Sailors raided the towns of Benedict and Lower Marlboro, Huntingtown, Sotterly, Hall’s Creek, Magruder’s Landings and Broomes Island.  In each instance, the raiders destroyed what tobacco crop they could not carry, ransacked homes, stole livestock, and freed slaves. Captured goods were used to supply the fleet.

 

In Mid-June, Col. Dacius Wadsworth, Chief of Ordnance for the US Army, arrived at St. Leonard’s Creek to assist Barney. Wadsworth brought with him part of the US 38^th Regiment and 2-18 pound guns, a traveling furnace for hot-shot, and several smaller guns.  The US 36^th was also ordered to the area and Secretary Jones of the Navy sent 100 Marines and 3 additional guns. Col. Wadsworth’s planned to place his guns on the high ground overlooking the mouth of St. Leonard Creek (Jefferson-Patterson Park) and fire down on the blockaders using hot-shot.  The flotilla would simultaneously attack down the creek so that the British would be hit from two sides at the same time.

 

On the evening of June 25^th, the American forces under Wadsworth proceeded down to a hill overlooking the mouth of the creek.  Through the night, the gunners moved artillery onto the heights and constructed batteries and, at 4:00 AM, the sailors and Marines opened fire on the British fleet.  Almost a quarter hour elapsed as the British ships maneuvered into position to provide counter fire.  The rocket barge, along with several launches full of Royal Marines, were dispatched up river to attack the rear of the American guns. Although the British ships fired over 600 rounds at the batteries, most of the shots went wide or were buried in the soft earth around the gun emplacements. Occupied with the American guns, the British ships were caught unawares when Barney’s flotilla arrived and were not initially in a position to return fire.

 

As the guns in the battery expended their round shot, the Marine gunners moved their guns upriver to fire canister and grape shot at the rocket barge and Royal Marines.  The American infantry and covering guns interpreted this movement as part of an ordered retreat and withdrew leaving only Barney’s sailors at their guns. As the unordered retreat progressed and the remaining guns became ineffectual, Wadsworth called a halt to the firing and the flotilla men were ordered to pull back. Noting the reduced fire from the hill, Barney disengaged and pulled back up the creek.  The British, with several ships heavily damaged, also disengaged, pulled away from the mouth of the creek,  and sailed down river around three miles.  Barney’s flotilla was able to escape upriver to Benedict.

 

On July 4^th, the Royal Navy destroyed most of the town of St Leonard at the head of the creek while the flotilla moved upriver to Nottingham and closed the upper river from British attack.  In the month and a half that followed, British raids continued on the lower Patuxent, as well as on the Potomac.  On August 16^th, British reinforcements arrived in the form of an armada and an army of approximately 4,500 men and the Patuxent and Barney’s flotilla lay square in its path.  On the 19^th, the British landed at Benedict to destroy the flotilla and march on Washington.

 

Contributed by Ed Seufert, 1812 Royal Marines