War of 1812 Battles |
Colonial Wars |
American Wars |
Battle of North Point
(aka Battle of Boulden's Farm)
September 12, 1814, North Point, Maryland
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The Battle of North Point was also known as the Battle of Boulden's Farm, was fought on September 12. This engagement was part of the larger Battle of Baltimore.
At 3:00 A.M., on September 12, British forces, under the command of Maj. Gen. Robert Ross, began landing some 4,700 British soldiers, sailors, and marines and supplies from the their ships that were anchored by North Point. The British decided that North Point was the place to go ashore because the fleet could protect the army's flank. From here, it was about 14 miles from Baltimore.
By 6:30 A.M., the troops were formed and began their march to Baltimore. When the bugles sounded at 8:00 A.M., they set out in 3 brigades with a short distance between them. The 6 cannon and 2 howitzers were put between the first and second brigades. About halfway to baltimore, they encountered the Americans strongly posted behind some high pilings. There were about 3, 185 militia under the command of Brig. Gen. John Strickter. Stricker commanded of the 3d Brigade of the Maryland militia, which was ordered to delay the British advance so that the defensive entrenchments around Baltimore could be completed.
Strickter had been sent out early enough to take up his position between the upper waters of bear Creek and Black River where the peninsula was about 1 mile wide.He had had time to erect the pilings for his front and to secure his flanks on open water and swamp. He had sent 150 men forward of his line, but most of his men had retired behind the pilings by the time that the British had come.
When Ross' column had struck Stricker's position, Ross rode forward to reconnoiter. He returned to the column to order the light infantry forward and had started back to the American position when he was knocked off his horse by a bullet that went through his right arm and into his chest. He was shot by by an American sharpshooter hidden in a nearby tree. Ross laid unseen until the light infantrymen found his body. The death of Maj. Gen. Robert Ross was a demoralizing blow to the British land forces. Col. Arthur Brooke, as second in command, now took over as commander. Brooke was inexperienced, and would soon prove to be a disappointment to his troops.
Around 10:00 A.M., Brooke ordered an artillery barrage. The 2 hours of artillery fire did significant damage on the most exposed part of the American line. The American artillery fired mostly grapeshot, nails, old horseshoes, locks, pieces of broken musket, anything that could be crammed down the muzzle of a cannon, with telling effect. The fighting continued back and forth through the afternoon.
After this, Brooke ordered a regiment to the American's left flank, and after an appropiate interval, ordered an attack across the entire position. In 15 minutes, the attack forced the Americans back to a prepared line 300 yards behind their current position. They soon had to fall back about 1/2 mile more to their reserve position. Finally, between 3:00 and 3:45 P.M., Strickers ordered a retreat to his final prepared position nearer the city.
The British had enough of fighting, at least for the day. They had seen over 300 killed and wounded. The Americans suffered 150 casualties, of which 41 were killed.
Around sunset, Stricker began an orderly retreat from the battlefield, back toward Baltimore and Rogers Bastion. As they retreated, the Americans felled trees across the roadbed to slow the British advance. Fortunately, the British army did not pursue them. Instead, they made camp and slept on the battlefield near the Methodist Meetinghouse, which was being used as a hospital where surgeons operated on the wounded from both sides. The doctors worked on the wounded far into the night.
In the early morning of September 13, a tremendous rainstorm came and made life miserable in both camps.
