Thank you for visiting the Battle of Bladensburg site.
This is the second generation of the site. That original site (still up) was the first site ever to specifically cover the Battle of Bladensburg. The original site was started back in 2001. This improvement was made in 2006. This writing is fresh as of August 2009. The town of Bladensburg has a Chamber of Commerce type site, but never had anything about the battle. Perhaps now they do, but I quit checking a couple of years ago. You may experience pop-ups, but Angelfire hosts this site at no cost. You may have navigated here via the link from the Heritage Toy Figures site, or you Googled the "Battle of Bladensburg". Either way, I'm glad you made it.
The only recognition of the Battle of Bladensburg has been the Annual August Anniversary Encampment and Re-enactment at the Riversdale Mansion in Riverdale, MD just south of UMD and College Park, MD and just north of Bladensburg itself.
While the battle was actually on August 24, the "anniversary" encampment is usually about August 14. This year (2009), the encampment is on Saturday August 15. I would put a link in here for it but the Calvert Mansion's website has lots of other junk that you would have to muddle thru to get to the encampment information. The Mansion and grounds, also known as "Riversdale" (with an "s" in the otherwise-familiar name of Riverdale), is in a residential section near East-West Highway in Riverdale, MD not far from the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.
"Riverdale? What about Bladensburg?"
There is no recognition given the Battle by the town of Bladensburg itself as of this writing, and never has been. The only connection to be found in town is a house of that period (still standing and well preserved) that can be viewed on an appointment basis when available, but that is seldom and only to groups as it is a functioning, private home.
If you want to see SOMETHING about the Battle, look outside Bladensburg's town limits, just south of the river on 450 (Annapolis Rd). There you will find the large, private Fort Lincoln Cemetery (was a "fort" in Civil War days, not during 1812-1814) that covers a good deal of land upon which the actual battle was fought.
Within the cemetary grounds, on the hill, BEHIND the large (Chapel?) building, there is a monument to the particular struggle (at the end of the hour-long battle) fought by Commodore Joshua Barney's sailors and Marines. It was the only real resistance displayed by the American side.
It was here and then that the US Army and Militia units, on either side of Barney's 600 men and cannnon, fled upon approach of the enemy, leaving Barney and his men to stand and fight alone. They, too, eventually had to retreat when faced by an overwhelming number of soldiers. Barney stayed until his men had retreated, but was wounded and found he could not follow them. He was captured but treated very graciously by his civilized enemy as the hero he was.
In addition to the monument, there is a well house that was there during the battle, and is said to have been there even a hundred years before it!
Below the photo are options you can select to find out more.
For those who are unfamiliar;
Other internet sites relating to the battle or the War of 1812
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