Croom in Prince George's County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The War of 1812
Photographed By F. Robby, August 20, 2013
1. The War of 1812 Marker
Inscription.
The War of 18 12. . During the War of 18 12, Nottingham served as the home port for the Chesapeake Flotilla, which consisted of 17 gun-boats under the command of Joshua Barney. In the summer of 1814, the British fleet landed at Benedict in Charles County, then camped in Nottingham on August 21. When the British fleet arrived they found Nottingham abandoned., "We found this place (a town or a large village, capable of containing from a thousand to fifteen hundred inhabitants) completely deserted. Not an individual was to be seen in the streets, or remained in the homes...whilst in some places the very bread left in the ovens, showed that it had been evacuated in great haste, and immediately before our arrival ... the houses are not such as indicate the existence of much wealth or grandeur among the owners, being in general built of wood, and little superior to cottages, but around the villate farm-houses, a species of mansion very common in the United States. For miles in every direction, the country was in a state of high cultivation; though, instead of the maize and wheat we had hitherto seen, the fields were covered in a luxuriant and abundant crop of tobacco.", (G.R. Gleig, The Campaigns of the British Army at Washington and New Orleans, 1814-1815, London, 1861), As the British approached and the townspeople fled, Commodore Barney took his flotilla upriver to Pig Point, where he set fire to the entire fleet to prevent the boats from falling into the British hands. The British marched from Nottingham to Marlborough where soldiers could hear the explosions from the burning flotilla. With the American forces vanquished and in full retreat, the British marched to Bladensburg, and eventually Washington, D.C., where they sacked and burned significant portions of the city, including the Capitol and the White House.
During the War of 1812, Nottingham served as the home port for the Chesapeake Flotilla, which consisted of 17 gun-boats under the command of Joshua Barney. In the summer of 1814, the British fleet landed at Benedict in Charles County, then camped in Nottingham on August 21. When the British fleet arrived they found Nottingham abandoned.
"We found this place (a town or a large village, capable of containing from a thousand to fifteen hundred inhabitants) completely deserted. Not an individual was to be seen in the streets, or remained in the homes...whilst in some places the very bread left in the ovens, showed that it had been evacuated in great haste, and immediately before our arrival ... the houses are not such as indicate the existence of much wealth or grandeur among the owners, being in general built of wood, and little superior to cottages, but around the villate farm-houses, a species of mansion very common in the United States. For miles in every direction, the country was in a state of high cultivation; though, instead of the maize and wheat we had hitherto seen, the fields were covered in a luxuriant and abundant crop of tobacco."
(G.R. Gleig, The Campaigns of the British Army at Washington and New Orleans, 1814-1815, London, 1861)
As the British approached and the townspeople fled, Commodore
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Barney took his flotilla upriver to Pig Point, where he set fire to the entire fleet to prevent the boats from falling into the British hands. The British marched from Nottingham to Marlborough where soldiers could hear the explosions from the burning flotilla. With the American forces vanquished and in full retreat, the British marched to Bladensburg, and eventually Washington, D.C., where they sacked and burned significant portions of the city, including the Capitol and the White House.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War of 1812. A significant historical year for this entry is 1812.
Location. 38° 42.658′ N, 76° 42.223′ W. Marker is in Croom, Maryland, in Prince George's County. Marker is on Nottingham Road, 0.1 miles north of Tanyard Road, on the right when traveling west. Marker is in front of the Nottingham Schoolhouse, about 250 from the road. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Upper Marlboro MD 20772, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. The Town of Nottingham (here, next to this marker); The Nottingham Schoolhouse (a few steps from this marker); Changing Guard (within shouting distance of this marker); Nottingham (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary (approx. 1.2 miles away);
Photographed By F. Robby, August 20, 2013
2. The War of 1812 Marker
Closeup of the map and drawing on the left side of the marker.
Closeup of images on the right side of the marker.
Photographed By F. Robby, August 20, 2013
4. The War of 1812 Marker
Marker is in front of the Nottingham Schoolhouse.
Photographed By Benjamin Lossing, 1850
5. March of The British Army from Benedict to Bladensburg
From Lossing's Pictorial Field Book of the War of 1812.
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, October 15, 2013
6. Joshua Barney
Close-up of image on marker LOC
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, October 15, 2013
7. The Capitol after the burning of Washington
Close-up of image on marker
Photographed By G. Thompson, 1814
8. The Taking of the City of Washington in America
LOC
1815
9. Fantastic View of the Capture of Washington by the British From an Old English Almanac, 1815.
Appears in The Road to Washington by Wilfred Mason Barton, 1919.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on August 24, 2013, by F. Robby of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 623 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 24, 2013, by F. Robby of Baltimore, Maryland. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. submitted on October 26, 2014, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland.