Clifton Park in Baltimore, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Mounted Messengers
Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail
— National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior —
Photographed By Don Morfe, December 13, 2014
1. Mounted Messengers Marker
Captain Henry Thompson, Clifton Mansion’s original owner, formed the First Baltimore Horse Artillery unit in 1813. General John Stricker chose Thompson’s troop to report on enemy movements at the August 1814 Battle of Bladensburg.
Selected as General Samuel Smith’s personal guard, the troop was stationed at the defenses on Hampstead Hill during the Battle of Baltimore and served as observers/couriers at North Point and Fort McHenry. Duty and Service-Thompson’s journal shows he persistently drilled his militia cavalry troop. The 62-man unit was made up of leading merchants and tradesmen committed to protecting their homeland.
[Caption:]
Captain Henry Thompson, ca 1811 by John Wesley Jarvis-Image/Courtesy Maryland Historical Society.
“To Captain Thompson of the Flying Artillery and his company, the Commanding General tenders his thanks for their unremitting personal attention as his guard (and) their readiness in carrying orders…”
–Major General Samuel Smith, September 19, 1814
[Caption:]
In this 1814 painting by Thomas Ruckle of the “Gathering of Troops on Hampstead Hill,” Captain Henry Thompson is depicted on the black horse in the foreground. The mounted troops formation on the right are
this page online
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War of 1812. In addition, it is included in the Star Spangled Banner National Historic Trail series list. A significant historical month for this entry is September 1876.
Location. 39° 19.284′ N, 76° 35.214′ W. Marker is in Baltimore, Maryland. It is in Clifton Park. Marker is on St Lo Drive. The marker is located on the grounds of the Clifton Park Golf Course near the Club House. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2701 St Lo Dr, Baltimore MD 21213, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Samuel and Anne Hopkins Grand Staircase and Tower Restoration, Clifton Mansion (within shouting distance of this marker); Neil Abraham's Gateway Garden (approx. 0.4 miles away); Patapsco Friends Meeting House (approx. half a mile away); Saint - Lo Drive Memorial (approx. half a mile away); Montebello (approx. ¾ mile away); The National Great Blacks in Wax Museum (approx. 0.8 miles away); Eastern High School Monument (approx. 0.9 miles away); Cal Ripken, Sr. (approx. one mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Baltimore.
Photographed By Don Morfe, December 13, 2014
2. Mounted Messengers Marker
Photographed By Don Morfe, December 13, 2014
3. Clifton Mansion-full view
Photographed By Don Morfe, December 13, 2014
4. Clifton Park Valve House-National Register of Historic Places
The Valve House is located on the grounds of the Clifton Mansion. It transported water with eight valves and began use in 1887. It is owned by the City of Baltimore.
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, September 5, 2015
5. Assembling of the Troops or the Defense of Baltimore
By Thomas Ruckle, 1814
By Thomas Ruckle, 1814
This 1814 painting by Thomas Ruckle hangs in the Maryland Historical Society Museum in Baltimore, Maryland.
”Irish-born War of 1812 veteran, Thomas Ruckle, Sr. began his career as a house and sign painter, as well as a glazier. At the outbreak of the war, he enlisted as a corporal in Captain George H. Stuart's Washington Blues, 5th Maryland Regiment. Ruckle participated in the Battle of North Point on September 12, 1814 and translated his experience into this painting that depicts the troops gathering in what is now Patterson Park.” — Maryland Historical Society Museum
”Irish-born War of 1812 veteran, Thomas Ruckle, Sr. began his career as a house and sign painter, as well as a glazier. At the outbreak of the war, he enlisted as a corporal in Captain George H. Stuart's Washington Blues, 5th Maryland Regiment. Ruckle participated in the Battle of North Point on September 12, 1814 and translated his experience into this painting that depicts the troops gathering in what is now Patterson Park.” — Maryland Historical Society Museum
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, September 5, 2015
6. Captain Henry Thompson
In this 1814 painting by Thomas Ruckle of the “Gathering of Troops on Hampstead Hill,” Captain Henry Thompson is depicted on the black horse in the foreground. The mounted troops in formation on the right are thought to be his unit.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 19, 2014, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 1,229 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on December 19, 2014, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. 5, 6. submitted on December 18, 2016, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
