Lothian in Anne Arundel County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Bitter End
Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail
— War of 1812 —
Photographed By Don Morfe, December 26, 2014
1. Bitter End Marker
Inscription.
Bitter End. Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail. Joshua Barney’s Chesapeake Flotilla was trapped in the shallows just upriver from here. With orders to keep his boats out of enemy hands, Barney reluctantly ordered his men to destroy the flotilla when the British approached. They laid trains of gunpowder to explosives aboard each barge. As the British rounded Pig Point south of here on August 22, 1814, the Americans touched off the first fuse.
"Should (the British) advance upon you with an overwhelming force, you will effectually destroy the flotilla by fire.” , Secretary of Navy William Jones to Joshua Barney, August 12, 1814.
Diving into History , The remains of the approximately 16 flotilla barges were lost to time, sediment, and the shifting river. Underwater archeological research, begun in 1978, uncovered the wreckage of one vessel, possibly the flagship Scorpion.
(Inscription beside the photo on the right) , Divers excavate an 1812 vessel believed to be the flagship of the Chesapeake Flotilla.
Joshua Barney’s Chesapeake Flotilla was trapped in the shallows just upriver from here. With orders to keep his boats out of enemy hands, Barney reluctantly ordered his men to destroy the flotilla when the British approached. They laid trains of gunpowder to explosives aboard each barge. As the British rounded Pig Point south of here on August 22, 1814, the Americans touched off the first fuse.
"Should (the British) advance upon you with an overwhelming force, you will effectually destroy the flotilla by fire.” Secretary of Navy William Jones to Joshua Barney, August 12, 1814.
Diving into History The remains of the approximately 16 flotilla barges were lost to time, sediment, and the shifting river. Underwater archeological research, begun in 1978, uncovered the wreckage of one vessel, possibly the flagship Scorpion.
(Inscription beside the photo on the right) Divers excavate an 1812 vessel believed to be the flagship of the Chesapeake Flotilla.
Erected by National Park Service-United States 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 year for this entry is 1814.
Location.
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38° 48.684′ N, 76° 42.636′ W. Marker is in Lothian, Maryland, in Anne Arundel County. Marker is on Marlboro Road. The marker is located in Patuxent Wetlands Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1570 Marlboro Road, Lothian MD 20711, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Also see . . . USS Scorpion Project. 2010 Field Report, A collaborative project of: The Naval History and Heritage Command, The Maryland State Highway Administration, and The Maryland Historical Trust, Feb. 15, 2012. (Submitted on December 8, 2018, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland.)
Photographed By Don Morfe, December 26, 2014
2. Bitter End Marker
Photographed By Don Morfe, December 26, 2014
3. Patuxent Water Trail
Waters in Jug Bay Area have shallow mud flats. Warning hand carried boats only -danger of grounding at low tide.
Photographed By Don Morfe, December 26, 2014
4. Invasive Catfish-Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, December 8, 2018
5. Destruction of Barney's Flotilla
"Should (the British) advance upon you with an overwhelming force, you will effectually destroy the flotilla by fire.” - Secretary of Navy William Jones to Joshua Barney, August 12, 1814.
Close-up of Gerry Embleton painting on marker
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, December 8, 2018
6. Divers excavate an 1812 vessel believed to be the flagship of the Chesapeake Flotilla.
Close-up of photo on marker
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, December 8, 2018
7. War of 1812
Close-up of image on marker
Credits. This page was last revised on December 27, 2018. It was originally submitted on December 30, 2014, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 535 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on December 30, 2014, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. 5, 6, 7. submitted on December 8, 2018, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
