Pasadena in Anne Arundel County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Observing the Enemy
Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail
Photographed by F. Robby, August 11, 2014
1. Observing the Enemy Marker
Bodkin Island, having an excellent view down the Bay, was an observation station long before the war. The "Bodkin Telegraphe", a flag-signalling system based on Baltimore's Federal Hill, alerted Baltimore merchants from here as their ships approached.
In 1814, British vessels combing the Chesapeake had a good view of the Bodkin, too. On August 24, a lookout on the HMS Menelaus spotted a "fine schooner," behind Bodkin Point. The Royal Marines reported they destroyed the Lion of Baltimore.
Local Militia Captain Francis Hancock, master of Hancock's Resolution Plantation, commanded a company in the 22nd Regiment, Maryland Militia. The company's duties included observation of enemy movements south of the mouth of the Patapsco.
" on the 24th inst. Lieut. Warre with two Boats burnt a Schooner in Narrows creek close to Bodkin point." - Captain Sir Peter Parker to Vice Admiral Alexander F.I. Cochrane, August 30, 1814
[Caption:]
A signal system, such as these 1806 merchant flags, communicated between Bodkin Point and Baltimore. Americans likely used a similar system to warn of British movements during the war.
Bodkin Point had a clear view of North Point, as indicated in the 1819 survey chart - one of the last to show
this page online
Erected 2014 by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: War of 1812 • Waterways & Vessels. 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. 39° 8.121′ N, 76° 26.92′ W. Marker is in Pasadena, Maryland, in Anne Arundel County. It is on Bayside Beach Road 2.3 miles east of Fort Smallwood Road (Route 173), on the right when traveling east. Marker is in front of the Hancock's Resolution Park, just outside the front gate. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Pasadena MD 21122, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Maryland’s Baltimore Metro Region. It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Captain John Smith (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Hancock's Resolution (about 500 feet away); A Lighthouse Crumbles (approx. 1.7 miles away); The Tonkaway (approx. 1.7 miles away); Veterans of Foreign Wars (approx. 1.7 miles away); Kids on the Farm (approx. 1.8 miles away); Still on Patrol (approx. 1.8 miles away); Improvements on the Bayfront (approx. 1.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pasadena.
Photographed by F. Robby, August 11, 2014
2. Observing the Enemy Marker
Marker in front of the Hancock's Resolution Park gate, with the historic home (site of another historical marker) about 500 feet in the distance.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 6, 2024. It was originally submitted on September 1, 2014, by F. Robby of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 753 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 1, 2014, by F. Robby of Baltimore, Maryland.
