Tolchester in Kent County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Rude Awakening
Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail
| | National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior | |
Photographed by Don Morfe, January 30, 2015
1. Rude Awakening Marker
Early September 3, 1814, at Mitchell House, British raiders roused Joseph T. Mitchell and his wife from their bed, shot their horses, and abducted Mitchell. They believed he ws commissary general for all of Maryland.
His was a lesser job as commissary agent for Kent Countys militia, yet Mitchell spent three year in England, allegedly as a prisoner of war.
Unlikely Story
Sir Peter Parker, a popular young British officer, was killed at nearby Caulks Field August 31, 1814. Legend holds that his body was wrapped in a blanket from Mitchell House, but this site was on the route back to the enemys ships.
[Captions:]
Sir Peter Parker captained the Menelaus before his death. Frigate HMS Menelaus by Lt. William Innes Pocock. Image/National Maritime Museum Greenwich, London.
British soldiers carried their fallen leader back to their ships.
Erected 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 date for this entry is August 31, 1814.
Location. 39° 13.182′ N, 76°
this page online
Regionally, this marker is on the Eastern Shore. It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic, on the Delmarva Peninsula, in the Tidewater, and in the Chesapeake Bay Region. 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 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Tolchester Beach Amusement Park (approx. 0.6 miles away); Battle of Caulk's Field Bicentennial Memorial (approx. 2 miles away); Royal Navy and Royal Marines Memorial (approx. 2 miles away); Caulks Field Monument (approx. 2 miles away); Battle of Caulks Field (approx. 2.7 miles away); Kent Meeting House (approx. 3.3 miles away); Bass Propagation Lake (approx. 3.4 miles away); St. Paul's Oak Tree (approx. 3.6 miles away).
Photographed by Don Morfe, January 30, 2015
2. Rude Awakening Marker-Mitchell House in the backgroung
Photographed by Don Morfe, January 30, 2015
3. Welcome Mitchell House 1743
Photographed by Don Morfe, January 30, 2015
4. Mitchell House-front view
Photographed by Don Morfe, January 30, 2015
5. The Inn at Mitchell House Circa 1743-Sign on the Highway at the entrance
Credits. This page was last revised on May 25, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 4, 2015, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 848 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on February 4, 2015, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
