North Point Battlefield
Dundalk, Baltimore County, Maryland
Marker Inscription
North Point Battlefield Where on Sept. 12, 1814 the defenders of Baltimore under Gen. John Stricker met the advancing British army of 7000 under Gen. Robert Ross, who was killed early in the engagement. State Roads Commission
The Story
In the late summer of 1814, fresh from burning Washington, a British army pushed toward Baltimore, the young nation's third-largest city and a nest of the privateers that had harried British shipping. On September 12, Maryland militia under General John Stricker met the advancing column here at North Point, and in the opening skirmishing the British commander, General Robert Ross, was mortally wounded. The militia's stubborn delaying action bought precious hours for Baltimore's main defenses to prepare.
Why it matters
The stand at North Point helped blunt Britain's Chesapeake offensive and set the stage for the defense of Fort McHenry just days later — the bombardment that inspired Francis Scott Key's 'Star-Spangled Banner.'
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Related people
- · Gen. John Stricker
- · Gen. Robert Ross
Related events
- · Battle of North Point
- · War of 1812
- · Defense of Baltimore
Themes & tags
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