both wide-open country and city driving drive type star-spangled banner 106 Follow the trail of British troops as they fought their way up the Chesapeake Bay during the War of 1812, eventually clashing with American defenders in a battle immortalized by the “Star-Spangled Banner.” miles from solomons to baltimore j ourney back to the pivotal days of the War of 1812, also sometimes called “America’s Second War of Independence,” while visiting Southern Maryland towns, the state’s largest city and sites surrounding the nation’s capital. As fi ghting continued throughout the summer of 1814, Maryland’s brave defenders not only stood strong against British invaders up and down the Chesapeake Bay, but also inspired the poem that would become our National Anthem. lightly armed, shallow-draft barges expected to be more maneuverable than the enemy’s vessels. Barney’s “Chesapeake Flotilla” would be tested during the summer of 1814. Solomons, a marina-rimmed fi shing village with seafood and other dining options, o ers a number of attractions. The exhibits at the Calvert Marine Museum feature war artifacts and trace troop movements as Commodore Barney fought against a larger and more heavily armed British force. Also, stop by the Solomons Regional Information Center to learn about the area, and then spend the afternoon at Annmarie Garden, a 30-acre public sculpture park a liated with the Smithsonian. Enjoy a sidetrack to Sotterley Plantation, a 300-year-old Tidewater plantation house that overlooks the Patuxent River and was the site of a British raid during the War of 1812. A rare slave cabin, gardens, nature trails and outbuildings are found on 100 acres at this National Historic Landmark. On your way to Je erson Patterson Park and Museum in St. Leonard, take the opportunity to hunt for fossils at Calvert Cli s State Park or go fi shing at Flag Ponds Nature Park. At the Je erson Patterson Park and Museum, you will learn about the two battles that occurred in June 1814 and almost resulted in the capture of Barney’s fl otilla. The park hosts annual War of 1812 events, including re-enactments. For a closer observation of the region’s unique environment, venture into nearby Prince Frederick and hike along a boardwalk through the Battle Creek Cypress Swamp Sanctuary. By July 1814, Royal Marines occupied Chaptico, Leonardtown and other Southern Solomons to Benedict INCLUDING MD 4, MD 2, MD 765, MD 506, MD 508 & MD 231 After British Navy ships blockaded the Chesapeake Bay, Revolutionary War hero Joshua Barney came out of retirement to be commissioned commodore of a fl eet of 36 | maryland byways
MD Scenic Byways Digital Guide: Page 36
