Battle of Caulk's Field facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Caulk's Field
Part of the War of 1812
Date August 31, 1814 Location Kent County, Maryland Result American victory
Belligerents
British Empire	United States
Commanders and leaders
Sir Peter Parker   †	Philip Reed
Units involved
Royal Navy Royal Marines	21st Regiment of Maryland Militia
Strength
124–250	c. 200
Casualties and losses
41	3

The Battle of Caulk's Field was a fight during the War of 1812. It happened in Kent County, Maryland. A small British force led by Captain Sir Peter Parker fought against American militia soldiers. The American forces were led by Lieutenant Colonel Philip Reed.

Captain Parker was part of a British plan to attack Baltimore, Maryland. He landed on the eastern side of the Chesapeake Bay. His goal was to attack Reed's militia camp. The British soldiers first met American skirmishers. These American fighters slowly pulled back, leading the British towards the main American army. Captain Parker was badly hurt during the battle and later died. The British soldiers then left the fight. Later, the British faced more problems at the Battle of North Point and the Battle of Fort McHenry. Because of these setbacks, they stopped their attack on Baltimore. In 2012, experts studied the battlefield to find old items.

What Led to the Battle?

Sir Peter Parker, a British Captain

In 1814, the War of 1812 was still going on. Major General Robert Ross of the British Army brought his soldiers into the Chesapeake Bay area. His naval leaders, Vice Admirals Sir Alexander Cochrane and Sir George Cockburn, were in charge of the ships.

In late August, Captain Sir Peter Parker was sent to the Baltimore, Maryland area. He commanded the ship HMS Menelaus. His job was to distract American troops. This would pull them away from Washington, D.C.. Parker was also told to raid farms and towns along the coast.

On August 24, British troops won a battle at Battle of Bladensburg. This victory opened the way to Washington, D.C. The British then burned the American capital. After Washington was destroyed, the British decided to attack Baltimore. Captain Parker was still in the northern part of the Chesapeake Bay. He found out that American militia soldiers were camped near Georgetown, Maryland. This camp was on the eastern side of the bay.

The Battle Begins

Parker's soldiers landed late at night on August 30. His group included sailors from the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. The American militia soldiers were from the 21st Regiment of Maryland Militia. They were led by Lieutenant Colonel Philip Reed. Reed had fought in the American Revolution.

As the British moved inland, their guides may have led them the wrong way. This gave the Americans more time to get ready. The American force had about 200 soldiers. Parker's soldiers first met American skirmishers hiding behind trees. These American fighters shot at the British. Then they quickly fell back to the main American line.

The retreating skirmishers led the British towards the main American position. The Americans had several cannons ready. Their militia was split up on the sides. Some riflemen were in the woods, and cavalry was at the back. The battle happened at night. A full moon lit up the British soldiers as they moved forward. This allowed the Americans to shoot accurately with their cannons, muskets, and rifles. Many British soldiers were hurt.

The Americans were on higher ground, which gave them an advantage. A British officer, Lieutenant Henry Crease, said that part of the British force briefly took one of the American cannons. The Americans carefully pulled back into the woods. They then stopped and fought again. The Americans started to run out of bullets. They retreated to get more ammunition.

But then, Captain Parker was shot in the leg. He bled to death from his wound. The British soldiers pulled back after Parker died. The Americans had only three soldiers wounded. The British had 41 soldiers hurt or killed.

What Happened Next?

The American victory made their soldiers feel better. But it did not stop the British from attacking Baltimore. On September 12, British soldiers led by General Ross won a fight at the Battle of North Point. However, General Ross was badly wounded and died. This slowed down the British attack.

The British navy's attack on Baltimore also failed. Their ships fired at Fort McHenry on September 13 and 14. But they did not do much damage. The British soldiers, now led by Colonel Arthur Brooke, left early on September 14. The navy also left after their attack on Fort McHenry failed. This ended the British attack on Baltimore.

A historical marker was put up in 1902. It shows where the battle took place.

Finding Clues from the Past

In March 2012, a team of archaeologists started studying the battlefield. They were from the Maryland State Highway Administration and the University of Maryland. This battlefield is one of the best-preserved sites from the War of 1812 in Maryland.

The team used metal detectors to find old items. They found 721 items in the battle area. However, many of these items were from after the battle. Some items found that were related to the battle included musket balls, cannon ammunition, and parts of guns. The size of the bullets (their caliber) was different for the British and American guns. This helped the experts tell which side fired which musket balls.

What they found matched the old stories of the battle. The items showed that the American line was on the high ground. They also showed that American skirmishers slowly pulled back towards the main line. An unfired British musket ball was found near where the American cannons were. This might support the story that the British briefly captured an American cannon. The findings also suggest that the battle happened over a larger area than people thought before.