Every day we drive we pass them without any thought or possibly without any conscious knowledge of their existence. Our thoughts to preoccupied to even pay them much attention. They are hidden from our view, either below us under bridges or earth, hidden behind walls and woods or set off from the highway on side roads where traffic rarely goes unless to take care of some local business. Indeed even many of the local people in these areas may not realize the significance. What are these things? Places of history. Some have monuments some don’t. Memorials to days gone by heroes long lost to history with only faded names carved in granite or casual mention in journals or almanacs to be remembered by. They are everywhere, all around us; allow me to bore you with stories of just a couple of these places.
Located off of route 301 near where it meets route 4 is a very small town that just happens to be the county seat of Prince Georges County. Upper Marlboro is festooned with small offices filled mostly with bail bondsmen, layers, and the like along with the occasional eatery to serve them. You will also find the ever-present construction workers working on the reconstruction of the old courthouse which burned several years ago. If you find yourself driving thru Upper Marlboro, stop at the courthouse and off to your left, if you climb the hill leading to an abandoned school and follow the walk you will see the fenced in grave of our friend Dr. William Beanes. The British arrested him during the war of 1812 for imprisoning two drunken British deserters. Much loved by his town they sent word to Francis Scott Key, a layer, who was in Washington DC at the time. Francis Scott Key and Colonel John Stuart Skinner, a prisoner exchange negotiater, met Admiral Cockburn on his command vessle to negotiate the release of Dr. Beanes. Upon reading letters from leaders and citizens of Upper Marlboro Admiral Cockburn agreed to free Dr. Beanes. However Beanes, Key, and Skinner were not allowed to leave the British fleet because of the imminent attack on Baltimore’s Fort McHenry. The attack was to be a surprise the British wanted to keep it that way. The negotiators and recently freed Dr. Beanes was sent to their sloop and made to stay behind the fleet until after the battle. September 13 1814 the British began a 25 hour bombardment of Fort McHenry. It was during this naval bombardment that Key, observing from bombardment from his sloop wrote his famous poem “The Defense of Fort McHenry”. Later the words of the poem were matched with the music of the The Anacreontic Song, the official song of the Anacreontic Society of amateur musicians, popular at the time and which in 1931 by an act of congress became our National Anthem. So whisper a kind thank you to the good Doctor William Beans when you visit. Before you leave, if you have time, take a walk around the Schoolhouse Pond I promise the relaxing walk, on their board walk is not long one but you are sure to see lots of wildlife you would not expect, we did.
Continuing your drive down Water Street to route 4, you will soon pass over the Patuxent River, Hills Bridge. Named after W.B. Hills who first built a toll bridge there in 1852. Taking quick glances out your windows at the scenic river and wetlands on either side of the bridge, you may not realize that right below you a navel battle ensued those many years ago in 1814. The contestants, Commodore Joshua Barney on retreat and Admiral Sir George Cockburn, commander of the British Fleet. After engaging them at the mouth of Saint Leonard Creek, Commodore Barney decided it was fruitless to try to out run the British, his plan instead, was to scuttle his fleet of gunboats by blowing them up, to prevent the British from capturing the ships and to slow them down. His plan succeeded but he was later captured along with his men and fighting valiantly in the battle of Bladensburg, and later released. In 1979 attempts were made to try to find Barneys flotilla and one vessel was found referred to as the Turtle Shell Wreck under about five feet of silt. The wreck was in good condition except the bow, which was blown off by the explosion. Other portions of wrecks were found during the construction of the new Hills Bridge in 1990. It is thought that the rivers course has changed and most of the flotilla is buried in the surrounding wetlands. Due to the destruction of plantations in Calvert County by British forces combined with poor farming practices ended tobaccos hey day in Calvert County. Populations would dwindle and remain at colonial levels for more the a hundred years later.
The Patuxent River is the longest river that begins and ends in our lovely state making it uniquely our own. The river during previous and after was used extensively for travel and trade, I might add that I enjoyed many a catfish from this area of the river also. I have kayaked this portion of the river many times and while floating by it’s shore I allow myself to imagine what it must have be like on that hot August day in 1814 as many as seventeen ships extending just above Pig Point north beyond Hills Bridge to nearby Spyglass island. Exploding ships, missiles fired from cannon and musket, soldiers and sailors shouting and scrambling about filling the river with smoke and noise.
Two events at two places closely linked in our history yet hidden from our view and our thoughts as we busy ourselves the many activities in our lives. If possible, take a moment to no matter where you may live to consider the history of the places around you. To examine the people of the past and recognize however small their contributions made to us in the present. While sitting at a stop light, waiting in traffic, or taking a break at the office briefly imagine how it must have been so long ago. On a day when you can leave the confusion of modern life behind take a little trip to visit these places, rent a kayak paddle over Barneys flotilla or take a walk around schoolhouse pond and visit our dear doctor I promise you will not regret it.
