Maryland, Prince George's County, Riverdale Park
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From her home on August 24, 1814, Rosalie Stier Calvert saw rocket fire as the Battle of Bladensburg raged two miles away. Soon she would learn of the British victory and know from the reddened skies over Washington that the enemy had reached the city.
From her home on August 24, 1814, Rosalie Stier Calvert saw rocket fire as the Battle of Bladensburg raged two miles away. Soon she would learn of the British victory and know from the reddened skies over Washington that the enemy had reached the city.Her husband George and their field-hands helped to bury the dead after battle. Mr. Calvert visited injured British officers recuperating in Bladensburg.
High Anxiety
The War of 1812 distressed plantation owners. The British blockade prevented them from selling tobacco abroad. Enemy raiders devastated plantations and tobacco storehouses and lured away enslaved workers. The Calverts feared Riversdale might be at risk, but the British eyed bigger targets. Mrs. Calvert later wrote:“we hardly suffered at all.”
“We have been in a state of continual alarm.”
– Rosalie Stier Calvert, 1814
Battle of Bladensburg
(War of 1812) Includes location, directions, 1 photo, GPS coordinates, map.
