Hello Maryland with PRIDE mates!

On Watch in the Potomac River

It's Monday morning, November 1. You are in school now and Pride of Baltimore II and I are at sea. My day started at 4:45 AM with a knock on my cabin door and a whisper, "Up and at 'em, 5:00 AM anchor watch be on deck in 15 minutes."

I scrambled out of bed and pulled on several layers of clothing. It would now be my watch team's responsibility to keep the ship safe while other crew members rested. On Pride of Baltimore II someone is always "on watch." On deck, I carefully listened to instructions on how to scan the night sky and find several blinking markers in the water. These markers are called "aids to navigation." You can see an example of one - a lighthouse - at this Navigational Aids web site. From these markers I took the ship's bearings (location) using the compass. I wrote down these findings and noted the water depth on the depth finder.

It was still Halloween night and we were anchored off Point Look Out, the most haunted lighthouse in the world. So I shivered and watched by moonlight for any creatures of the black lagoon. I did see ominous (scary) black lumps off the port (left) bow, but my watch partner assured that they were just construction barges. We continued to watch to make sure Pride of Baltimore II didn't drag anchor or drift towards shallow water.

As dawn broke at 6:00 AM, most of the crew was called up on deck and we pulled up anchor and got underway.

All during the day and night, different teams are on watch. Each team must maintain the sails and the engines, understand the course set by the captain, and stay on it. It is difficult to choose a safe path through the water. The river and Bay do provide a water "highway," but not all of it is safe. And you can't see the dangerous parts, they are under water! Actually, most of the area under the water is too shallow for a ship like Pride II to travel through. Small powerboats and sailboats can travel near the shore, but big ships must use the deepest part, called a channel. Our captain and crew must be able to read charts (special water maps), site navigational aids (such as buoys, cans and lighthouses), and use a compass to plot a safe course. You can see example of more buoys at this Buoys and Markers web page. I learned just how difficult navigating is when I was on watch last night. I stood in the bow of the boat and tried to pick out the blinking red and green navigational markers from all the shore lights. Some navigational aids have lights that blink in Morse code patterns. Some have bells, whistles, or horns. The chart (map) shows each marker and what kind it is. As I watched the night skyline off the bow, everything seemed to twinkle and sparkle at once. After an hour, I felt hungry and cold. But I continued to search and report what I saw to TomTom, the watch chief, or Pride II could run aground (crash into the bottom) or hit another boat.

War of 1812

This afternoon, as we were winging our way out of the Potomac River, I thought about what it would be like to be on a clipper ship 200 years ago - when they were the fastest vessels afloat. Pride of Baltimore II is a replica (modeled after) just such a ship, Chasseur. Even before the American Revolution, shipyards in the colonies built "sharp" hulls (thin and long shaped boats) that could sail rings around other ships. This was a life saving difference during the War of 1812. Our young nation had fewer ships than Britain, France, and the other nations sailing on the Atlantic. British war ships hung around our coastline near harbors and tried to steal from ships leaving our ports (such as, Baltimore). This is called a blockade. They also stopped our ships at sea, kidnapped American sailors, and made them serve on British ships. American leaders were outraged. They tried several ways to solve the problems with the British, but eventually declared war in 1812.

The British Royal Navy had over 1,000 frigates (gun ships) and our navy had about 7. Would you declare war on someone over 100 times your size? British ships were massive and heavy and carried many guns. That's why the American President, James Madison, invited private ship owners to arm their vessels and act on behalf of the tiny American Navy. These ships, like Chasseur, were called privateers. They were smaller, faster clipper ships and sported sharpshooters.

These American privateers often sailed swiftly past the British frigates that blocked our harbors. When we met the Royal Navy on the high seas (in the ocean), we were sometimes able to sail quickly in, fire cannon and back out. Newspaper cartoons of the day drew our navy as an irritating wasp that kept stinging the Royal Navy. You can learn lots more about how these privateers operated in the Maryland Exploration entitled Baltimore and the War of 1812.

However, it is important to remember that wasps are very small and we were a very small nation in 1812. The 15 states that made up the USA in 1812 were not small in size compared to Britain but very "small" or young in years, people, money, and experience. Chesapeake Bay had many active ports. It was a favorite place for British ships to blockade. They raided towns up and down the Chesapeake, burning houses and stealing food and supplies for the warships. It was a very scary time to live in a house on the water. No one living in the area felt safe.

This week, I am visiting three ports on Chesapeake Bay that were each affected in different ways by the War of 1812. They are Alexandria, Baltimore, and Havre de Grace. As I sail into each one of them, I think about the families that lived in these places during these dangerous times.

Havre de Grace

In the little town of Havre de Grace at the very top (most northern part) of the Bay, 50 out of 60 houses were burned and all their food and supplies were taken.

Washington, D.C

Then, in 1814, the powerful British Empire sent a fleet of 24 warships and 20 troop transports to Chesapeake Bay to "make an example of the ungrateful former colonists." The British marched on Washington and burned our new Capital building and White House. The president fled the city.

Alexandria

Alexandria, just south of Washington, D.C. on the Potomac River was terrified. No one could send troops or ships to help the Virginia port. The people of Alexandria thought that their homes and businesses would all be pillaged (stolen from) and burned and many people would be killed. Soon lookouts reported that 50 British frigates, carrying 4,000 soldiers were sailing up the Potomac River! The Mayor and city council decided that there was no way to protect their city so they sent out a small boat to meet the British fleet with a plan. Could the people of Alexandria ransom (buy back) their city and, in return, not be harmed? The British agreed! If the people would turn over all their goods in the stores and warehouses, they would be spared (not attacked). For five tense days the sailors collected the ransom and then finally, sailed away. Many people laughed at the people of Alexandria and called them cowards. However, the Alexandrians were not ashamed. They were happy to be alive - if much poorer.

Baltimore

The largest city I am visiting this week was the largest and busiest port in the Bay at that time, too. In Baltimore, town leaders knew the British were on their way up the Chesapeake. They collected money from storekeepers to defend the city. And Baltimore had a secret weapon - Fort McHenry. British ships had to pass by Fort McHenry to reach Baltimore harbor. The fort is shaped like a star, just like the stars on our flag. Soldiers from all over the area poured into the fort to help.

The men, women, and children of Baltimore helped dig ditches and breastworks (hills) around the fort. Soon the British fleet would sail up the Patapsco River toward Baltimore.

Before light on September 13, 1812, the attack began. Schools and businesses were closed. The citizens could smell gunfire and feel their houses shake with each explosion. The British cannon balls could travel two miles, but the American cannonballs could only reach a little over one mile. The British ships sat just out of range of our guns.

Do you remember what happened? After pounding Fort McHenry for 25 hours with continuous cannon and rocket fire, the fleet began to retreat (leave). Baltimore was saved! The fort commander raised a huge American flag and everyone rejoiced.

At dawn, Francis Scott Key, an American lawyer, saw the flag from the harbor and wrote a poem to celebrate. This poem became our national song, The Star Spangled Banner. You can hear it on Ft. McHenry's web site.

Now in 1999, I can sail the Chesapeake and be safe. Many Maryland families fought during the war of 1812, our Second War of Independence. They helped make all the Chesapeake Bay area a more peaceful place to live. The cannons on Pride of Baltimore II are only fired in honor of historic sites and to say "hello" to other tall ships. They do not have ammunition or cannon balls in them.

Dave Briddle is the gunner aboard ship. He makes the charges for the cannons and fires them. He says that he is happy to be aboard a ship of peace and goodwill. I am happy to share that message of peace and goodwill, too.

Your Teacher Aboard
Amy Swan
Oak Hill Elementary School
Severna Park, MD

YOUR THOUGHTS

1. How did the tiny American Navy compete with the huge British fire power in the War of 1812? What made the clipper ships so fast?
2. Navigational buoys are painted green and red and white. They are easy to spot by day. How can you find the buoys at night or in fog?
3. The city of Baltimore was defended by Fort McHenry using cannons. How much damage did the American cannons do to the British frigates? Why?
4. Maryland was a dangerous place to live during the War of 1812. What places around the world would be dangerous places to live now? Are any of these countries fighting for their independence like we were in 1812? A newspaper would a good resource.
5. You are the captain of a clipper ship. There are 12 crew members divided into 3 watch rotations. Each watch rotation is 4 hours long. Make a watch schedule for your crew to follow during a one day (24 hour) cruise on the bay. Hint: Use a table to display your answer.