Come on a journey to remember and commemorate
the dramatic chain of events, people and places that led to the
birth of our National Anthem.
The story of the Star-Spangled Banner was shaped by
the events of the Chesapeake Campaign during the War of 1812. From
February 1813 until February 1815, the Chesapeake Bay was the
center of a fierce struggle between the British and Americans.
Places and landscapes still exist today that provide a touchstone
to the past. The trail traces events and related sites that figured
prominently in the Chesapeake Campaign of the War of 1812 that have
national significance, physical integrity, and the potential for
contemporary recreation and interpretation.
The Star-Spangled Banner (SSB) Geotrail launched February 27, 2010
with over 30 caches within Maryland, Virginia and the District of
Columbia. A trackable geo coin will be awarded to the first 400
geocachers, while supplies last, for locating at least 20 SSB
caches. To be eligible for the coin, geocachers must download a
passport from either the SSB
Geotrail or Maryland Geocaching
Society website. Geocachers must find and log at least 20
SSB finds, record the code word from each cache on their passport
and post a picture of themselve at each cache location. After
discovering the 20 required caches, geocachers may have their
passports validated in person or via mail at the Friends of
Chesapeake Gateways office located at 410 Severn Ave, Suite 314,
Annapolis, MD 21403. Please refer to the passport for complete
validation instructions.
Participating in the SSB geotrail is fun and we hope that many
people join in. However, it is not a requirement for logging your
find on this cache once you find the container.
This
traditional hide is located at the beautiful Greenwell State Park.
Greenwell is a 596-acre State Park located on the Patuxent River in
St. Mary's County, Maryland. The park has an honor system, with
service charges ($3/vehicle).
The park features: Hiking/Equestrian/Cycling - Ten miles of marked
trails are open to the public year around. Fishing and Crabbing,
Picnicking, Hunting, Canoeing and Kayaking, Swimming - Swimming is
permitted from the beach area only. Be advised that there is No
Lifeguard on duty. Swimming is at your own risk.
Greenwell State Park is a 596-acre natural and recreational area
located along the Patuxent River in St. Mary's County, Maryland.
Situated across from the mouth of St. Leonard Creek, the
park’s present day banks would have provided a fine vantage
point to witness the maneuvering of the Chesapeake Flotilla and the
British Royal Navy during the summer of 1814. According to accounts
of both British and Americans troops, the landscape on both sides
of the river had been largely cleared along the water’s edge
with fields and farms, giving way to virgin forest about half-mile
inland. At the time of the War, Greenwell State Park was part of a
4,000-acre tract known as Resurrection Manor, granted to a Captain
Thomas Cornwaleys in 1650.
On the morning of June 8, 1814, the Chesapeake Flotilla, a small
fleet of gunboats under the command of Commodore Joshua Barney,
sailed up St. Leonard Creek from their nighttime anchor near Point
Patience. About two miles up the Creek, they turned and waited for
the British ships and barges under the command of Captain Robert
Barrie. Though their large war ship, the St. Lawrence, ran aground
in the unfamiliar waters, the British pressed on in the hopes of
trapping the entire American naval force.
Barrie setup a blockade, which would likely have been visible from
the river’s edge in present day Greenwell Park. From June
8-10, 1814, several skirmishes ensued with the Americans eager to
engage the enemy, even in the face of the new and fearsome British
weapon the Congreve Rocket. The largest battle was on June 10, a
six-hour struggle, which almost spanned the length of the creek. In
the end, Barney’s flotilla was pushed back again from the
mouth of the river. They anchored below St. Leonard Town, where
regiments arriving on land would soon be able to provide protection
and support. The First Battle of St. Leonard Creek, described
above, would be considered a draw with little loss of life or
property.
With Barney’s Flotilla trapped in the creek, British Captain
Barrie began a program of destruction and looting up and down the
Patuxent, in the hopes that the outcry of the citizens would force
Barney out of hiding. On June 14, 1814, British troops came ashore
in the vicinity of Greenwell Park to steal livestock from
neighboring farms. By late June, there were very few inhabitants
left in the towns on the banks of the river. The second Battle of
St. Leonard Creek also ended in a draw on June 26, 1814 and the
British allowed the Chesapeake Flotilla to escape past the current
Greenwell site and up the Patuxent towards Benedict,
Maryland.
Today, Greenwell State Park is a waterfront area offering ten miles
of hiking, biking and equestrian trails. Picnicking facilities are
available as well as canoe and kayak launch sites in the beach
area. Swimming and hunting are permitted during the appropriate
seasons. The park is managed in partnership with The Greenwell
Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing
outdoor accessible recreation.
Thanks to Lori
& Amy for helping with this hide and to the Maryland Geocaching
Society for assisting with this
project!