Caulk’s Field Monument

This is an Earthcache – as such, there is no physical cache. Instead after examining the stone memorial at the posted coordinates you will answer 3 questions and message me the answers. Permission granted by Kent County Economic and Tourism Development. Absolutely no night caching. Please do not wander off the monument grounds into the privately owned field past the monument walls. Relic hunting is prohibited.

The Battle of Caulk's Field was fought during the War of 1812, between a small British Army force and American militia forces. On the night of August 30, 1814, ( A day between the burning of Washington and the attack on Fort McHenry), Maryland militiamen lead a force of about 140 marines and sailors onto the shore nearby Tolchester. The next morning they met a British force around 1 am, and ended with the British in retreat. The Battle of Caulk’s Field was declared a militia victory, and one that was sorely needed at the time.

In 1902, a large slab of Guilford Granite was erected here at Caulk’s Field. Guilford is located in Howard County, and quarrying operations started there back in 1834. Howard County is located about 30 miles southeast of here near Columbia, and is nestled in the Piedmont Plateau.

Guilford Granite formed between 230 to 550 million years ago during the Ordovician Age. Back then Maryland was “rocked” by plate collisions when North America, Europe, and Africa collided. These collisions caused massive intrusions deep within the Earth's crust and created forces that caused uplifting, warping, and folding. Igneous rocks from this age formed as sheets of molten material, that were injected under pressure into cracks within older rocks, at deep depths within the Earth's crust. Guilford Granite is one of these igneous intrusive rocks from slow cooling magma deep underground.

Technically this “granite” is classified as “quartz monzonite” by geologists. You see, granite is made up of mostly orthoclase feldspars, while monzonite contains roughly equal parts of plagioclase and orthoclase feldspars. This rock also consists of plenty of secondary minerals:

Guilford Granite usually appears as a bright gray, but it’s potassium feldspars often give this stone an additional pink tone.

LOGGING REQUIREMENTS:

To log this Earthcache: Read the geology lesson above. Answer all three questions posted below. Your answers can be sent via e-mail or messenger contacts on my Geocaching profile. Group answers are fine, but do not post the answers to the questions in your logs.

QUESTION 1. From the reading you know that Monzonite is made of mostly POTASSIUM FELDSPAR. Now that you are looking closely at the stone you will see that it is a light pink color. What percentage of PINK Potassium Feldspar minerals do you estimate is visible?
A. 10% or less of the stones mineral is pink
B. Around 25% of the minerals are pink
C. 50% or more of this stone minerals is pink

QUESTION 2. What secondary mineral has a larger blob shape between the bottom of the "I" and "P" in the bottom last two letters of Philip?

QUESTION 3. On each side of the stairs in the hill are two newer slabs of granite that were installed in 2012. Do these slabs appear to made of granite from Guilford, Maryland?

Required PHOTO for CAM Completion

For all geocachers participating in Cache Across Maryland 2025, please upload photo proof to your found it log that you actually visited the Caulk’s Field Monument. This photo can be of you or with your geocaching name with the memorial in the background.

Awesnap has earned GSA's highest level:

REFERENCES