Existing comment:
The Woodyard:
The Woodyard plantation was the site of Henry Darnall's early 18th-century mansion called Darnall's Delight, and was later the home of merchant Stephen West and his Revolutionary War supply factory. It served as the temporary headquarters of the American troops during the British invasion in 1814.
The American forces, which were gathering from Washington, Annapolis, and Baltimore, marched to join their commander, Brigadier General William Winder, at the Woodyard on August 21, 1814. At this time, it was the home of Richard West, Francis Scott Key's brother-in-law. Winder's forces were joined the next day by Commodore Barney and about 400 of his flotillamen and Secretary of State Monroe who marched with them to Long Old Fields that day. |