Existing comment:
People at War:
A wide variety of people were caught up in the Battle for Baltimore.
African-Americans were among Baltimore's 15,000 defenders. Protecting Baltimore was a mix of regular soldiers and sailors plus militia. Troops came from Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Virginia, as well as from Maryland. Citizen-soldiers from the city itself were defending not only American soil, but also their businesses, homes and families.
The British forces were mainly professional enlisted volunteers, with some impressed sailors. Approximately 200 African-Americans who had escaped slavery during the Chesapeake Campaign fought for the British in the battle. |