St. Michaels, Maryland: the town that fooled the British in the War of 1812. The Sleepy little town of St. Michaels has a claim to fame: it is the town that fooled the British. Or so the Legend goes!
The historic town of St Michaels dates back to the mid 1600s, and is the oldest town in Talbot County. It was named after the Christ Episcopal Church of St Michael, thus founding the town in its name.
The town’s earliest industry was Ship Building, and several shipbuilders were active in the town by the the War of 1812. Many of the ships built in St Michaels were used to defend the Chesapeake Bay form the British Navy. Two typical products of the shipbuilding were known as schooners and Baltimore Clippers. These ships were capable of evading and outrunning pirates, or evading blockades of the enemy. Thus, St Michaels became a military target.
In 1813, St Michaels played a role in the war of 1812, when Admiral George Cockburn sent 11 barges up the Chesapeake Bay to capture St Michaels and burn the shipyard. If the militia resisted, the British officers had orders to burn the town.
Early in the morning of August 10, 1813, before it was light, The British sent troops ashore. After a brief exchange, the British returned to their boats and proceeded to bomb the town from their barges. Under the command of Captain William Dodson, one devastating blast was made from a cannon loaded with scrap iron before retreating. Gunfire continued from the barges. The Attack continued in the dark, in the rain.
The citizens of the town anticipated their attack, and confused the invaders by turning off the house lights and hanging lanterns in the treetops! The British overshot the town. Their efforts did not cause substantial damage to the town.
The Cannonball House survives as one of the homes that received a blow from the British, placing it on the Register of Historic Places.
