CALVERT MARINE MUSEUM Vol. 25 - No. 2 Accredited by the American Association of Museums SUMMER 2000 THE WAR OF 1812 ON THE PATUXENT: Gunboats at St. Leonard's Town heaviest activity by Commodore National Park Service's American Battlefield Barney to delay British ships in Protection Program and by the Maryland their marauding efforts on this Historical Trust. part of the Chesapeake Bay. For the 1999 work, Dr. Langley worked The fact that Barney was with Jeffrey M. Enright of East Carolina successful for a time has University as chief investigator. It is now been documented in fairly conclusive that the work during the many publications, summers of 1998 and 1999 revealed two including the Jeffersonian gunboats, since the remains are museum's 1 982 of the right size, in the right place, of the book Flotilla: Battle right era, and with burn evidence that for the Patuxent, matches Commodore Barney's account of written by museum the scuttling. These two gunboats, numbers research associate Donald 137 and 138, were built in Baltimore in G. Shomette. As part of 1 808 as part of a program during Thomas Drawings from Sails & Oars, Exhibit Services Program, Jefferson Patterson the 199 7 research efforts, Park and Museum, September 1999. Jefferson's administration to build 1 77 reported in the Bugeye gunboats as a defensive measure. Provided Apron Times in the fall 1997 issue, to Barney to augment his flotilla for his (top view) possible remnants were Chesapeake Bay defense, they were used found at the upper by Barney in St. Leonard Creek. Since these end of St. Leonard fifty-foot gunboats were notoriously poor Keelson Creek. In 1998, a sailers, Barney decided to strip and sink team from East them when he left St. Leonard Creek and Carolina University moved up the Patuxent in the summer of Inner examined two boat 1814. The anerobic mud of St. Leonard stempost remains and deter- Creek preserved the remains of these two mined that they Outer vessels, enabling archaeologists of the late stempost could be the two twentieth century to find and study two gunboats known to physical examples of a fledgling United have been burned and scuttled near the States Navy vessel type of which little has he Calvert Marine Museum has a town of St. Leonard's, then located at the been known. Mr. Enright used his work long-standing interest in events of the upper navigalion limits of the creek. on the first gunboat as the basis for a T War of 1812 on the Patuxent, Extensive work was carried out on one of master's thesis; the work on the second has beginning in the late 1970s with surveys of these vessels, with the results reported by been reported on the winter 2000 issue of the river for potential sites of the 1814 Dr. Susan Langley, Maryland's state East Carolina's publication Stem to Stern. flotilla of Commodore Joshua Barney. underwater archaeologist, in the Bugeye Dr. Langley reported in the November Museum visitors for many years have been Times of fall 1998. In July 1999 nautical 1999 issue of In Context, the publication of able to follow the events of 1814 in our archaeologists from the state of Maryland the Maryland Historical Trust, that the maritime history exhibit, as well as to view and graduate students from East Carolina vessels investigated in 1998 and 1999 are artifacts recovered from one of Barney's University worked on the second boat. virtually identical. Although the 1999 vessel vessels. In 1997, serious efforts were made Funding for this archaeological work, as well was in a more fragmentary condition than to locate any evidence of other flotilla as for later conservation of 293 artifacts and vessels in St. Leonard Creek, the site of the for report preparation, was provided by the (Continued on Page 2) 2 •s CRADLE OF INVASION 2000, FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, THROUGH SUNDAY, AUGUST 13 For the third consecutive year, the Island, with advance reservations required. museum is presenting a program of events Similarly, at 6:30 p.m., the Solomons Island honoring the navy's first amphibious training Yacht Club (home of the first USO on the base, established in Solomons in 1942. In island), will host a 1 940s dinner dance — order to meet the urgent demands of World again, reservations are required. The War II, the base trained thousands of main event on Sunday, August 13, will marines, soldiers, sailors, and coast be a free band concert by the U.S. Navy guardsmen for service throughout the Jazz Band, the Commodores, on the European and Pacific theaters. Although the museum lawn. base closed in 1945, it left its effects on the A special feature of this year's Solomons community. Cradle of Invasion program is a special exhibit in the upper 2000 commemorates this little known, but exhibit gallery on the history highly important training facility and all of of the Amphibious Training the men and women who served here. Base. This exhibit, including USD On Friday, August 11, there is an photos and other items nol invitational reception for World War II previously displayed by the & veterans. Public events begin at 10:00 a.m. museum, opened in early .»/ on Saturday, August 12, with an opening June and will remain until MERITORIOUS SERVICE ceremony at CMM's Washington Gas early September. IN USO WAR WORK Pavilion, including special presentations to Ample parking will be in WWII veterans. During the day on both the field across the street Saturday and Sunday there will be a living from the museum. The history camp (with weapons former Amphibious Training demonstrations), vintage training films, slide Base on the Dowell shows, and exhibit booths — membership Peninsula will be open for vendors, history displays, and food court — self-guided tours (maps on the museum grounds. At noon on available at the museum). For more Information is also available on the Saturday a 1940s luncheon and fashion information and to make reservations, call museum's Internet site: http:// show will be held at Asbury-Solomons Karen Stone at 410-326-2042, extension 32. www.calvertrnarinemuseum.com. >sL THE WAR OF 1812 ON THE PATUXENT: Continued from Page / Quarterly Newsletter of the the 1998 vessel, it yielded more artifacts: among the 293 items recovered are a gunflint, Calvert Marine Museum musket balls, several buttons, a single canister of grapeshot, a buckle, two pieces of and the Calvert Marine Museum Society, Inc. glazed redware, and large numbers of copper sheathing nails. These artifacts are (1SSN0887-651X) undergoing conservation treatment in the Maryland Archaeological Conservation (MAC) C. Douglass Alves, Jr., Director Laboratory at Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum. Further work on St. Leonard Creek Paul L. Berry, Editor included a side-scan sonar remote sensing survey over the rest of the creek, with the Other contributors to this issue: Vanessa Gill, Karen Stone, Debra Yorty chief purpose of locating any remains of the battle at the creek's mouth. Other sites in the state relating to the War of 1812 have also been surveyed. The bugeye was the traditional sailing craft of the Bay, and was built in all its glory at Solomons, the In addition to the conservation work in the MAC Laboratory at Jefferson Patterson "Bugeye Capital of the World." Membership dues Park and Museum, the park has an annual event to attract a greater public interest in the ;ire used to fund spcrial museum projects, programs, and priming of this newsletter. Address comments War of 1812 on the Patuxent. On Saturday, September 30, and Sunday, October 1, the and membership applications to: park will offer two days of reenactment, featuring skirmishes, crafts from the early 1800s, Calvert Marine Museum Society, Inc. and camp life during that war. Visitors this year will be able to see a newly constructed P.O. Box 97 gun emplacement, complete with a replica 1 8-pounder. The MAC Laboratory will also Solomons, MD 20688-0097 410-326-2042 be open for tours. On the evening of September 30, there will be another of the very TAX 410-326-6691 TDD 410-535-6355 popular "1812 Tavern Nights" from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. For further information, call the www.calvertmarinemuseum.com park at 410-586-8501. SUMMER 2000 WATERSIDE FANS ENJOY NIGHT UNDER THE STARS WITH BLUES LEGEND B. B. KING On Friday, May 26, Blues Legend B. B. King strummed into Solomons with his faithful "Lucille," as 97.7 The Bay and Ralph's Dodge-Jeep presented Waterside 2000 at Calvert Marine Museum. Once again blessed by glorious skies, Waterside welcomed over 3,700 fans to watch the seventy-four-year-old King perform ninety minutes of blues classics on the Washington Gas Pavilion. Like his previous museum appearance in May 1998, King proved Blues legend B. B. King at the Waterside 2000 concert on May 26. that when it comes to his live music, "The Thrill Isn't Gone." CMM photo by Bob Hall Following the show, King graciously met and posed for photos with concert sponsors and their guests, as well as other museum friends. Sponsors for the Waterside 2000 series are 97.7 The Bay; Ralph's Dodge- Jeep; Cumberland & Erly, LLC; Solomons Landing; Woodburns of Solomons; Roy Rogers; RadioShack - Prince Frederick/Dunkirk/ Charlotte Hall; Coors, Coors Light, & Killian's (Bozick Distributors); Comcast; DM Group; Main Message Center; Mom's in the Kitchen Catering; Holiday Inn Select Solomons; Bay Volunteers and staff Weekly; and Southern help prepare for the Maryland Electric Cooperative. j±^i. May 26 concert. MOTOWN LEGEND SMOKEY ROBINSON TO PERFORM AT CALVERT MARINE MUSEUM On Sunday, September 3, 2000, 97.7 The Bay and Ralph's Robinson was one of the most influential singers and songwriters Dodge will present Waterside 2000 with Motown great Smokey in popular music during the 1960s and 1970s.