University of Notre Dame
Universtiy of Notre Dame

Marble: Museums, Archives, Rare Books and Libraries Exploration

Home Browse Featured My Portfolios About
  1. Home ›
  2. James Witter Nicholson Family Letters›
  3. Letter. Maria ›

Letter. Maria [Nicholson] Montgomery, Baltimore, Maryland, to Mr James W. Nicholson, New Geneva, Pennsylvania

Date

1814 September 19
Part of: James Witter Nicholson Family Letters
Rare Books & Special Collections, Hesburgh Libraries

Account of the British attack on Baltimore, 12-14 September 1814 (the author herself was not in the city during the battle): "My beloved Husband has gained great credit to himself being Capt of a large Artillery Company the Baltimore Union Artillery who first met & slaughtered the haughty savage foe in great numbers at their landing at North Point — he was assisted by two or three Regiment of Infantry, but being overpowered by numbers were obliged to Retreat — the enemy followed them, but thank God were so completely defeated and cut up that they dare not venture a second attack, and the (weak timid policy shall I term it?) of our commander in chief would only allow our troops to act on the defensive — they at the same time continued firing bombs into the fort Fort McHenry, where as gallant a set of men as ever lived, commanded by Major Armstead of the Regulars were stationed, our valued cousin Judge Nicholson Joseph H. Nicholson (1770-1817) with his company of Artillerists formed a part of them — several times they were demanded to surrender, but by the signal deliverance of Providence, that although in general the guns of the fort fell short of their vessels, yet when they made a dash at it they were so much injured, particularly their bomb vessels that they were obliged to haul off — thus were they doubly defeated, by land & water — few of our troops were engaged although we had them here in great force — Mr Montgomery claims the credit of having killed Genl Ross their commanding Officer, they lost many Officers in the battle and are most inveterate against Baltre we expect another attack but know the impossibility of their returning without reinforcements, & the season I think is too far advance for this — they threw more shells into our Fort than at the bombardment of Copenhagen, for 24 hours it continued without intermission. 2 Officers were killed in it & several men — but my dear Friends, tho' so emminently exposed to danger, are well, and safe; how shall I be sufficiently thankful for this.—" Still mourning, but not sorrowing, for her son; all well in New York. Montgomery adds a postscript on the American naval victory at Plattsburgh on Lake Champlain (10 September 1814), which she mistakenly locates on Lake Erie.

Images

Open in external viewer applicationOpen in external viewer application
Open in external viewer application
Open in external viewer application
Open in external viewer application

Metadata

Date
1814 September 19

Metadata

Identifier
/repositories/3/archival_objects/877944
Campus Location
Rare Books & Special Collections, Hesburgh Libraries

Metadata

Contact Us

Our collection information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. If you have spotted an error, please contact Rare Books & Special Collections, Hesburgh Libraries at rarebook@nd.edu.


Also from James Witter Nicholson Family Letters

Letter. Maria [Nicholson] Montgomery, Baltimore, Maryland, to James W. Nicholson Esqre, New Geneva, Pennsylvania

Letter. Maria [Nicholson] Montgomery, Baltimore, Maryland, to James W. Nicholson Esqre, New Geneva, Pennsylvania

Letter. Maria [Nicholson] Montgomery, Baltimore, Maryland, to James W. Nicholson Esqre, New Geneva, Pennsylvania

Letter. Maria [Nicholson] Montgomery, Baltimore, Maryland, to James W. Nicholson Esqre, New Geneva, Pennsylvania

Letter. Catha[rin]e [Nicholson] Few, New York, New York, to Mr James [W.] Nicholson, New Geneva, Pennsylvania

Letter. Catha[rin]e [Nicholson] Few, New York, New York, to Mr James [W.] Nicholson, New Geneva, Pennsylvania

Letter. Maria [Nicholson] Montgomery, Baltimore, Maryland, to Mr James W. Nicholson, New Geneva, Pennsylvania

Letter. Maria [Nicholson] Montgomery, Baltimore, Maryland, to Mr James W. Nicholson, New Geneva, Pennsylvania

Letter. Maria N[icholson] Montgomery, Baltimore, Maryland, to James W. Nicholson Esqre, New Geneva, Pennsylvania

Letter. Maria N[icholson] Montgomery, Baltimore, Maryland, to James W. Nicholson Esqre, New Geneva, Pennsylvania

Letter. Maria N[icholson] Montgomery, Baltimore, Maryland, to James W. Nicholson Esqre, New Geneva, Pennsylvania

Letter. Maria N[icholson] Montgomery, Baltimore, Maryland, to James W. Nicholson Esqre, New Geneva, Pennsylvania

Related Items

No results found for .
Raclin Murphy Art Museum
100 Raclin Murphy Museum of Art
Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA
Phone (574) 631–5466
RMMACollections@nd.edu
Hesburgh Library
284 Hesburgh Library
Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA
Phone (574) 631-6258
asklib@nd.edu
© 2025 University of Notre Dame
Marble: Museums, Archives, Rare Books and Libraries Exploration
AboutPortfoliosHelpAccessibilitySite Map