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Hi, Bill:
I have now located my copy of Wright's
"Maryland Militia War of 1812, Volume 5, St. Mary's & Charles Counties."
Among the bounty land claims,
apparently rejected (55-rej-98108), Wright Vol. 5 p. 74, is one for John
Johnson of Leonard (thus apparently the man you want), who claimed to
have served as a private under Capts. Floyd, Millard and Williams and
who applied 13 February 1851, listed as a resident of St. Mary's County,
volunteered at Leonard Town, afterwards served as a substitute for
Richard Johnson, private in Capt J. F. Sothoron's company in the 45th
Regt. At the time of the 1851 claim, Johnson was listed as age 65
years. He applied again 7 April 1855 at age 67 (some miscalculation or
mistranscription here???) and was again listed as a resident of St.
Mary's Co. Witnesses listed were William T. Perry and Samuel E. Abell,
also of St. Mary's Co.
You may have the above, but if not,
here it is.
John Johnson is also listed in the
muster rolls (Wright, Vol. 5, p. 20) as having been in Capt. William
Floyd's company of the 12th Regiment, St. Mary's County, stationed at
Leonard Town to St. Inigoes in St. Mary's County July 14 to August 4
1813. This would have been about the time the British were probing up
the Potomac. Johnson is shown as having served for 5 days. I cannot
find a record in Wright for him having served in 1814 but that record
may be missing. Richard Johnson though is listed as having served 22
days in the period July 16 to August 17, 1814 under Capt. John H.
Briscoe of the 45th Regiment, and this company included men transferred
from Sothoron's company. Possibly some of those days were served by
John Johnson?
As for the action at Leonardtown, here
is what I have:
Leonardtown (Breton Bay, off Potomac
River, St. Mary's County). Site of raid by about 1,500 British (July
19, 1814); the British divided up into three forces, some landed near
Newtown and marched inland to attack the town from the right, another to
the left and a third under Rear Admiral Cockburn landed at the
Leonardtown waterfront itself. Though several of the British troops
were seriously injured during a boating accident on the return to the
fleet, the British took a small schooner, 70 hogsheads of tobacco, 20
barrels of flour, and 40 stands of arms "which the enemy left behind
they flying into the woods."
British account of assault by Rear
Admiral George Cockburn:
"I proceeded on the morning of the
18th with the Ships named in the margin (Albion, Loire, Regulus, Troop
ship Melpomene, Troop ship Thistle) up the Potomac for the purpose of
commencing by an attack on Leonards Town, the capital of St. Mary's
County where I understood the 30th American Regiment to be stationed and
much Stores &c. to be deposited...I proceeded at Midnight up the
Creek...At the dawn of day the Marines were put on shore at some
distance from the Town, and I directed Major Lewis to march round and
attack it from the Land side whilst the Boats pulled up to it in front;
the Enemy however on discovering us withdrew whatever armed Force he had
in the place and permitted us to take quiet Possession of it. I found
here a quantity of Stores belonging to the 30th Regiment and a number of
Arms of different descriptions all of which were destroyed; a quantity
of Tobacco, Flour, Provisions, and other articles likewise found in the
Town I caused to be shipped and brought away in the Boats and a Schooner
which we took laying off it - This occupied us the most of the day
during the whole of which not a musquet [sic] was fired at us nor indeed
a single armed American discovered, in consequence of which conduct on
part of the Enemy I deemed it prudent to spare the Town, which we
quitted in the Evening and returned to the Squadron without having
sustained accident of any kind." (Rear Adm. George Cockburn to Vice Adm.
Sir Alexander Cochrane, July 19, 1814).
American account of assault:
"...every housekeeper was plundered
except one - to the Court House they did great injury; not a sash of
glass but what they destroyed; much of the inside work cut to pieces,
all the tobacco about 70 hogshead carried off." (Report for August 14,
1814, republished in Chronicles of St. Mary's).
Another American account, however,
differs:
"They [the British] behaved with
great politeness to the ladies, respected private property wherever the
proprietors remained at home, destroyed about 100 bbls of supplies
belonging to col. Carberry's regt. the whole of Mr. Haislip's store, and
the furniture, clothing and bedding of captains Forrest and Millard [?],
all of whom left town. They got possession of some muskets belonging to
the state, which they broke to pieces, saying they were only fit to
stick frogs with." (Letter entitled "Movements of the Enemy,"
Maryland Gazette, August 4, 1814).
Mrs Thompson and Miss Eliza Key were
reputed to have been instrumental in saving the courthouse from being
burned by claiming it was sometimes used as a place for divine worship.
The Key family, related to Francis Scott Key, lived at Tudor Hall (late
18th century, now St. Mary's County Historical Society Library) which
still stands. Brig. Gen. Philip Steuart with about 250 militia was in
the neighborhood but he did not think himself capable of dislodging the
enemy. At the end of Washington Street is an old landing on Breton Bay
where the British are believed to have landed.
Bill, I hope you fine the above useful.
Best regards
Chris George
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