Battle of North Point in the War of 1812

Battle of North Point in the War of 1812 The Battle of North Point was fought as the British attacked Baltimore, MD on September 12, 1814, during the War of 1812. As 1813 came to an end, the British started to shift their attention from the Napoleonic Wars to the conflict with the United States. This commenced with a surge in naval strength which saw the Royal Navy widen and tighten their full commercial blockade of the American coast. This crippled American commerce and led to inflation and shortages of goods. The American position continued to decline with the fall of Napoleon in March 1814. Though initially cheered by some in the United States, the implications of the French defeat soon became clear as the British were now freed to enlarge their military presence in North America. Having failed to capture Canada or compel the British to seek peace during the wars first two years, these new events put the Americans on the defensive and changed the conflict into one of national survival. To the Chesapeake As fighting continued along the Canadian border, the Royal Navy, led by Vice Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane, mounted attacks along the American coast and endeavored to tighten the blockade. Already eager to inflict destruction on the United States, Cochrane was further encouraged in July 1814 after getting a letter from Lieutenant General Sir George Prevost. This asked him to help avenge the American burnings of several Canadian towns. To oversee these attacks, Cochrane turned to Rear Admiral George Cockburn who had spent much of 1813 raiding up and down the Chesapeake Bay. To support this mission, a brigade of Napoleonic veterans, commanded by Major General Robert Ross, was ordered to the region. On to Washington On August 15, Ross transports entered the Chesapeake and pushed up the bay to join with Cochrane and Cockburn. Assessing their options, the three men decided to attempt a strike on Washington DC. This combined force soon cornered Commodore Joshua Barneys gunboat flotilla in the Patuxent River. Moving up the river, they eliminated Barneys force and landed Rosss 3,400 men and 700 marines on August 19. In Washington, President James Madisons administration struggled to meet the threat. Unwilling to believe that the capital would be a target, little had been done in terms of preparing defenses. Overseeing the defense of Washington was Brigadier General William Winder, a political appointee from Baltimore who had been captured at the Battle of Stoney Creek in June 1813. As the bulk of the US Armys regulars were occupied in the north, Winder s force was largely comprised of militia. Meeting no resistance, Ross and Cockburn marched quickly from Benedict to Upper Marlborough. There the two elected to approach Washington from the northeast and cross the East Branch of the Potomac at Bladensburg. Following the defeat of American forces at the Battle of Bladensburg on August 24, they entered Washington and burned several government buildings. This done, British forces under Cochrane and Ross turned their attention north towards Baltimore. The British Plan A vital port city, Baltimore was believed by the British to be the base of many of the American privateers that were preying on their shipping. To take Baltimore, Ross and Cochrane planned a two-prong attack with the former landing at North Point and advancing overland, while the latter attacked Fort McHenry and the harbor defenses by water. Arriving in the Patapsco River, Ross landed 4,500 men at the tip of North Point on the morning of September 12, 1814. Anticipating Ross actions and needing more time to complete the citys defenses, the American commander at Baltimore, American Revolution veteran Major General Samuel Smith, dispatched 3,200 men and six cannon under Brigadier General John Stricker to delay the British advance. Marching to North Point, Stricker arrayed his men across Long Log Lane at a point where the peninsula narrowed. Marching north, Ross rode ahead with his advance guard. Armies Commanders: United States Major General Samuel SmithBrigadier General John Stricker3,200 men Britain Major General Robert RossColonel Arthur Brooke4,500 men The Americans Make a Stand Shortly after being warned about being too far forward by Rear Admiral George Cockburn, Ross party encountered a group of American skirmishers. Opening fire, the Americans critically wounded Ross in arm and chest before retreating. Placed on a cart to carry him back to the fleet, Ross died a short time later. With Ross dead, command devolved to Colonel Arthur Brooke. Pressing forward, Brookes men soon encountered Strickers line. Nearing, both sides exchanged musket and cannon fire for over an hour, with the British attempting flank the Americans. Around 4:00 PM, with the British getting better of the fight, Stricker ordered a deliberate retreat north and reformed his line near Bread and Cheese Creek. From this position Stricker waited for the next British assault, which never came. Having suffered over 300 casualties, Brooke elected not to pursue the Americans and ordered his men to camp on the battlefield. With his mission of delaying the British accomplished, Stricker and men retired to Baltimores defenses. The following day, Brooke conducted two demonstrations along the citys fortifications, but found them too strong to attack and halted his advance. Aftermath Impact In the fighting, the Americans lost 163 killed and wounded and 200 captured. British casualties numbered 46 killed and 273 wounded. While a tactical loss, the Battle of North Point proved to be a strategic victory for the Americans. The battle allowed Smith to complete his preparations for defending the city, which halted Brookes advance. Unable to penetrate the earthworks, Brooke was forced to await the outcome of Cochranes naval attack on Fort McHenry. Beginning at dusk on September 13, Cochranes bombardment of the fort failed, and Brooke was forced to withdraw his men back to the fleet.

Pager Vs. Cell Phone Essays - Mobile Technology, Free Essays

Pager Vs. Cell Phone Essays - Mobile Technology, Free Essays Pager Vs. Cell Phone What Does This Message Mean? Today devices known as Pagers are over flooding the world of communication. Pagers are devices that bring confusion to their users. The most common problem would be the method of sending a message. To send a message is very simple but you cannot give the message its sense of seriousness. That is why some Pagers owners discard messages that in fact might be a serious matter. Beginning in the late seventys when pagers started to gain popularity, more problems occurred after the necessity to add more area codes. This also affected the people who dont own Pagers. In the late eighties a solution to the problem was introduced. The Cellular Phone was to be the next generation of wireless communication. The features that the Cell Phone provides prove it is better than a pager. Therefore eliminating the pager out of the market is justified, and can be done in a few years. Since the first day pagers were available, they didnt provide many features. One negative aspect of a pager is that the receiver cannot determine if the message is important or not. Other than displaying the senders number, it can display time and date - big deal. Some newer pagers are able to display text messages. This feature gives the owner more information about the page that he receives but he cannot determine the importance of the message. The message that a sender composes isnt as articulate a verbal conversation would be. The Positive aspects of a Pager are questionable. The popularity of pagers is most common among teenagers. Some people say that Pagers can be a good start for teenagers into their adolescent life. Some parents do not allow their children to own beepers. But later these parents notice the importance and eventually change their mind. A mother from Chicago, Kathy Nelson says We (parents) were adamantly opposed to beepers because of the drug connotations and the ban in school, they both got them without permission, then they told us. But I've had a complete turn around. Now I can always reach them and they always call me back. Robert Sack, psychiatrist from Virginia says, Pagers should be a privilege, like having your own phone. They shouldn't be abused. But in a lot of cases it keeps the kid honest because they can be tracked down. The reason these two examples are questionable is because the parents arent the users of the pagers. They know that they are sending a message to their child , and they think that their child will perceive it the way they do. Most of the time the message isnt perceived by the receiver the same way the sender does. This doesnt happen in a verbal conversation. The nineties are the decade of the Cell phone. Service providers are running out of numbers, new area codes are required, and more confusion is created. But the up of this down would be that no matter what the cell phone is better than the Pager. The cell phone has more convenient features, and is classified as the number one candidate for the exchange between a pager. The cell phone is a very unique unit. It can be used as a pager, and regular phone, with the convenience of being mobile. Cell phones may also have a feature known to most people as caller ID. This feature can be utilized as a pager. Cell phones are a very quick way to reach a person immediately when in need. The best feature of a cell phone is that the user verbally communicates with the other person. There are no numbers, no awkward codes, or twenty-second limits. On a cell phone, just like any other phone, the user can be more expressive and to the point. This function is very important because pager users dont have this function, and they arent as reliable as phones. The most important feature every consumer is looking for is the price of operating such devices. Pagers range from $20 to $100 per unit. The service ranges from $0 (caller pays) to $40 a month. A Cell phone costs a slightly more. Price ranges from $40 to $200 per unit,

History of modern latin america Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

History of modern latin america - Essay Example Sandra Phillips (2009) stated that sports provide a unique opportunity for children to acquire physical, social, and personal benefits that can help them throughout their lives. According to her, the benefits of youth sports are extensive. She gave some of the ways how sports can positively influence a child’s development and serve as an avenue for teaching children valuable life lessons (Phillips, 2009). According to Phillips (2009), sports can build self-esteem, self-respect and dignity. It provides social interaction with peers and adults and an opportunity to develop talents (Phillips, 2009). Sandra Phillips (2009) also added that sports teaches sportsmanship, teamwork, control, and how to deal with adversity by showing them that it is alright to make a mistake and giving them the opportunity to learn from mistakes as well as moving on once a mistake has been made. It instils self-discipline and awareness of the value of preparation (Phillips, 2009). A sport teaches kids h ow to deal productively with criticisms, provides leadership opportunities, and fosters a sense of community by providing a sense of belonging or opportunity to be part of a group (Phillips, 2009). In addition, Phillips (2009) presented that sports develops skills for handling success and failure and provides stress relief from academic and social pressures. SPORTS AND THE HIGH RISKS COUNTRIES Brazil is a passionate country besotted with sports (Tyler, n.d.) According to Vera Tyler, a volunteer coach, there are many areas of the city where children are exposed to dangers of poverty and they can be easily led into a life of crimes and drugs. The sports programme that they offered provided a positive channel for energy of the children and a distraction from a ghastly lifestyle. Tyler added that they focused on encouraging children to see the ‘good side’ of the world by taking them away from the violence and poverty that they live in and encouraging them to see things in a different way. The sporting activities provide positive role to help keep the children away from the dangers of the streets (Tyler, n.d.). According to Tyler, the activities helped motivate and encourage poor children in Brazil. In Rio, charitable organizations, NGO’s and social projects are working hard to provide recreational activities to street children or those from disadvantaged neighbourhoods. In Haiti, they organize sport events to help integrate the people, boost self-esteem and encourage change after the city was shaken and desolated by earthquake (Pires de Mello, 2011). They highlighted the sports for social inclusion, social re-insertion and its desired effect in contributing to create an environment conducive to peace and less violence in the area (Pires de Mello, 2011). Kay Nou, a non-profit organization in Haiti, is devoted to caring for abandoned and disenfranchised youth in Haiti (www.kaynouinc.org, Kay Nou). They aim to deal with physical, emotional and aca demic needs of the Haitian youth. Kay Nou took part in sports activities such as soccer, judo, volleyball, capoeira, athletics, gymnastics and other activities (Pires de Mello, 2011). In a vast squatter settlement outside Lima, Peru, schools are overburdened and most families don’t have the means to pay for a child’s education outside the slum (www.globalfundforchildren.org, Escuelas Deporte y Vida). There is violence in the streets and at home. Sara Diestro, as social worker who