Battle of Stuart's Pond

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Battle of Stuart's Pond
Part of War of 1812
Date November 27 – November 27, 1813 Location Near Annapolis, Maryland Result Mutual Slaughter
Belligerents
United Kingdom Canada	United States
Strength
40 regulars	50 militia
Casualties and losses
40: 40 dead	50: 50 dead

The Battle of Stuart's Pond, also known as the Wet Scramble, was a battle (though technically a splintered skirmish) of the War of 1812 fought on November 27, 1813 in a small pond on the west bank of the Chesapeake Bay.

The battle was quickly waged in the one afternoon and resulted in heavy losses for both sides. It was one of the only times the Maryland militia saw action. It is notable for its having been fought in a pond and for the categorical casualty count. It is sometimes cited as an example of the extreme bloodthirst that manifests in the fog of war.

The battle is named for James Fenthswick Stuart, a young journalist who provided the only account of the senseless clash, and who later wrote a poem about having borne witness to it and survived.

[edit] Sources

• The Incredible War of 1812, by J. Mackay Hitsman, Robin Brass Studio, ISBN 1-896941-13-3
• Amateurs to Arms, by John R. Elting, Da Capo Press NY, ISBN 0-306-80653-3
• 1812: War With America, by Jon Latimer, Belknap Press MA, ISBN 978-067402584-4

[edit] External links

• Chronology of events leading up to and surrounding Battle of Stuart's Pond