British Fleet of 265 Ships Sighted in the Chesapeake Bay (240 Years Ago)

British Fleet of 265 Ships Sighted in the Chesapeake Bay

August 24, 1777

If you cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge keep a sharp eye out for a large British fleet consisting of 265 ships. The British fleet was sighted last on August 7 off the Atlantic Coast at Sinepuxent Island (near Assateague Island and birthplace of Stephen Decatur Jr. who later became a hero during the Barbary Wars). Intelligence sources makes me think that they will land tomorrow near Worton Creek (near Chestertown) or Elk Landing (near Elkton).

If only Lambert Wickes had been around! Wickes is not known well in either the United States or his home area of the northern Eastern Shore of Maryland. Lambert Wickes and his brother Richard came from Rock Hall, Maryland. In June 1777 Wickes with his crew on the Reprisal, Nicholson with the crew of the Dolphin and Captain Johnson of the Lexington wrecked havoc on British shipping around Ireland. All that Wickes did was capture 18 ships in 18 months but died later in 1777 on October 1 off Newfoundland as he was coming home for repairs.

We lost 3 ships in the Chesapeake Bay when the British fleet came through. Wickes would have been terribly outnumbered but one wonders just what he would have done in the situation facing 265 British ships. Would he have gathered other smaller ships and larger ships in the area and tried to make a futile stand or would he have opted to fight another day? This author's conjecture would be that he would have gone down fighting. If he could have taken out 3 ships, that would have weakened the coming land force by that amount. We eventually lost the battle of Brandywine. If Wickes had diminished the British force just a little, that little bit might have turned the battle.

Back in June 28, 1776, Lambert Wickes' broke through the British blockade of the Delaware Bay. An American privateer ship called the Nancy arrived from St. Croix and had 300 barrels of gunpowder for the Patriot cause. Lambert put his younger brother Richard in charge of the Nancy to get the gunpowder off. Richard and the crew had taken off over 200 barrels when the British blew them up. Richard Wickes and the crew of the Nancy died on the actual day that the Declaration of Independence was agreed on- July 2, 1776.

North Wicomico River to Parker Mill Pond

North Wicomico River to Parker Mill Pond

Would the HMS Roebuck made it up to Parker Mill Pond?

Every February I try to remember the events of February 1777 at Parker Mill Pond.

I am sure quite a few people are thinking to themselves, "How could a British 44 gun ship make it all the way up to Parker Mill Pond in February 1777?" As stated several times previously, things are not the same as they were in 1777. There are two dams in that area. One is on Isabella Street and the other is at present day Leonard Mill Pond (which was called Parker Mill Pond back in 1777). I took a walk between the dam and across the little bridge and behind the baseball field at Leonard Mill Pond. The Wicomico River is only 15-20 feet across in this area. However there is a lot of standing water on the left side of the nature trail which makes me think that this was part of the original river. The nature path could be part of the original river bed if a lot of dirt was put in there with some project.

Here is an idea for a contest for art programs: to draw a picture of the HMS Roebuck in Parker Mill Pond dropping off field pieces. Maybe a mural could be painted at the Wicomico County visitor center.

Did some group like the Civilian Conservation Corps change the river bands during the 1930s or was some of this done during the dam project at Leonard Mill Pond?

As always, remember the Ninth Regiment from the Eastern Shore of Virginia which helped Salisbury out immensely back in 1777.