About 300 British soldiers approached Queenstown by road on August 13, 1813, as part of a two-pronged attack. Their route took them on a steamy march across Kent Island and The Narrows while towing two field cannon. Near dawn, the nighttime march was interrupted by a skirmish with Americans at a rise in the road known as Slippery Hill. The British continued on to Queenstown, but the American militia had escaped to Centreville. Major William H. Nicholson of the Maryland Militia recalled that at 10 minutes before 3 o’clock on the 13th he was aroused by the quick approach of horsemen bringing word that the enemy was approaching in great force on the main road from Kent Narrows to Queen’s Town. According to a British officer’s report, the day before the march Captain Robertson had gotten acquainted with the road while protected by a flag of truce. An encounter with American picket guards at Slippery Hill effectively ended the British attack on Queenstown.