Another Day on Duty… 1814

Two soldiers, finished with guard duty and expected to be cleaning their weapons, instead talk to a servant enslaved to one of the militia officers while a sergeant overhears them and prepares to rebuke them for talking instead of working. Cleaning weapons, enduring stern sergeants, and serving on guard duty were part of daily army life, and during the summer of 1814 soldiers fought boredom and routine while preparing for an attack from the British. Fort McHenry changed over time, with its earthen walls reinforced with granite blocks in 1829 and a brick wall added to shore up the parapets.

Baltimore, Maryland · United States