Military
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Three gun batteries along the upper shore of Ferry Branch guarded the west flank of Fort McHenry: the makeshift earthworks of Fort Babcock, the incomplete Fort Covington, and a temporary redoubt at Ferry Point. During the bombardment of Fort McHenry on September 13-14, 1814, these Ferry Branch fortifications stopped a surprise British maneuver to attack Fort McHenry from the less well-defended rear. This close call exposed Fort McHenry’s vulnerability to a flanking attack, and the fortifications were strengthened and a defensive boom added across Ferry Branch in case the enemy returned.
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Baltimore, Maryland · United States
