Screaming Rockets - Havre de Grace, MD - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

The plaque says, "On the morning of May 3, 1813, the British came ashore at several points and set to work plundering and burning the town. They used Congreve rockets, which made horrible whizzing and popping sounds, to create chaos and terror.

The British confiscated belongings, destroying anything they did not take, and set fire to the buildings in town. Although initial reports said that every building in Havre de Grace was burned except one, later reports stated that 20 to 40 of the approximate 60 dwellings were lost.

"The air seemed alive with Congreve rockets, squirming and hissing about like so many fiery serpents"
=Daniel Mallory, Short Stories and Reminiscences of the Last Fifty Years, 1842.

[Painting caption]
This Charles Hubbell painting called The Rockets' Red Glare depicts the Congreve rockets the British used in their attack on Havre de Grace.
Image courtesy of NASA.

[Inset caption]
Congreve 12-pound Shell Rocket, circa 1808. Congreve rockets were used by the British to create chaos and terror as they raided Havre de Grace during the War of 1812."

Group that erected the marker: NPS Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: Havre de Grace, MD, USA URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: Not listed

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Date Logged Log   01/13/2021 bluesnote visited it