BOWLING GREEN, Va. (AP) — A Caroline County native who was commanding Fort McHenry when British forces attacked Baltimore during the War of 1812 is being honored with a state historical marker.
The Virginia Department of Historic Resources on Sunday is dedicating the marker honoring Lt. Col. George Armistead on the grounds of the Newmarket Plantation near Bowling Green.
The marker says Armistead distinguished himself in 1813 during the capture of Fort George, Canada, but is best known as the commanding officer of Fort McHenry during the 1814 Battle of Baltimore. That battle was the inspiration for Francis Scott Key’s “The Star Spangled Banner” and is considered a turning point in the war between the U.S. and Great Britain.
Currently there are more than 2,400 official state markers in the program that began in 1927.
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