Programs

The Battle of Caulk's Field

Scott Sheads, National Park Service staff historian at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, brings the Battle of Caulk’s Field to life in this lively lecture. The battle, which took place on August 31, 1814, was a clear American victory in a war with no ultimate winner or loser. Located in Kent County on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Caulk's Field remains one of the best surviving 1812 battlefields in America. Sheads will also discuss other historic landmarks and events across Maryland, which is home to more War of 1812 sites than the rest of the country combined. Projector and screen required. Adult audiences.

Scott S. Sheads is a historian, ranger at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, and the author of several books on the Defense of Baltimore in the War of 1812. In his 30 years as historian-ranger at the fort, he has never stopped combing though the maps, records and accounts of the battle. Sheads has also documented about 20,000 War of 1812-related graves in the state. He has appeared on the recent PBS documentary The War of 1812, and his most recent co-authored book is The War of 1812 in the Chesapeake: A Reference Guide to Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2011).