If you'd asked me yesterday where the final battle of the War of 1812 was fought, I'd have confidently answered, "New Orleans."
Not so. The last battle came five days later and more than two weeks after the war was officially over:
On Jan. 13, 1815, close to 600 British troops attacked Point Peter, overwhelming its 130 soldiers. The British seized St. Marys, looted jewelry and fine China from its residents, and burned the fort. It was never used again as a military outpost.
The fort was burned down by British troops and its remains had been buried until the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers required an archaeological survey by developers of Cumberland Harbour, a 1,014-acre waterfront subdivision being built on the site. Only a state historical marker, placed on the site in 1953, pointed out the fort's location.
"A few historians knew about this. But this event, which is really significant in the War of 1812, is mostly forgotten to the public," said Scott Butler, who led the excavation for the Atlanta archaeology firm Brockington and Associates. "We're trying to change that."
The areas examined were the barracks, latrine, and well. Over 67,000 artifacts were found, and at this particular moment, I'm not the least interested in learning more about the ones found in the latrine. Maybe after breakfast.
