Lt. Col. George Armistead (1780-1818)

Known for his service in the War of 1812, George Armistead was born in CAROLINE COUNTY  at Newmarket plantation. 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, for which he earned the rank of lieutenant colonel. The American victory proved a turning point in the war, and was the inspiration for Francis Scott Key’s poem “The Star Spangled Banner.” Armistead commanded at Fort McHenry until his death in Baltimore in 1818. He is buried there in Old St. Paul’s Cemetery.

DHR

’s Board of Historic Resources reviewed and approved 13 new signs focusing on Virginia’s important legacy of people, places, and events associated with the War of 1812, part of the run-up to the war’s bicentennial.