North Point, Fort McHenry, and the British withdrawal

Samuel Smith used the American force at North Point to delay the British advance while Baltimore's main defenses were completed. British commander Robert Ross was killed, although the identity of the man who shot him remains uncertain, and Arthur Brooke took over. The Americans withdrew to earthworks under Commodore John Rodgers, with naval personnel helping defend the redoubt. Fort McHenry kept British ships too far away to provide the close fire support needed against the stronger inner defenses. British troops adapted after a failed attack and overran positions on the American right, but Brooke chose bombardment and withdrawal over a costly frontal assault. His orders restricted an attack unless the defenders were far fewer than they proved to be. The large flag raised at Fort McHenry on September 14 was the normal morning flag, rather than a special gesture to taunt the British. The troops then sailed toward New Orleans; suggestions of further reinforcements, including Wellington, belong to a counterfactual continuation of the war.