![]() In this residence, Mary DeButts was positioned to observe some of the actions of the war in the Chesapeake. In a letter to her brother Richard, she wrote about the stress that the Battle of Bladensburg caused for her: “The termination of the war has cheered the Hearts of thousands but its bitter consequences will long be severely felt. I cannot express to you the distress it has occasioned at the Battle of Bladensburg. We heard every fire (that place being not more than 5 or 6 miles from us). Our house was shook repeatedly by the firing upon forts & bridges, & illuminated by the fires in our Capital.” When the British navigated up the Potomac River in 1814, they sailed past Mount Welby; the DeButts later found three Congreve rockets near their home. LEARN MORE Visit the National Park Service site at Oxon Cove Park & Oxon Hill Farm to see Mount Welby, home of Mary DeButts, and learn about two centuries of farming through hands-on activities and living history programs. |
Last updated: May 13, 2020