No
one thought of danger to St. Mary's.
Most terrible was the awakening from this dream of safety, when, on the
morning of the 17th of August, the division under the command of Admiral
Cockburn--the most dreaded and abhorred of all--was seen to enter the
mouth of the Patuxent in full sail for Benedict. Nearly all the
able-bodied men were absent with the army at the time when the combined
military and naval forces tinder Admiral Cockburn and General Ross
landed at that place. None remained to guard the homes but aged men,
women, infants and negroes. A universal panic seized the neighborhood
and nothing occurred to the defenseless people but instant flight.
Females and children were hastily put into carriages, the most valuable
items of plate or money hastily packed up, negroes mustered and the
whole caravan put upon a hurried march for Prince George's, Montgomery
or other upper counties of the State. With very few exceptions, the
farms and plantations were evacuated and left to the mercy of the
invaders.
At sunrise all was noise, bustle and confusion at Luckenough.
The lawn was filled with baggage wagons, horses, mules, cows, oxen,
sheep, swine, baskets of poultry, barrels of provisions, boxes of
property, and men and maid servants hurrying wildly about among them,
carrying trunks and parcels, loading carts, tackling harness, marshaling
cattle and making other preparations for a rapid retreat toward
Commodore Waugh's patrimonial estate in Montgomery County.
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