War of 1812 Shipwreck, Preview

In 1812, Joshua Barney, a retired naval hero of the American Revolution proposed a plan for a fleet of American barges to defend the Chesapeake Bay area against the British fleet. In August, 1814, Barney was forced to destroy & sink his fleet of 15 vessels in the Patuxent River in Maryland to prevent their capture. One of these barges was discovered under the river mud in 1979 and partially excavated. Recently, underwater archaeologist Robert Neyland of the Navy History and Heritage Command has led a team to further study the wreck. American History TV visited the river with Mr. Neyland to learn about the project. We also visited the Navy’s Underwater Archaeology lab in the Washington Navy yard to see some of the artifacts. close