The namesake for Howard County and owner of land there ("Waverly") was too old to fight, but his sons helped protect Fort McHenry and Baltimore. Howard's "Lodge Farm" [H on map, width of the penisula, to top of map] on Patapsco Neck was next to Gov. Charles Carnan Ridgely (of Hampton Mansion) [R] and in the way of the British who landed at North Point [X] on Sept. 12, 1814.
Although the British had beaten the Americans in a battle north of Washington DC, then burned the Capitol and White House, they would be delayed by fierce fighting going to Baltimore, their General Ross was killed and Fort McHenry survived a bombardment from the ships (there's a song about it).
