“Every explosion seemed to go through my heart”

-  Harriet Murray, 1814.  

In the year 1800, Dr William Murray and his wife Harriet settled on 685 acres in Owensville.  They built a farmhouse, a stable, a corn house, and named their new home Woodstock.  Their lives were routinely occupied with raising four children, praying, socializing with friends and relatives, and caring for the sick of the neighborhood. 

Woodstock Farm c.1900

Suddenly their quiet lives were shattered!  The War of 1812 had arrived in Maryland.  

British forces sailed up the Patuxent River to within 10 miles of Owensville, then turned west toward Washington.  En route to the capital, on Aug 24, they soundly defeated the American troops deployed against them at Bladensburg Md.  

Burning of Washington 1814 (Wikipedia photo)

 On Sept 11 1814 Harriet wrote of her ordeal to a friend:

 

Harriet Murray c1788

“...my beloved [son] William was severely wounded in the Battle of Bladensburg.  A bullet passed into his side... and another through his ankle, and the third broke his leg in a most dreadful and serious manner, in which state he was taken prisoner, and from Wednesday until Friday lay without the assistance of a surgeon, or any dressings to his wounds.  It is almost miraculous that thro’ all this he is now in a fair way to recover and the Doctor told us his leg will be saved... I cannot describe to you the horror which took possession of my mind on the day of the Battle. We were within the sound of the guns, and every explosion seemed literally to go thro’ my heart.”