Fort McHenry was surrounded by water, but none of it was fit to drink. In the early years, soldiers rowed into Baltimore to fill casks with fresh well water. They also collected rainwater from the barracks' roofs in a cistern located in this corner of the star fort.

When a British attack seemed imminent in 1813, the Army began work on a more reliable water source. On the parade behind you they dug a well. The shaft descended 95 feet (29m) through layers of earth, mud, foul water, and clay until it reached pure water.

Today the cistern and well are no longer visible, but archeological investigations in 1978 have confirmed their existence.

(inset)
The stairs ahead lead to Bastion No. 4 and a fine view of the outer artillery battery and the harbor.

From there you may walk to your right along the rampart to Bastion No. 3, where the British scored a direct hit on an American gun emplacement.

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Show me all markers in:  Baltimore, MD  |  21228  |  Maryland  |  United States of America

1814 Enlisted Men's Barracks, No 2
In Full Glory Reflected
Mortars vs. Guns
Direct Hit
Civil War Guardhouse
Star-Spangled Banner
Powder Magazine
Commanding Officer's Quarters
Bombproofs
British Bomb

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