William Beanes
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| William Beanes | |
| Born | January 24, 1749 Prince George's County, Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland |
|---|---|
| Died | October 12, 1828 (age 79) Prince George's County, Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland |
| Nationality |  American |
| Occupation | medical doctor |
| Religious beliefs | Trinity Protestant Episcopal Church of Upper Marlboro |
| Parents | William Beanes Mary Bradley |
William Beanes (24 January 1749 - 12 October 1828) was a medical doctor in the American Colonial Period.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Early life
Beanes was the third generation of the same name and the fourth generation American. He was born near Croome in Prince George's County, Maryland. Little is known of his childhood except that he is of Scottish descent. Throughout his life he spoke with a Scottish accent.[2]
His parents were wealthy and owned large parcels of land in Prince George's County. Because of this Beanes grew up in a rural environment that was comfortable. Beanes may have been tutored for his basic education or otherwise graduated from a public school. It is known that he obtained initial medical education from one of the experienced medical practitioners in his town where he lived since there was no medical college in America at this time.[2] Beanes began to practice medicine when he felt he was educated enough and qualified to do so.[1]
Beanes married Sarah Hawkins Hanson on November 25th, 1773. She was the niece of John Hanson who became the president of the First Continental Congress and some say technically then was the first President of the United States.[2]
[edit] Mid life
Beanes supported Boston’s position in the resistance of the Coercive Acts and was one of the committee of Prince Georgians who put into effect the Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress.[2]
Beanes offered his medical services at the first General Hospital in Philadelphia after the Battles of Lexington and Concord. He also mended the wounded soldiers there from the Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Long Island and Valley Forge.[2]
Beanes bought land just outside of Upper Marlboro, Maryland in 1779. Here he built a house and began practicing medicine. He was also a farmer there and owned a local grist mill.[3] In the later 1700s Beanes was a respected medical doctor and distinguished scientist with an excellent reputation.[4] In 1799 he was one of the founders of the Medical and Chirurgical Faculty of Maryland with John Archer and his son.[3]
[edit] War of 1812
Beanes was in the limelight during the War of 1812. In the summer of 1814 the British landed near Benedict, Maryland.[5] They marched to Upper Marlboro which was about 16 miles from Washington, D.C. The town was mostly deserted except for its most prominent citizen, Beanes.[5] He offered British General Robert Ross and Admiral George Cockburn the use of his house as his headquarters from August 22nd until the afternoon of August 23rd.[6] Because of this, Ross took it as Beanes being in sympathy with the British. There was no resistance to the British in town, which additionally confirmed the notion.[1]
The British continued their march onto Washington and entered Bladensburg which was about eight miles east of Washington. There they encountered American resistance in the Battle of Bladensburg on August 24th, 1814. After a decisive victory by the British they continued to Washington and burned some public buildings, including the White House. On their return trip back to their ships they again stopped briefly at Upper Marlboro. Some of the British deserters did some plundering of some of the small farms. Robert Bowie, who was a former governor of Maryland and owned some farmland in the area decided he was going to take matters into his own hands and do something about it. He was able to get the help of Beanes, who in turn was able to get Dr. William Hill and Philip Weems to participate.[7] They then captured a few of the deserters and took them to the county jail. One escaped and went straight away to Ross and told him about the captives.[1]
Ross was furious to think that he was misled by Beanes’ earlier hospitality and that it was perhaps just a ruse on Beanes’ part. It could have been that the marauders lied accusing Beanes of undue vehemence,[8] but in either case Ross immediately put out an arrest for Beanes, Bowie, and four others. British soldiers seized Beanes, Bowie, Dr. Hill and Mr. Weems shortly after midnight. Upon receiving these men from the soldiers, Ross and Cockburn soon released Bowie and the others but took Beanes back to their ship.[1][9]
Brigadier general William H. Winder in a letter dated August 31 protested to no avail.[9]
| “ | I am informed that a party from your army a few nights ago, took Dr. Beanes, a respectable, aged man out of his bed, treated him with great rudeness and indignantly took him to your camp; and that he is now on shipboard. The bearer of this goes to your camp conveying some necessaries for the doctor for his accommodation; and to ascertain what has occasioned this procedure so unusual in warfare among civilized nations. I am persuaded it will be necessary to enquire into the case to cause the doctor to be released. I am informed he is an honorable man and would not have been guilty of any act intentionally or knowingly contrary to the usages of war or derogatory to the character of a man of honor. I hope on inquiry, justice and humanity will induce you to permit the doctor to return to his family as speedily as possible. (signed) "General Winder"[10] | ” |
Friends of Beanes went to Francis Scott Key, a lawyer in Georgetown, for help on the release of the elderly doctor.[11] Key got the permission of President James Madison who also sent John Stuart Skinner,[11] the government’s representative agent for the exchange of prisoners of war.[9] Skinner and Key took their ship Minden under a flag of truce and proceeded to locate the British fleet in the Chesapeake Bay.[1] Skinner and Key came across the British flagship of Vice Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane. They then had a meeting with Ross who refused to release Beanes. Skinner knew Baines and the high reputation he had. He had the foresight to collect from wounded British soldiers left behind after the Battle of Bladensburg letters of how well they had been treated by the Americans. Skinner then pulled his trump card and gave Ross the letters.[12] The soldiers wrote about what excellent medical treatment they were receiving by the Americans.[13] Ross then had a change of heart and released Beanes.[12]
Skinner and Key with Beanes were allowed to go back to their ship, however were not allowed to go back to Baltimore. They were held eight miles off shore from Fort McHenry until the outcome of the Battle of Baltimore. Skinner, Key and Beanes had learned too much about British forces and plans of the attack on Baltimore to allow them free at that time. They were tied up to a British ship in the Chesapeake Bay and guarded by British soldiers until after the battle that started the morning of September 13, 1814. The three men watched the battle from their ship as it went into the night. There was a large flag put up at Fort McHenry that they could see, however eventually the smoke of British gunfire, cannons, Congreve rockets and nightfall obscured the flag. They could only look and hope for the best.[1]
When mourning came on September 14, they saw the flag was still there. Fort McHeny had not been taken by the British. The British had broken off the attack in the night and were retreating. Skinner, Key, and Beanes were released to go back home on their ship. They arrived at Baltimore on September 16th. Key was inspired to write a poem of the event on the back of a letter, which ultimately became the Star Spangled Banner.[12] Beanes was the incidental cause for the reason why Key wrote the poem that led to the American national anthem. [14]
[edit] Later life
Beanes spent the remainder of his life on Academy Hill in Upper Marlboro. He died there in 1828 with his wife preceding him in 1822.[1]
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ a b c d e f g h Heidler, pp 43-44
- ^ a b c d e Magruder, p. 209
- ^ a b Magruder, p. 210
- ^ Weybright, p. 93
- ^ a b Magruder, p. 211
- ^ Magruder, p. 212
- ^ Weybright, p. 110
- ^ Weybright, p. 111
- ^ a b c Magruder, p. 217
- ^ Weybright, p. 112
- ^ a b Lord, p. 240
- ^ a b c Magruder, p. 218
- ^ Lord, p. 243
- ^ Magruder, p. 219 Baltimore, the birthplace of "The Star-Spangled Banner" thus owes Prince George’s County the occasion of its authorship, and the centennial anniversary which Maryland’s metropolis so fittingly celebrated some weeks since should serve to inseparably link the name Beanes with that of Key, the author, with the occasion of his inspiration.
[edit] References
- Heidler, David Stephen et al., Encyclopedia of the War of 1812, Naval Institute Press (2004), ISBN 1-5911436-2-4
- Lord, Walter, The Dawn's Early Light, JHU Press (1994), ISBN 0801848644
- Magruder Jr., Caleb Clarke, Dr. William Beanes, the incidental cause of the authorship of the Star Spangled Banner, Columbia Historical Society (Washington, D.C.), Records of the Columbia Historical Society, Washington, D.C., The Society (1919); 207-225
- Weybright, Victor, Spangled Banner - The Story of Francis Scott Key, Read Books (2007), ISBN 1-4067710-0-7
[edit] External links
- William Beanes at Find-A-Grave
