 A military battery was built on Federal Hill in anticipation of an attack by sea from the British who had occupied, raided and terrorized the Chesapeake Bay region during 1813-1814, under notorious Rear Admiral George Cockburn.Although there was never an attack in the first year of the enemy campaign in 1813 with only some probings and soundings of the channel depths, finally on September 12, 1814, the vaunted Royal Navy fleet brought 3,000 British troops and supplies, landing southeast of the city at North Point and marched north and west up the Patapsco Neck peninsula to attack the city.That night, they reached Loudenschlager's and Potter Hills (later renamed Hampstead Hill in today's Patterson Park) on the east side of the town where 10,000 Americans from three surrounding states and an estimated 100 cannon /artillery pieces heavily dug in, under the leadership of Major General Samuel Smith of the Maryland Militia, blocked the invading army’s path.