leaving 21 heavy guns and 6 field-pieces – all spiked. On the 29th the British accepted the surrender of the town of Alexandria and took possession of 21 seaworthy vessels which were loaded with merchandise and naval and ordnance stores. On 31 August arrived with news that the Americans were mounting guns downstream to oppose the squadron's return, so the British started back without delay. Unfortunately Devastation ran aground, and the Americans tried to destroy her with three fire ships. The British, who launched their own boats, drove off the Americans and towed the fire-vessels to shore. The squadron spent a total of 23 days in the river. In 1847 the Admiralty awarded the then still surviving participants in the battle the NGSM with the clasp "The Potomac 17 Augt. 1814". Battle of Baltimore On 12 September 1814 Erebus, Meteor, Aetna, , , and Devastation sailed up the Patapsco River in preparation for an attack on Baltimore, commencing their bombardment of Fort McHenry on the 13th, before being ordered to withdraw on the 14th. On 19 September 1814 the fleet, including , , , and Aetna, remained at anchor in the Patuxent River until 27th when it moved to the Potomac where shore operations were recommenced on 3 October, on which day Commander Kenah was killed. On 14 October the fleet departed for Negril Bay, Jamaica, arriving on 5 November, to prepare for the attack on New Orleans. Commander Francis Fead commanded Aetna in 1815, having assumed command on 4 October 1814. Gulf Coast At the end of 1814, Aetna took part in the Gulf Campaign. First, her crew participated in the Battle of Lake Borgne. Next, Aetna and Meteor were dispatched up the Mississippi, along with , , and , to create a diversion by bombarding Fort St Philip. It took the British vessels from 30 December to 9 January 1815 to work the forty miles up the Mississippi to the fort, by warping and hard towing to the Plaquesmines Bend, just below the fort. For most of January, Aetna was moored off the Mississippi; she moved to a new anchorage off Ship Island on 27 January 1815. On 9 February, Aetna was off Mobile Sound, and was ordered to send Lieutenant Knight and his Marine artillerymen to join the army on shore, who were preparing to besiege Fort Bowyer. The following day, the bomb vessels Meteor, and Hydra