fired his stern chasers, killing another six men. Belvidera continued to fire, damaging the rigging and foresails. President continued chase, but without adequate foresails, began yawing and losing ground. Belvidera escaped and returned to Halifax, carrying the news of the declaration of war. Rodgers' squadron patrolled the waters off the American upper East Coast until the end of August, 1812. He commanded President for most of the war, capturing 23 prizes, one of the most successful records in the conflict. On land, Rodgers rendered valuable service by transferring his command briefly to Baltimore in September 1814. During the Battle of Baltimore , he defended the city's east side extensive dug-in fortifications, devised by the Maryland Militia's state commander, Major General Samuel Smith on Loudenschlager's Hill (today's Hampstead Hill in western Patterson Park). This was known as "Rodgers' Bastion", one of several that held some of the nearly 100 pieces of artillery with 20,000 troops that Smith had amassed for facing the British. He had already sent down the southeastern "Patapsco Neck" peninsula, Brigadier General John Stricker's regiments of the City Brigade at the Battle of North Point. Rodgers helped defend against the simultaneous British naval attack on Fort McHenry protecting the harbor, and when Washington was invaded and burned, the month before after the Battle of Bladensburg. Rodgers' home town of Havre de Grace was raided by a British force in 1813, who were led by Admiral George Cockburn. They plundered and burned Rodgers's home, and its valuables were plundered or destroyed in the fire. Rodgers's mother, wife, and two sisters fled to a friend's house near the village. The British reached this house, too, ordered to destroy it and others in the area. Rodgers' sister, Mrs. Goldsborough, pleaded with the officer in charge of the detail, begging him to forego the destruction of their haven for the sake of their aging mother. The officer maintained that he was under strict orders and would have to obtain the consent of his commanding officer, whereupon Mrs. Goldsborough returned with the officer to again plead her case. The commanding officer agreed to spare the house, but by the time they had returned, it had already been set ablaze. However, the fire had not yet taken hold and upon hearing the news that the house was to be spared, the British saved the house from complete ruin. In April 1814, Rodgers returned to