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Show American Victory In War of 1812. One hundred years ago occurred the "battle of the barges," between a force of English from the blockading squadron squad-ron in Chesapeake bay and a flotilla of barges and gunboats designed to aid in the defense of the city of Washington. Wash-ington. Commodore Barney, in command com-mand of the American flotilla, being threatened with attack by several large British warships, had taken his boats up the Patuxent river and found a refuge in St. Leonard's creek. The British followed with a superior force of barges and small schooners. Having Hav-ing no guns with which to wage a fight at long range, Commodore Barney Bar-ney dashed forward into the midst of the enemy. Soon the barges were engaged en-gaged in desperate hand-to-hand conflicts. con-flicts. For more than an hour the action ac-tion raged, both sides fighting with vigor and gallantry. But the Americans Ameri-cans having pierced the British line, the enemy abandoned the fight and flpil nrfifiinttatfllv tn UlAir Rhina |