This summer, as the Peale Museum building approaches its 207th birthday, we’ll be featuring quotes, excerpts from letters, and advertisements that shed light on the Peale family and their Baltimore Museum. The museum was nearly derailed its opening week because the British were invading! On August 22, 2814, founder Rembrandt Peale wrote to his brother Rubens:
“It has not been in my power to write to you since the Alarm here. Every Citizen being commanded to bear Arms . . . The Intelligence at present is that the British are landing in the Patuxent & Potomack at considerable force, it is said 4000 at each place. Washington is supposed their object. Troops are pouring in from all Quarters 3 or 4000 marched from here yesterday.
As the time of trial had now come I endeavored to persuade myself to join in the general defences, but I found it impossible to shoot at a human being, [that] I never had borne arms & never could.
The Captain threatened to arrest me & truly I found that every delinquent was brought to the ranks under guard & that they refused to take Substitutes or fines. But jud[g]ing of the law for myself I stood my ground and charged the Captain not to Arrest me as one conscientiously scrupulous for that my example would do others no good and that he would lose the services of those who guarded me . . .. Wm. Bend has marched off to Washington, Mr. Coale & multitudes of my friends–So that with their absence & the grief of the Women my income is stopped, there having been only 4 persons in the Museum on Saturday morning & one in the afternoon.
I had begun the Portrait of Mrs. McKim but the alarm prevents her sitting as well as others. I have therefore leisure to go on with my improvements if I had money–but unfortunately I paid away all my money as fast as I received it . . .. Until the Alarm I was doing very well averaging about 15$ per day besides a few Tickets & was just about making an Arrangement with some friends by which I might be able to finish the dwelling part of the House–but all this must be suspended until the military rigour is relaxed–& the Citizens restored to their families.
Miller, Lillian B., ed. “The Selected Papers of Charles Willson Peale and His Family,” vol. 3, The Belfield Farm Years, 1810-1820. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1991, pgs. 258-9.