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Bladensburg Today Little remains of the Battle of Bladensburg. The Bladensburg Waterfront Park, on the north side of the river, allows you to see the view the British army saw of the American first line across the river. The park includes a number of interpretive signs that discuss the battle. The actual positions of both the first and second American lines are heavily developed. The position of the third line, where Com. Barney and his men held out, is now a private cemetery, although a monument to the Commodore is on the site.
The famous dueling grounds on the Bladensburg battlefield site are also located in the cemetery. Dueling Grounds of Bladensburg A total of 26 duels were fought on the site of the Battle of Bladensburg, although up to 50 are claimed to have occurred on the site. James Barron, how commanded the Chesapeake during the Chesapeake Affair of 1807 fought a duel here, killing Stephen Decatur here on March 22, 1822 after years of arguments over who was at fault. Joseph Pearson and John Jackson, the Brother-in-law of Dolly Madison fought a duel here in December 1809 Daniel Key, son of Francis Scott, was killed here in June 1836 by John Sherbourne. Dueling in the District of Columbia was outlawed in 1839, but this had no effect on this area, being in Maryland just across the border from DC. The area only stopped being a dueling grounds just before the Civil War.
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