The War of 1812 was the second war of independence and, if we had lost, our country would have been a colony of England. Since the Chesapeake Bay was a primary battleground for the war, this program is a way for area residents to inform themselves of the history and how it affected us. According to Parks, the LESHC has also tentatively located the grave site of a British officer, a casualty of the War of 1812, who was buried on Smith Island.