The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1849-08-11
HIS It ORIG AL.
Tas GArFpas or wAsmsqros clrr

I VIC fhFy NOM work rsreniiy pHttmtTrfi s'f-
titled ~ Sketch nrlho fysnrs Whch Prers-
ded dlp Capture ofWashiugion by the Brit
irl, on Tho twenty fourth OF August, lelif.
Washington Guy, Angus, l.l'
sir-l haye had the honor ~ recoisr YOUR
letter "i'the blh instant, requesting "a be IA
flnrmfd oil the fanHnus Tor, aud tile oircuin-
sIauces attending lie removal pl Tho hooks
aud papers of tho Department % SUE Ia n
place Of security ~ August, lslA, whilst n
lIrlisli fieai a. Army,thrn IN the CbrAspsHks
hay, we're mcnaclng M attack on this city.
Amer lnpsa 81 - yenrsi may not bH per-
/ freely gccurnin IN ny recollection Of MI the
cr rG1's'nuces attending The Transaction re-
! fsrrd 80. bat will, with err.u pleasure, stnin
J llcn m llcY INV OCCUR 10 my memory.
lave no knowledge Of information bRy.
~ hr'u received Toy the Government from
Me1rs. Baynrd aud Gnllntin. ihrn ministers
iu Europe Tor adjusting peace with Grrat
briIAn, of propusrd attack oh Washington
Guy Wy the British forces. bu remember
10 have srsiI, IN romu Of ilr British newHph-
purr, rrreived from Mr. Buasrly, ihe rOinniis-
snry Of prisoners Of war IN I.opdun, who WIS
~ The hniit ofiorwnming Ia tie Department
London newspapers q, the chrlels, u slate
nrnt That ihu isuI aud transports were 10
c'iWng troops on board NJ Bordeaux, IN
lr Iur', viii he view of operating against
! W0sl!uyiun 4 Bhllimorrnrd that Il WINS their
intention To rctuliaie Iha oulrngcs alleged to
lave been committed hy our forces, under
General Dearborn. NJ York, IN Upper Can.
ndn, somc iiInc previously. This allegation,
Wa douiah md rci,lted u. GfUer1l D'urhorn,
~ will uppr by reference To- Niles Register
vol w., y. l5U. ..4.
Suon hli,r ionfning thai tho British nsiA
wefs iu tho ChcrJpehkr Nn learned also 'hhl
'''rJ we're ascending -PaiuNcut. evidently
7 y''tiI ttIt vru'v uti nitrvh,''s g,'s sily-lpnn
receiving lilr Information, which WINS about
n week before the rut iy entered WaHhr Q,
I ton, Cot, Monroe titen SaepeiaIy uf State.
mounted his horse. nui proceeded TO Bepc-
Dict u small village 9u llr paluxeut, where
! tlo British forces were being landed. From
ma omiunuco within qiR,tor Ola 6,itC ut'tlIu
Village, Cot hortuo could distinctly see HE
number mud Kind uftfOous of huh ihCir ur.
J uiy was composcdpud rrcullccliug ice threats
/ he'll out in llu British papers, anil b. lie, ing
that We had 10 force which could succrts-
tuIIy irslU TtFrr TIC ,,i.., eiihct 10
! Mr. John Gmlm.u. the clirf clerk Of the Of
: i'eo. or myerli, "a de- hot fcmrnibrr WhiCiI,i
10y a 'idvtsr, advising ~ 10 take the beet cafa
of he hooks hud paper, of the Office which
might h' ia our poNer.--W hrrcupun I pro.
cend,i to purchase coarse linen, aud icnuso
u to he inhdo INTO haEs OF c"n,ruicui'sizc. iu
"hch tho gentlemen uCUta office, assisted
hy me, placed the bo1hs aud Dther. papurs,
aztec Which vhuiurd crrt., aud. had fbrm
I conveyed 10 gTtsr mt, g4.asa- unoccuptrd,
hrlougiu. ~ Mr Edgar Paurrsqn, sitnLT,da
>hor distance uu ,lig Virginia side The Pc
'pmnc, iN!oyd li,a chrlu bridge, 20 called,
,Np uHHs ,uuya Grurgc,nwu.
Wits engaged IN t'-r T-t,--ge way ar the
hGll'ling NiG the pAprr-, Ihc Departments of
s.f.t.. ..t.f . D d La. 1
urug un thr uih,r s,lc al the passagr Cen
rrai Armstrong, thou Secretary oi War, on
hos vIN To- his own rnuln, stopped a short
t'0.o .Isd uh-.iigrli IN mn, thui trr Thought ~
we're uudcr unnecessary alarm. as he did NOT
thmk the Bdtlsh serious az tIeir Intentions
at coming 20 Washington. ! replied that We
were npder different belief, and let their
Intentions lo what they might, Il was the
parl Of prudence tn preserve the valuable pa
peers OF the Revolutionary Government, CON.
prisiug tho declaration OF Independence, the
laws, the secret Journals at Congress, then
not published, the correspondence of Gene
raj Washington, his coninls sion resigned al
rirr rtr'-e' 81 II.e- MI. The trcspnudeuc1 OF
Gen. Greunr, mud other Run-fttIs, az watt att
thH lows, treaties and correspondence OF the
Dtpnrunrut OF state -iDcr thr aIoptiun OF Toe
Constitution dawn t..-t4.4tIi,ue
Com leriug the imicrs ui sat M i.e uiiii,
rs. II the Brush forces got 10 Washington,
they 'vuud proximity {tcr6CtI u f5rcu- tUr- tirr :
purpOsc OF destroying u tnundry frr cannon
aiid shot in Iis neghborhood, Rud would he
led l,y some evIi divpused person, tu destroy /
the inil aud papers nl-o, proceeded To some |
farm huuees IA Virginia aud procured way
aus, Ia which the books and papers were de- |
pa4iied, Uid I proceeded with them to the /
iown az L.rshurg, Distance OF 95 miles, nj
which place an empty ln-'se WIS procured,
in which the papers were S'd''ly placed, the 1
door inrked, aud the Keys gwen td the Rev.
Nj Liulejohn, who was Iheli, or had been,
o,,,, al the collectors of internal revenue.
Bcing aIigued with the ride, and securing
she papsss,i reurGd early 10 bed, and was
iuiarulrd next informing hy The people Of the
hotel where siuid, ihut they had seen the
night, being the Oath of Augusta
lrge. fire ia the direction IT Washington,
which proved lo'be a light from the public
buildings the enemy had set Oh fire, and
burned them to the ground.
On ,he 26,h ofAueust returned to WISH
ington, and found the PreEid+A-'s house Nud
i,allils nticcs sill burnng, and learned that
the Brush arruy had evacuated the c,iy the
,,rrcrtit..H- aR.iIinG,-in Ihn hrliet that our
forces were ugn,u assembling in their renr,
for the purpose Of cutting Oft their ro;reai.-
However ihis mny be, they mndc a forced
HhTctl. bilu tei't " Was Icphtuu' 'bhr'"uiN
nble nuuher of their inca Oh tie road. who ,
were captured by troop fhorsc from Feed
erirk, III Maryland.
AZ part The British fleet soon after.
wards assembled the Potomac, and plundered I
OF a taTEU qtuIrtfty ct ilt.'F- ,...tl
Tobacco g, threatening Washington NJ lhp.same +,
limo with secoud invasion. 1t was not coI7
.idercd sale To brbng ihc papers of the -SInia !
bnck dor soine weeks,uor, inteed, (
mil 4, - c,,,,.h ifcat generally had 4 .G rho 4