The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-05-17

conclusions, doubted the probability of hos
tile intentions upon the capital.
President Madison, however, had taken
some precautionary steps, by ordering
militia organization, which he deemed suffi.
cient for the occasion, in addition to a
flotilla of barges, bearing guns, placed under
the command of Capt Joshua Barney, and
intended to check fleets in advancing to.
ward the capital. But after sailing up the
bay, the troops disembarked at Benedict,
on the banks of the 1atuxent river, on the
Goth of August. On the following day
the army, consisting of four thous,n men,
took up their march toward the infant city.
They were without artillery Or cavalry, and
marched under the heat of midsummer
sun to Bladensburg, which they reached
on the oath. BY accepting this route, the
tiotilla afforded no protection to the city,
and, to prevent the guns or boats from being
taken and used against the capital, they were
blown up on the morning of the 22d, by
order of VIM. Jones, the Secretary of the
Navy.
The approach of the troops under Maj.
Gen. Ross ard Admiral Cockburn, was
watched by President Madison in person,
who directed eight thousand inexperienced
and undisciplined militia to Bladensburg,
under the command of Gen. Winder, to op-
pose the four thousand British soldiers.
Capt. Barney, having destroyed the aotilla,
Joined the military force of Gen. Winder,
with one hundred seamen and his field
pieces. On the afternoon of the oath, the
British opened fire, which was successfully
returned by Barney's sailors, who main.
tanned their position nobly, while the raw
recruits, under Winder, kept at respectful
distance, who, rendering little or no service
with their muskets, soon broke ranks and
turned their backs upon the enemy. Bar
ney's seamen fought bravely, and their guns
proved terribly destructive to the enemy.
He was overcome, however, after three
hours hard fgting, fanked by superior
numbers, and finally fell wounded by the
side of eleven of his men who were killed
at their guns. He ordered retreat and
gave himself up. His bravery contrasted
nobly with the disgraceful cowardice of the
militia. A large portion of the men were
from Baltimore; and, if their sons of to-day
possess no more of the elements essential to
successful warfare, they will do we'll to make
terms of peace with the Northern lads who
propose to march through their city on their
way to the capital) The militia, without
waiting for their commander to sound a
retreat, took sudden leave of the battlefield
and made direct line for the woods. The
British experienced severe loss in their
ranks, stated by the historian Gleig, of the
85th Royal regiment, as high as five hun.
bred men killed, wounded, and missing.
Col. Thornton, commander Of the Light
Brigade; Lieutenant Colonel Wood, COM
mander of the 85th regiment; and Major
Brown, who led on the advance troops,
were severely wounded, while General Ross
had horse killed under him. The loss was
small on the part of Barney's men; and the
English author referred to above admits
that If the militia had done their duty the
victory would undoubtedly have been on the
American side. Of Barney's hundred sail>
ors he speaks in the highest terms, remark
ing that I" not only did they serve their guns
with quickness and precision which as
tonished their assailants, but they stood till
some OF them were actually bayoneted with
fuses in their hands nor was it till their
leader was wounded and taken, and they
saw themselves deserted on all sides by the
soldiers that they qlitted the field"
Gen. Ross led the Third British Brigade
into the city, and up to the Capitol, on
approaching which his horse was shot from
under him by one of Barney's men, who had
concealed himself in house for that object
The house was Immediately entered, the
inmates put to the sword, and the building
and contents burned. A volley was fired
into the windows of the Capitol, when the
troops entered. Cockburn took the Speak,
er's chair, and asked the question, Shall
this harbOr of Yankee Democracy be burned?
All for it say aye!" He reversed the ques
ton, pronounced the motion carried, and
ordered the torch to be put to the building.
1t was soon in flames.
AS prudential step, the Secretary of the
Navy ordered Commodore Tingey to fire
the Navy Yard, which, with the sloop.of-
war Argus, (ten guns,) five armed barges,
two gunboats, and all the naval stores, was
consigned to the flames.
The British troops then proceeded to the
Treasury and Presidents mansion, both of
which they ired-the President having
retreated, with his Cabinet, on horseback,
across the Potomac. That night the army
encamped on Capitol Hill, and were exposed
to severe storm, with heavy thunder,
which added intensity of awe to the dismal
scenes which had just been enacted. During
the night granddaughter OF Gen. Wash
ington rashly attacked the sentries and ives
shot down. The long bridge was simulta-
neously fired at each end, by the opposing
parties-each apprehesive of an attack by
the other.
Next morning the British burned the
buildings connected with the Navy and
War Departments destroyed the materiel
in the National Intelligencer Office, and
threw the type out of the window de-
stroyed the remaining buildings about the
navy yard and at Greenleaf's Point; threw
a torch into we'll where large quantity
of powder was concealed, which exploded,
destroying nearly one hundred Of the British
troops, scattering their mutlated remains