The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1861-07-17
Capture Of Washington in 1871.

JdptuIC VI W tSuIuStUu III AOl1.
At this junction in our history, brief ref
ersnee 10 the invasion and the circu mstan-
ces attending the capture of Washington,
by the British forces under Admirals Cock
burn and Cochrane, will not be inappropri-
ate and as many OF those strangers now
at the Capitol may feel Interested 10 mark
The localities where the first general en-
counter occurred and subsequent event took
place those will be noted briefly in the or
der in which they iranspired.
During The early portion of the summer
os 1914, Cockburn's feet lay along the cost
of Virginia. Maryland, and The Chesa peake
when they were joined OH the third OF Au-
gust by Cochrane's feet, direct from Ber.
muda, both numbering together twenty sail
Our Government as appriSed OF hostile in-
tentions upon the capital, but General Arm
strong, the Secretary of War, protesSed
disbelief in the rumoTs, and the Rational
Intelligence, proverbalIy cautious then, as
now, in It's conclusions, doubled the proba-
biIiIy, of hostile intentions upon the Capt.
tai.
President Madison, however, had taken
some precautionary steps, by ordering
militia organization, which he deemed sui
ficieni for the occasion, in addition 10 a
foiilIa of barges. bearing guns, placed un-
der the command OF Capt. Joshua Barney,
and intended TO cheek the feet in advan-
cling toward the Capital. But after sailing
up the Bay the troops disembarked al Ben
edict, on the banks of The Pa:uxen river, on
the 20th of August. On the following day
the army, of four thousand men, took mp
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 9th. BY adopting This route. the flo
tiIla offered 10 protection TO The city, and
10 preyeu: the guns of boats from being
used against the capital, they We're blown
up on the morning of The 22d. by order OF
Wm. Jones, the Secretary OF The Navy,
The approach OF The troops under Major
Generel Rober; Ross aud Admiral Cockburn
was watched by President Madison in per-
son, who directed eight thousand ipexpe-
Tienced and undiseiplined militia to Blad
ensburg, under the command of Gen. Win
der, to oppose the four thousand British SOL
diers. Capt. Barney having destroyed the
fioiilIa, joined the military lorce OF General
Winder, with one hundred seamen and his
field pieces. On the afternoon OF the 25ih,
the British opened ERE, which was success
fully returned BY Bar4ey's sailors. who main
tanned their position nobIy, while the raw
recruits under Winder kept respectful dis
tance, who, rendering l,iIe or no service
with their muske.s, soon broke ranks and
turned their backs upon the enemy. Bar
ney's seamen fought bravely, and their
gurs proved terribly destructive 10 the ene-
my. He was overcome, however after
thres hours hard fighting, aanked by supe-
rior plumbers, and finally fell wounded by The
side Of eleven Of his men who were killed al
their guns He ordered retreat, and gave
himself up. His bravery contrasted nobly
with the cisgracefuI cowardice of the mill
ia. without wailing for their commander
20 sound retreat, took sudden leave of the
Battlefield, and made direct line for the
woods
The British experienced a severe loss
In their ranks, stated by the historian Gleis,
of the s5ih Royal Regiment, as high as 500
men killed, wounded and missing. Col.
Thornion, commander Of the Light Brigade;
Lieutenant Colonel Wood, commander of
the 65th Regiment, and Major Brown, who
ed on the advance troops were severely