Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1880-10-06
Capture of Washington.


large force of British soldiers had sailed
from the West Indies with the purpose of
landing on the shores of Chesapeake Bay
and destroying Baltimore and Washington.
| No particular fears seem to have been en-
tertaIned for the safety OF the capital by
President Madison and his cabinet. Gen.
Winder was in command of the Fourth
/ Military District, which embraced the Dis
Irict oil Columbia. and he had ., 900 men,
scattered over quite large area OF country,
| under him. As soon as the British, under
command of Gen. Ross, who was after
wards killed at the battle of Stony Point,
landed al Benedict, on the shore of the
Chesapeake, Gen. WInder became impressed
with the iGct that Washington would be
assaulted. He communicated his fears to
Alr. Madison, AMI 200 militia from
Maryland, Virginia and the District OF
Columbia Were placed at his disposal.
Commodore Barney came up the the Poto-
mac to the Patuxent River with a schooner
and thirteen armed barges, and sailed up
that stream to its head waters, where he
thought he was safe from pursuit, and
joined his forces to those of Gen. Winder
Gen. Ross marched through Marlborough
directly upon Washington Mr.. Losing
says that Gen. Winder had 5000 effective
men. He probably had 1000 ineffective
militlamen besides. The numDer OF Com
modore Barney's men is no: given. On tine
night of the 23d of August 1914 1t was
known in Washington that the British were
approaching. The American troops were
stationed on the old Baltimore and Wash
ington turnpike. short distance west of
Bladensburg, village about six miles from
Washington. Gen. Ross was marching his
troops down the pike toward Washington.
AT about eight o'clock on the morning Of
the oath the Cabinet met at the Executive
Mansion preparatory to a visit to the battle
field. About an hour later the party set
out on horseback, attended by small es-
cort, for the scene of the fight. Upon their
arrival the camp was found TO be in great
confusion and disorder. A panic seemed
to prevail among the mIlltiamen. The
marines and sailors under Commodore
Barney preserved better order. Mr.. Mad
ison became Convinced that the fight would
end disastIously Tor the American troops.
He dismOunted from his horse and ordered
a messenger to ride as rapidly as possible
" l-AICullNC lLlDl hi
Madison TO leave tine city with all possible
speed. She packed what articles of value
could be conveniently carried in a carriage
and started for Mr.. Madison's place at
Montpelier, Va. Before her departure she
directed two servants, John Lowri and
thomas McGrath, to remain In the build |
ing and, in case it was fired by the troops,
to save the famous portrait of Washington,
by Stuart. These Lomestics, finding that
they could not save the picture with its
frame, cut it out and secreted it. 1t now
hangs in the White House. A vast amount
of gush has been written about the preser-
vaiIon of this picture Even Mr. Losing,
in one Of his books, describes Mrs. Madison
as saying to a couple of gentlemen who in
formed her of the victory of the British
save that picture; save or destroy it, but
do not let it fall into the hands of the Brit
ish."
The battle began at about noon, and
Commodore Barney's men stood the blunt
of it for some time He was finally wound
ed. The militia proved worthless, and
Gen. Armstrong ordered retreat. The
men fled in all directions, throwing away
their arms and equipments, and dashing
their coats to the ground the better to fscil.
itate flight. Most of them came through
Washington, and dispersed toward different
points In Maryland and Virginia. Mr.
Madison followed his wife, Every able
bodied man in Washington, excepting the
Roman Catholic priest, had gone TO the
front. When they returned most of them
found that their families had already fled
from the city. The British entered the
city about eight p. m. While marching
down Maryland avenue toward the Capitol
a shot was fired from a private house owned
by gentleman named Sewall at Gen. Ross
He was not hurt. His horse was killed,
however, and the troops surrounded the
house and burned it to the ground. Who
fired the shot has never been discovered.
The troops encamped at the foot of Capitol
Hill, where the Botanical Gardens are now
located. That night they fired the Capitol
and Executive Mansion. The light of the
confagratien was seen, it is SAID, as far as
Baltimore, forty miles distant. Only the
walls of the buildings were left standing.
On the following morning the British set
fire to the Treasury, a Iwo-story brick
building of modest dimensions, which stood
where the present Treasury building is
located on the corner Of Fifteenth street