Connecticut western news., 1880-09-01
CAPTURE OF WASHINGTON.
An Event that Occurred sixty-six
 Years Ago.

| Sixty-six years ago the city of Wash ington was captured by British troops and the Capitol and other public build- ings were burned. The capture of the city was preceded by the battle of Bla- densburg. Accounts of this battle differ. MT. Tossing says that hot engagement occurred between superior force of the enemy and the American troops before the latter retreated, and that 500 Eng lishmen were killed and wounded.
 In July, 1914, it was rumored that a 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 Wash ington. No particular fears seem to have been entertained 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 District of Columbia, and he had 2,OOO men, scattered over quite Q large area of country, under him. As l soon as the British, under command of 1 Gen. Ross, who was afterwards killed at the battle of Stony Point, landed at Ben edict, on the shore of the Chesapeake, Gen. Winder became impressed with the fact that Washington would be assault ed. He communicated his fears to MT. Madison, and 15, ,OOO militia from Mary land, Virginia and the district of Colum- bia were placed at his disposal. Commo- dore Barney came up the Potomac to the Patuxent River with @ schooner and thirteen armed barges, and sailed up that stream to it's head waters, where he | thought he was safe from pursuit, and | joined his forces to those of Gen. Win der. Gen. Rosa marched through Marl- borough directly upon Washington. MT. Tossing says that Gen. Winder had 3, 1000 effective men. He probably had 4,000 ineffective militiamen besides. The num- Der of Commodore Barney's men is not given. On the night of the 23rd of Au- gust, 1914, it was known in Washington that the British were approaching. The American troops were stationed on the old Baltimore and Washington turnpike. & short distance west of Bladensburg, a village about six miles from Washing t>m. Gen. Ross was marching his troops down the pike toward Washington.
 At about o'clock on the morning of the 24th the Cabinet met at the Execu- tive Mansion preparatory to a visit to the battle field. About an hour later the party set out on horseback, attended by small escort, 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 mill tiamen. The marines and sailors under Commodore Barney preserved better order. MT. Madison became convinced that the fight would end disastrously for the American troops. He dismounted from his horse and ordered messenger to ride as rapidly as possible to the Executive Mansion and inform Mrs. Madison to leave the city with all pos sible speed. She packed what articles of value could be conveniently carried in O carriage and started for MT. Madi sons place, at Montpelier, Va Before her departure she directed two servants, John Lowri and Thomas McGrath, to remain in the building and, in case it was fired by the troops, to save the famous portrait of Washington, by Stuart. These domestics, finding that they could not save the picture with its frame, cut it out and secreted it. It now hangs in the White House. A vast amount of gush has been written about the preservation of this picture. Even MT. Tossing, in one of his books, de- scribes Mrs. Madison as saying to 8 couple of gentlemen who informed 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 British"
 The battle began at about noon, and Commodore Barney's men stood the brunt of it for some time. He was finally wounded. The militia proved worthless, and Gen. Armstrong ordered retreat The men fled in all directions, throwing away their arms and equip ments, and dashing their coats to the ground the better to facilitate flight. Most of them came through Washing ton, and dispersed toward different points in Maryland and Virginia. MT. 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 al ready fled from the city. The British entered the city about 8 p. m. While ) marching down Maryland avenue toward the Capitol 8 shot was fired from pri- vate 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 en- camped 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 confagration was seen, it is said, as far } as Baltimore, forty miles distant. Only ) the walls of the buildings were left stand : ing.
 On the following morning the British ) set fire to the Treasury, two-story brick building of modest dimensions, which stood where the present Treasury building is located on the corner of Fifteenth street and Pennsylyania ave-