Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-12-24
CHAPTER ".

CHAPTER "
The last chapter concluded that portion of
the account OF the capture OF Washington
which belongs to general history. A few Incl
dents Of local interest remain to be noted
The third British brigade commanded by
Ross. was led into the city and halted In front
OF the Capitol A volley was fired into the
windows OF the building, and then the soldiers
were ordered to march in. When they ha filled
the House Of Representatives, Cockburn
mounted the Speakers chair, and, stand
Ing on his feet, put the question:
''Shall this harbor OF Yankee democracy be
burned? All for it will say aye" The motion
was carried unanimously; whereupon combus-
tib es were ordered and applied to the furniture
The portraits OF Louis XVI and Marie An
tolnette, which had so yexed the republican
soul of Mons. Genet were cut from their frames
and burned or stolen. After firing the Capitol,
The troops were marched TO the other end OF
the Avenue, where CoCkburn took possession Of
MIS-. Suffers boarding house opposite the
Treasury, and ordered the Presidents house
and the Treasury to be fired. He had the
candles put out aud ate his supper by the light
or burning Washington. During the night his
sentries were attacked by heroic. but rash
grand nephew of Washington-John Lewis-a
young sailor He was shot down in the
street, where his dead body was found
In the morning. Cockburn with a few
r1vall1ng In their orgies the roar OF the wild
storm that was raging without. This fright
full tornado, says Philip, swept over the city.
threw down buildings and dealt destruction TO
everything in its path. The blackness of the
sky. the bowling of the tempest the cataract
OF rain, the cleaning Of the lightning, the roar
OF thunder and the crash OF falling buildings
c0nSpired to render the scene terrific beyond
description, striking terror to the hearts OF
friend and 1oe Trees were torn up by the roots
and roofs OF houses were whirled In the air like
n nor NJ
as the tnha bitantS, were buried amid the ruins
of falling buildings AMI the elements seemed
70 unite In completing the work OF the deSpoil-
eTS. The British now taking a needless alarm
for their own safety, falsely experimenting an
attack, withdrew Stealtbily from the city as the
evening closed in and TOOK up their march for
the point OF emparktng."
The original Declaration OF independence
the Articles Of the Confederation and the
Federal Constitution were among the docu-
meDtS saved, though many OF the books and
papers OF the departments were irrec0Verably
lost.
THE ADMINISTRATION OF John QUINCY ADAMS
was an uneyenJful one. IL was period OF the
quiet and imperceptibie growth OF political
ideas. 1t was the transition point between the
heated controversies OF the federalists and
republicans Which had just preceded and the
stormy times OF the fierce democracy" o:
Jackson. which Immediately followed This
period affords no material OF any special inter-
est for an outline history of Washington. 50
spect and bring up some OF the threads of the
narrative which have not yet been taken in.
There Is no doubt that General Washington
was warmly interested IN fixing the seat of
government on the Potomac. This is aJtested
by his correspondence. and by his attention to
everything connected with the establishment
or the government Ia this city. ''NidUor," in
his Washington Sketch Book saws: .Ie WASH
ington, conducted. In person. many or the ne.
EQUATIONS with the prOprietors Of the farm
lands. and some anecdotes are related OF his
CONFERENCES WITH DAVID BURNS,
whose residence was on the ground south of
the Presidents House, and is at the present
time standing, as an appurtenauce to
the elegant mansion Of his SOn-in-I law Gen Van
Ness. His remains with those OF his da1lph-
ter, Son-ln-law. and other members OF his fant-
~, were In mauSOeum which used to attract
the attention Of those who attended the church
OF the Ascension, on II ST., being between that
church and the orphan Asylum, for both of
which the land was given by Mrs. Van Ness
Washington alluded TO him. in one OF his let
ters, as '.the obstinate Mr.. Burns" and it is
related that when the President was dwell
ing upon the advantage he would derive
from the sale. the old man replied: II
suppose you think people here are going
10 take every grist that comes from you
as pure grain, but what would you have
been If you hadn't married the widow CustlS?"
General WashingtonS attention had been at
tracted TO the advantages which the site Sc
lected for the seat OF government afforded Tor a
great CITY as early as his youthful surveying
days, and especially when he camoad with
Brad dock on the spot where The National OBJ
Seryatory now stands, and long known after
wards as Camp Hill" from this circumstance
THE SITE OF WASHINGTON.
The site is a plateau, on the Potomac, 295
miles from the ocean. It extends back from the
river averaging about mile in breadth and l.
bounded by sloping hills, terminating In The
heights OF Georgetown. This plateau is fourmtlea
length from east to west, and is enclosed Ga
hn tfln ID nah
and on the west BY Rock creek at GEORGETOWN
This plateau was divided by an estuary from
the Potomac about 600 feet In width jutting
up TO within a quarter OF a mile OF Capitol Hill
ana extending In places up TO the line of Penn
SyNan1a avenue and ending In marsh where
center Market now stands. South OF Capitol
Hill number OF spring branches formed a
stream, which entered the river at the Arsenal
az GTeenleafS point, as it is now called which
point runs out between the intersection OF the
Eastern Branch with the Potomac, and was
was Goose creek, but known by a certificate
OF survey, In 1868, still preserved as "Ttbel'. ~
So Moore was wrong, after all, when he said:
Twas Goose creek once it's Tiber now"
by Cne same survey, IL appears that Capitol
Hill was called Rome"
The Potomac was navIgable for the largest
class OF vessels as far as Greenleaf's point as
we know from The approach of the British
squadron when Washington was captured and
by the fact that the f1rst-class frgate Minnesota
was built at the navy yard and taken down
is a tidal stream, once navigable for large sniDs
and even twenty-five years ago navigable by
small vessels as far as BiadenSourg. These
waters abounded With great variety OF excel
lent fish, and In the winter months SWarmed
with duckS-eSpecially the delicious canvas
back-Which migrated h1ther from the north to
feed upon the wild oats and celery which grew
IN prOfuSion In the marshes and flats. The
woods were filled with game. ana
sEIPE SHOOTING ON PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE
became a fayOrite amusement.
The ground plan of the city was formed by
twolines. the one running north and south and
the other east and west. These lines intersect
at point which is marked by small round
marble stone, in the center OF the floor OF the
rotunda. The streets running parallel with the
north and south line are numbered by figures
1st, ID Sd, &C.: and the streets crossing these az
right angles are designated by the letters OF the
alphabet, A, B. csc. This was the idea OF Mai )r
L'Enfant, and the French minister punning
on the name. said he was a child fenfantJ In
name as We'll as education, for he seemed to
know nothing but /, 2, 3. and A. B, C. These
rectilinear streets are interSected at different
angles by numerous avenues. radiating from
the Capitol and Presidents House, and named
after the states
There are over two hundred miles Of streets:
there are siXty-t1ve miles or avenues the area of
the streets and avenues is over 3, 600 acres and
the building ground, including the government
reservations, is less han 3. 800 acres. Many of
the avenues and streets are from 100 to 100 feet
wide and none OF the original streets are less
than 80 ft5t In width.