National Republican., 1880-09-01
THE CAPTURE OF WASHINGTON
Burning OF the Capitol, Executive Mansion,
TreRsurN, War and Navy Departments.

by the battle Of Bladensburg. Accounts Of
| this battle differ. Mr.. LOSING says that n
hot engagement occurred between a superior
force of tho enemy and the American troops
| before the latter retrelted and that 500
! Cuglishmen were killed and wounded. Mr..
Nicholas Callan, an old resident Of Washing.
ton, who, although boy whom the
battle occurred, remembers IL very dis
tlnctlv, says that very little frhtng was
done, and that superior force OF militia re.
! treated poll.mell before the advance of the
| British. As Mr. Callan's father was ono of the
militia, his sons version is likely to be correct.
Much nonsense has been written about tho
capture Of Washington. The fact is that the
/ catastrophe was maiuly due to the fears Of
General Armstrong, then secretary of war, and
| the c0wardice Of large force of poorly-drilled
militia. Both General Armstrong and the
militia were aftorward censurcd by commit
tee Of congress which was appointed to iuvcsu'
gate.
In July. 1914, IL was rumored that large
force Of British soldiers bad sailed from the
West Indies with the purpose Of landing on
tho shores Of Chesapeake bay and destroying
Baltimore aud Washington, No particular
fears seein TO have been entertained for tho
safety Of tho capital by President Madison
and his cabinet. General Winder was In COM
maud OF tho fourth military district, which
embraced the District Of Columbia, and lie
had 1000 men, scattered over quite
large area Of country, under him. AS
soon as the British, uudor command of
General Ross, who was sftcrward killed
at the battle Of Stony Point, landed at Bene-
dict on tho shore of the Chesapeake, Gen.
eral Winder became impressed with the fact
that Washington would bo assaulted He
communicated his feari to Mr. Madison, and
$4,000 militia from Maryland Virginia and
the District Of Columbia were placed at his
disposal Commodore Barney came up the
t, ia At,
and thirteen armed barges, and sailed up that
stream TO Its headwaters, where lie thought
he was safe from pursuit, and Joined his forces
to those of General Winder General Ross
marched through Marlborough directly
upon Washington. Mr.. LOSING says that
General Wnder had 5000 effective
mon. He probably had 1000 ineffective mill
tiamen besides. The number of Commodore
Barncys mon Is not given. On the night Of
the 23l of August 1911, It was known In
Washington that the British were approach.
ing. The American troops were stationed on
the old Baltimore and Washington turnpike,
a short distance west of Bladensburg, village
about six miles from this city. General Ross
was marching his troops down the pike to.
ward Washington.
Atabout 5 O'clock on the morning of the oath
the cabinet met at the executive mansion, pre-.
paratory to q visit to the battlefield. About au
hour later the party set out on horseback. at
tendorod by a small escort, for the scene the
fght. Upon their arrival the camp was found
, to be in great confusion and disorder. panic
seemed to prevail among the militiamcn. The
, marines and sailors under Comm odore Barney
preserved better order. Mr.. Madison became
convinced that tho fight would end disastrousy
for the American troops. He dismouuted from
: his horse aud ordered messenger to ride a.
rapidly as possible to the executive mansion
aud inform Mrs. Madison TO leave tho city
with all possible speed. She packed wha
, articles Of value could be conveniently
carried IN carriage and started fO
Mr.. Madson's place at Montpelier, Va
: Before her departure she directe two ser
wants, John Lowri and Thomas McGrath, t
! remain in the building aud, in case it wa
: fired by the troops, to save the famous por
: trait Of Washington, by Stewart. These do
= mestics, finding that they could not save th'
: picture with its frame, cut 1t out and sccreteC
! it. It now hangs in tho White House.
u vast amount of gusn has been written abou
the preservation Of this picture. Even Nh
l. Losing, in ono Of his books, describes Mrs
Madison as saying to couple of gentlemen
who Informed her of the victory of III
3 British: Save that picture; save or destro
= 1t, but don't let 1t fall into the hands of til
9 British"
u The battle began about noon, and Commc
~ dore Barnoy's men stood the brunt of it fJ
~ some time. He was finally wounded. Th
- | lnlllllu proven NDlIuleSs, ana bcucral ATI
IL strong ordered retreat. The men fed in a.
directions, throwing away their arms an
- equipments, and dashing their coats to th
aI ground the better to facilitate fight. Most {
: them came through Washington, and disporse
toward different points in Maryland aud VII
. gina. Mr.. Madison followed his wife. Ever
" able.bodied man in Washington, excepting tll
Roman catholic priest had gone to til
front When they returned, most Of thei
found that their families had already le
from the city. The British entered the cit
ut about 5 p. m While marching dow
NJ Maryland avenue toward the capitol a she
as was fired from private house owned by
j, gentleman named Sewall, at General Ros
VI lie was not hurt His horse was killed, hOv
'p ever, and the troops surrounded the house IN
nc burned II to the ground. WAC fired the sh,
'o has never been discovered The troops ei
no camped ut the foot of Capitol hill where ii
lS botanical gardens are now located. Til
ali night they fired the capitol and the eYecutil
IT. mansion. The light OF the conf igratiOn w
'o' seen, it is said, US far rs Baltimore fort
as miles distant Only the walls Of the buildin
were left standing.
Ga the following morning the British S
he fire to the treasury two'story brick bull
on ing of modest dimensions, which stood whe
IN the pregcnt treasury building Is located, on Il
i'll corner Of Fifteenth street and Pennsylvau
70. avenue. The war and navy department bull
Ii. ings, which were built where the present il
.y- posing structure, now nearly complete
it, stands, on the corner of Seventeenth sire
lc- and Pennsylvania avenue, were next fire
Tho afiIirs Of state and the post
business OF the young republic we
at conducted from offices in private re
deuces They we're not harmed. Aft
firing the war and aud navy dcpa
meuts General Ross marched his troops to I
10 corner of Fifteenth aud L streets, and dr.,
Wv. them up before building occupied by t
,o, Bank of Slg Metropolis, now the Nati0l
' rs Metropolitan bauk. This institution h
',rS'' loaned the government S3000O0, and the pli
u from which its notes were printed bore I
I,is words, "a depository Of the government
co. Some of thcso notes had fallen into tho posS
~ sion Of tho British, and General Ross
,nr lieyed it to be government bRuk.
,v. was preparing TO fro it, when q citizen
ia formed him that il was u private institute
,n. and had no ConGcclion with the governm,
-" beyond making the loan above referred
"Bcsiles," said this honest citizen, as the stt
Ia goes "lf you burn this property you will
,'S sroy the sole support OF poor Irish wide
~" y clun,ryw0mau OF yours
"She must be q -- poor Irish widow
own such a valuable property in Washington
said General Ross, sayagoly, but he did
,baa destroy the building,
NV NV The British remained in camp hero alb
TI"u T'" forty'cight hours, and then left tho city
'a q, the same route they had entered it. No dt
= Nv oustrations were made against them, but ii