The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-06-05
CAPTURE OF WASHINGTON.
How the Capital City Was Made an Easy
Prey to the Invader in 1914.


How the Capital City Was Made an Easy
Prey to the Invader in 1914.
The paper on the British attack upon,
Washington in 1914, which was read
before the American Historical Associ-
alton recently by General Cullom, gave,
ar. interesting account of the capture
of this city in 1914, and detailed at
length the, various causes which rem
dered the city an easy prey to the in
vader. An interested audience lis
tened to the recital of the shameful
manner in which the Government, by
its wanton neglect, allowed the public!
buildings and valuable records of the
National Capital to be destroyed by a
marauding band of freebooters that
could have. been crushed before coming
within hundred miles of the city had
timely efforts been made. Said Gen
eral Cullom:
"Admiral Cockburn having with
drawn his feet from Chesapeake bay
in 1918, no further danger of an attack
upon Washington was apprehended.
Even the abdication of the Emperor
INdpOtCOl db ADll LIZ
1914, leaving England free to throw
her vast veteran forces into America,
did not disturb the equanimity of the
statesmen at the Capital or arouse them
to a sense of the danger to which we
were exposed. The press did utter
few notes of warning, but the proph-
ecies were not believed till the enemy
was almost within our walls. No
preparation was made to oppose the
foe. One company of artillery at Fort
Warburton and another of marines at
Washington were the sole trustworthy
protection at the Capital scarcely two
months before the public edifices were
burned.
Notwithstanding repeated warnings
of England's extensive preparations to
transport many troops to our shores,
no official plan of defense was con-
sidered by our Government, until the
President and Cabinet assembled in
lugubrious council to deliberate on the
situation July /, 1914, only a few days
after positive information reached New
York by cartel, that in the harbor of,
bermuda there was anchored fleet of
transports with large forces on board
to sail in few days for the Potomac.
The Secretary of War Immediately
issued call for SO, 800 State militia to.
be under the command of General
Winder, but through dilatoriness and
apathy on every hand there were only
5000 raw recruits who met the British
invader, General Ross, few miles from
Washington on August "a, 1914. The
A,,,orinnnc dafno4al and tIof
night Ross entered Washington, burn
ing and pillaging as he came. He
stayed only one day, and on the night
of the 25th, while terrific rain storm
was quenching the smoldering embers
of the burned Capitol, he sneaked
away, leaving his dead and wounded
on the field at Bladensburg.
To the reasoning man the question
presents itself: Is not the Capital of
the Nation now in a more defenseless
condition than it was in 1912? If, for
| some reason-which the ever-changing,
politics of the Great Powers of the world
in this decade might at any moment pre-
sent-he should wish. to do so, could
not an armed invader sail up the Poto-
mac and throw his troops into Wash
ington, virtually without an arm being
raised against him? Is there one gun
that could be effectively fired in defense
of the Capital and the treasure of the
Nation stored there?
The broad reaches of the Potomac
would present safe anchorage for a
hostile fleet of the largest dimensions.
An English Thunderer, German Won
Donker or a Russian Drotsks could
sail up and anchor under the
very windows Of the Treasury with as
little fear of molestation as an oyster.
pungy in Wicomico river, and with
their powerful krupp guns could de-
molish Washington as before-break-
fast exercise.
| With the improved appliances of
modern warfare possessed by other
nations and the advantages of quick
transit across the ocean, Washington
is to-day in more helpless condition
than she was in 1914, when, like a
defenseless maiden, she was despoiled of
her honor by the ruthless invader who
took advantage of her weakness
/ Washington Critic.