Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1898-09-10

effect and compel America to sue for
peace at any terms. President Madison
and his Cabinet began to fortify the
national capital, fearing lest Cockburn
would carry out his threat of the previous
year to invade Washington.
On August Is twenty-one sail arrived
in Chesapeake Bay and joined Cock
burns squadron. One division was
sent up the Potomac for the purpose of
opening the way to the city of Washing
ton; the main body assembled the Pat
uxent. After a victory from a small
body of Americans at Bladenburgh on
the afternoon Of the oath the English set
out for Washington.
At O'Clock in the evening Cockburn
entered Washington, which then con-
tanned about 900 buildings. "He came"
says LOSING. ito destroy the public
property there" AS they advanced
solitary musket ball 1.-THE citizens of the
city having fed at the approach of the
fire fends), was fired from behind
house, which killed the horse of Gen.
saulted and the work of vandalism COM
menced in earnest. The same fate
awaited the materials in the Office of the
National Intelligencer, the Government
organ, whose structures on the brutality
of Cockburn had filled that marauder
with anger. Cockburn was about to apply
the torch to this building, when he was
prevailed upon by some women not to do
so as it would endanger their dwellings.
Cockburn desisted from this, but he
caused all the type and other printing
materials to be thrown into the street
the printing presses to be destroyed and
the library, containing many rare works,
to be burned. Cockburn assisted in this
work with his own hands.
The invaders followed the lead of their
Admiral and rushed toward the Capitol.
This imposing style, standing upon the
brow of hill overlooking the city in
every direction, was even at that early
period of its construction building of
unusual magni6cence. Discharging their
firearms a. the windows, the soldiers burst
in the doors and with shout of triumph
from which, with mock gravity, he put
the question: "Shall this harbor of the
yankee Democracy be burned2" A yell
of affirmation rang through the hall, and
without further preliminaries papers and
combustibles were piled under the desks
and set on fire.
Now thoroughly aroused to their work
of plumber, bowling crowd of the des-
perate marauders hurried to the White
House in the hope, perchance, of capturing
the President and his wife. Finding the
house locked and deserted, they battered
down the doors, and consoled themselves
for the loss of their distinguished captives
by ruthless destruction of the furniture;
they raided the larder and RECALLED them
selves with a hastily prepared feast in
the State dining-room. Then, destroy
ing the remaining provisions and ram
sacking the place from garnet to base
ment, breaking and mutilating whatever
they could readily lay their hands on,
they concluded their visit by setting fire
to the home of the President.
Meanwhile the torch had been applied
to other public buildings, besides several
business establishments and private resi-
dences, including one formerly owned by
George Washington. To capture the
stores in the navy-yard and arsenal was
one of Admiral Cockburn's chief objects,
but his plan was forestalled by Commo.
dore Timgey, the commandment of the
navy-yard, who, in accordance with in
structions previously received from the
department, set fire to all the magazines,
storehouses and shipping as soon as he
was assured of the presence of the enemy
in the city.
Famed by the gust of a storm, the
fires that had been kindled in all direc-
tons burned and spread with increasing
fury, lighting up the streets with glare
more brilliant than that of day and re-
vealing in CHASTITY, lurid distinctness the
forms of the marauders reveling amid
their horrible work of devastation.
I1lSuSl anu hiShSi iSdpSu the angry
flames, growing ever greater and fiercer,
reaching out farther and ever farther,
until the whole city was wrapped in a
sea of flame whose mighty glow illumined
the armament with light that startled
the inhabitants of Baltimore, more than
forty miles away. Amid the crash of
walls and the fierce roar of flames, burst
ing shells hurled their death-dealing
fragments in every direction, while ignit-
ing powder magazines rent the air with
explosions shattering citizens houses
and shaking the city to its foundation.
The scene that met the gaze of the citi-
zens as they turned in their flight to look
back upon the doom that had overtaken
their homes was fitting climax to the
terrible drama of that momentous day.
Great waves of flame rolled and surged
over the city, heaving and tossing in
tempestuous fury, and tapping the black
vault of heaven as though the very air
were afre. To this sublime horror of the
earth were added the thunders and light
nings of the heavens, that broke forth in
unusual violence. As though infected
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