The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-01-27
SEQUEL TO BLADENsBURG.
Acts OF Vandalism Committed in
Washington by the British.

Doubtless the British army made its en-
trance into the city of Washington at the
terminus of Maryland avenue. This thor
cughfare connects with the turnpike road
leading from Bladensburg. from which
point it runs direct to the Capitol. The
first act of vandalism (Which may have
been justifable) was the burning of a
house few squares northeast of the Capt.
tel, from which a shot was fired that killed
General Ross's horse. 1t was evidently
aimed Crom ambush) at the general him
self. In retaliation the house was burned.
Soon after the army reached the Capt.
tcl, which was Immediately surrounded and
fred into until 1T became evident that no
enemy was lurking in its corridors or secret
recesses. 1t was then occupied by the
troops, who were flushed with victory and
fired with zeal by the confagration al
ready started. Before applying the torch,
however. a deliberative meeting-a genuine
mock congress was organized in the hall
Of the House Of Representatives by General
Ross. who escorted Admiral Cockburn to
the chair. After the formal organization
was effected the speaker (pro tempore) put
the question: Shall this harbor of Yam
kee democracy be burned? All for 1t say
aver The vote was unanimously in the af-
fjrmative Immediately rockets were fired
through the roof while preparations for
the torch were zealously entered into. The
woodwork of the interior hastily torn
off and piled in the center Of the hall, while
books and valuable papers from the library
of Congress, with pictures and paintings
from the walls, were made to serve as
kindling. From this beginning the whole
interior of the building was soon enveloped
in flames.
The Capitol was then left to its fate.
which, fortunately, was favored by
heavy rainstorm that followed in the early
evening, which had the effect at least to
save from more serious injury the outer
walls of the building. The Executive Man
sion white Housed was next visited with
destruction, but not until after the rioters
had feasted on the bountiful repast that
had been prepared by the good lady of
that establishment for the officers of the
American army, in anticipation of a vic
tory at Bladensburg. But when they (the
officers) came they were too much pressed
for time to give attention to social honors
of that character. 1t is said that in re-
building the Executive Mansion it was
its smoked and blackened walls, to resort
to white paint; hence the beautiful SOU
briquet, white House," that must go
down to posterity as one of the results of
the British invasion and capture of Wash
ington.
Between the Capitol and the White
House the victors halted long enough COM
pletely to destroy the office of the National
Intelligencer, the leading paper of the
city, which, although private property, was
thus severely remembered because of its
championship of vigorous prosecution Of
the war. The building itself was only
spared the torch at the earnest entreaty Of
citizens whose property Immediately ad-
joined the Intelligencer office and must
inevitably suffer from its burning.
In 1855 the venerable Richard Rush. then
the only survivor of the Madison Cabinet.
and who accompanied his chief and other
government officials in their hasty retreat
fl ON the city, wrote a friend: 81 have in
deed to this hour the vivid impression
upon my eye OF columns OF flame and
smoke ascending through the night of the
24th of August QS1D from the Capitol.
Presidents house and other public edifces,
slowly, others with bursts of flame and
sparks mounting high upon the dark hori-
zcn."
1t is creditable to the British govern
nent and its leading journals to know that
these acts of vandalism were severely CEN
sured at the time and during the years that
have since interviewed. 1t is true there was
general rejoicing over the victory at
Bladensburg, and, indeed, that was only
Justice to the valor of the officers and men
who won the signal victory on the field,
but the destruction of our national Capitol
and other buildings devoted to the arts of
peace, was not nor never will be approved
by civilized man. The London Statesman,
in an early issue after the true character
OF the capture was known to its editorial
staff, had the following to say: Willingly
would we throw a viel of oblivion over our
transactions at Washington. The Cossacks
spared Paris, but we spared not the Cap
itol of America" And only recently Mar
auis de Fontenay is credited with the fol-
lowing concerning one of the descendants
of the principal actor in the capture and
destruction of Washington, in which he.
too, refers with a blush of shame to the
important affair:
Colonel Ross of Bladensburg, who has
just been appointed chief commissioners of
the Dublin police force is the grandson of
that General Ross who defeated the Ameri-
cans at the battle of Bladensburg in 1914,
an exploit which was followed by the cap
ture of Washington, the public buildings
of which, comprising the Capitol. the Ma
| tional library, the Executive Mansion, were
| destroyed. This act of vandalism has been
| condemned by all English historians in
| the very strongest terms. General Ross
held Washington for only twenty-four
| hours and was killed a few days later in
| a skirmish before Baltimore.
1.-The British government was more spar
| ing in it's distribution of rewards to mill
| tary commanders in those days than in
| the present time. Perhaps, too, it felt
ashamed of the Washington episode. At
any rate, the only reward which the fam
| lily of General Ross obtained, the only
recognition of his services, was the grant
| of a royal warrant comforting the right