The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1902-07-17

August "a, 1914. The battle of Blad-
ensburg had been fought, and the
American forces, largely made up of raw
militiamen, and pitted against 1000
marines and $500 veterans who had
seen service under Wellington, had
suffered repulse, and fallen back ON
Tennallytown. Flushed with victory,
the British entered Washington, and in
the white house, one historian states,
they found table set for forty guests,
in expectation of the victorious return
Of the defenders of the city. This,
however, is not borne out by facts and
by the letters of Dolly Madison of that
time and Of that very day. These let
ters that she and Mr.. Madison, who
was at Bladensburg during the first
half of the battle, were fearful of the
outcome. The soldiers found food and
drink there in quantity, however, and
after regaling themselves and pillaging
the mansion, the torch was applied.
Only the walls were left standing.
The battle Of bladensburg, where the
American troops had hurried to meet
the British, under Gen. Ross and Ad-
miral Cockburn, began at o'clock and
ended at4. The British entered Wash
ington about 8 p. m. In addition to
the burning Of the white house and the
capitol, including the congressional Ii
brary, the treasury, the state, war and
navy departments, the house Of Gen.
Washington, hotel building of Mr..
Carroll, and other property, was de-
stroyed that night.
'DoLLY" MADIsoN's FLIGHT.
For several days before the advent of
the British, carts loaded with public
documents and private property were
streaming across Long Bridge into Vir-
ginia, the English in the mean time
having sailed up to the Patuxent river
and landed at Benedict, thirty miles
from Washington. The movement of
valuables began on Sunday and was
continued Monday and Tuesday, the
day of the battle and the entry of the
invaders. Mrs. Madison remained at
the white house until the afternoon of
the Gath, when about three o'clock, Jas.
Smith, colored servant, came riding
in from Bladensburg, calling out, "Clear
out, clear out. Gen. Armstrong has
ordered retreat" The day before,
Mrs. Madison had received a note from
the president to be ready to enter her
carriage at moments notice and leave
the city. One carriage had been filed
with official documents, and now, get
ting into her own and accompanied by
two servants, she was driven rapidly to
Georgetown heights. With her she
took the family plate, and painting Of
Washington, which was hastily torn
from its frame.
The president and the members OF
his cabinet, all of whom had left Blad-
densburg before the conconclusion OF
the battle, on hearing of the disastrous
result, crossed the Potomac into Vir-
ginia at Little Falls, recrossing it al
the Great Falls. Mrs. Madison spent
the night of the Gath at Mrs. Loves,
two miles beyond the Potomac. The
next night she stopped at Mrs. Minors
u few miles farther on.
During the several days spent away
from Washington Mrs. Madison wal
joined by the president. Their recep
tion at several places during their fligh'
was in number of cases far from hos
pitable, and some of their experience
were most unpleasant One night wa
spent in hut in wood, and they wer'
drenChed IN two transforms.
BRITISH STAYED ONE DAY.
The British stayed but twenty-fou
hours in Washington, leaving on tn
night of the 25th. During that da,
much property was burned and other
wise destroyed by them. Having ap
piled torch to numerous buildings, !
was thrown by the British into dr.
we'll, in which the Americans had pre-
viously thrown large quantities of gun
powder and other military stores. I
the explosion which followed, nearl
100 British were killed and wounded
On the heels of this came tornado
such as Washington has never know
before or since. Great damage wa
done. It is not unlikely that the 81
plosion and the tornado had much I
do with the British retreat, the disal
ters serving to prey upon their supel
, stitious fears.
With the departure of the enemy
Mrs. Madison and the president an
members of his cabinet returned to th
city. Mrs. Madison went to the HON
of her sister, Mrs. Quits.
The Taylor house was then rented
and the executive office again estal