The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-08-21
Announcement of War
ManeuVerS Recalls
Events of 1914.
Ninetieth Anniversary of
City'S Capture Comes
This Week.
Howthe Old Time Places
Visited by British
Look Today.
= EMI-OFFICIAL announcement has

= EMI-OFFICIALa announcement has
been made that the problem to be
- worked out IN the next years
joint maneuvers Of the army and navy
viii be the defense Of washington
against an invading force.
This announcement recalls to Ameri-
cans that the ninetieth anniversary Of
the capture Of Washington by the Brit
ish falls on Wednesday, August %. In
that month, and the year 1914. a British
force landed at Benedict. Nd. and
marching through the villages Of Not
tingham and Marlboro, advanced to
BIadensburg. six miles northeast Of
Washington. and there defeated an
American army.
On the night following the battle the
invaders carnped on a common. part OF
which is now the east plaza Of the Capt.
tol. They were reckless with the torch
The sky was red with flames from the
Capitol White House. Treasury. War
Office. and private buildings fired by the
English. and from the navy yard. war
ships mOored or building there. and
bridges over the Potomac and Eastern
Branch. which had been fred by the
Americans.
Town of Benedict
Benedict, the base Of the invaders. is
a listlcss hamlet in Charles county. Nd.
on the west bank OF the Patuxent River
and about forty miles southeast Of
Washington by the wagon roads. The
place has neither railroad or telegraph
connection. though steamboats, plying
between Baltimore and Patuxent land
ings stop at Benedict. The town is Of
less importance than a century ago. It's
trade and population. like that Of many
other water-slde towns I'm Maryland and
Virginia. has shrunk. Many of the old
houses have disappeared, some by fire
and some because OF sheer decay.
The anchorage of the British fleet IS
pointed out and that part Of the shore
where the redcoats climbed from their
small boats is shown with pride by the
sleepy villagers. One may walk the old
street where the English column formed
for its march or Washington. Not
tingham, a tiny village. and Marlboro
a small town through which the IN
vaders passed, have changed very lit
tie.
Bladensburg is pretty much now as II
was then. Standing are many Of the
houses in and behind which the English
found shelter from the American six
Founders. An old mill. under cover OF
hich a body Of the retreating Ameri-
cans made a stand is still grinding. The
house I'm which General ROss and Ad-
miral Cockburn. the British command
ers. ate breakfast on the battle morning
is I'm fair repair. but tenanted by less
aristocratic persons than ninety years
ago.
Could Be Recognized Now.
Though no effort has been made to
keep the battlefield as II was # has not
so changed but that men who fought
there could recognize the lard could
they revisit fl. The English killed and
some Of the Americans were buried on
the field. but the location Of the graves
has been long ago forgotten. There is one
point on the battlefield which attracts
the passerby. It is small natural foun-
tain that has been bricked up. Way
farers stop there 20 drink, for the wa
ter has been famous for more than 200
years. II is called Barney's Spring. This
spring was the center Of the American
line I'm the last stand.
Commodore Barney and 400 sailors
from the fotilla that had been turned
in the PatuXent were posted n little IN
front OF The spring. Il was the point
OF the best fighting OF the day. Most
OF the loss Of both sides was sustained
in this part of the field. And for ninety
years the spring has been called Bar
neys spring. There is no monument
on the Bladensburg field, but every
now and then the proposition b made to
erect a marker Of some kind at the
spring.
man travelling along the route fol-
lowed by the British from Benedict 10
Bladensburg can get some very bad his
tory by the way. For instance this:
The picture Of the spring shows a negro
drinking. He is an ordinary negro OF