Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1904-10-22
Incident of 1914.

Especial Correspondence

The Goth anniversary OF the capture
of Washington by the British fell on
Wednesday, Aug. "a. IN that month,
and the year 1914, a British force
landed at Benedict, Md, and, march
.ng through the villages OF Noting
aam and Marlboro, advanced to Bad
~nsbnrg, six miles northeast or WASH
ington, and there defeated an Ameri-
can army.
On the night following the battle
the invaders camped on common,
part of which is now the east plaza
of the capitol. They we're reckless
with the torch. The sky was red with
flames from the capitol, White House,
treasury, war Office and private build
ings fired by the English, and from
| the navy yard, warships moored or
| building there, and bridges over the
Potomac and Eastern Branch, which
had been fired by the Americans.
The capture of Washington by the
British is a long story, but it may be
briefly told. The British threatened
Washington for a year and half be-
fore making a direct effort to capture
the city. Despite this long warning
the American authorities made no
preparation for defense.
The British maintained fleet OF
warships in Chesapeake bay and mad
made forays on Havre-de-Grace, Fred
ericktown, Frenchtown and other
places in Maryland and on Hampton,
Va.
President Madison and his cabinet
thought the British would not attack
the capital. In Washington there was
not a piece of artillery, regular sol
der or a properly armed company OF
militia. There was not redoubt on
any approach to the city. Fifteen
miles down the Potomac was Fort
Washington, then called Fort Warour-
ton, frail structure mounting lew
small guns, with one company OF ar
tillery to serve them.
The brig Ida, from Rochelle, landed
at Boston May IL, 1914, and brought
news that the allied troops had en-
+ tered Paris, and early in June 1914,
: official Washington knew that several
l. OF Wellington's veteran regiments, re-
leased from European service, had
embarked on troopships and, con
i vowed by war fleet under Vice AID
s. miral Cochrane, had set sail for the
n Chesapeake.
President Madison July L, 1914
| called the cabinet together to consider
4! plan for the defense OF Washing
s ton. A report of the army on thai
G date showed the force of military dis
{. trict No. 5 (of which the District O.
Columbia was a part) to be 2,l54 DIN
s GERS and men. One thousand ant
/. eighty-three were at Norfolk, 532
n. Baltimore, 800 in st. Mary's county
n Md, 40 at Annapolis and 70 at For
Washington. Not one soldier in tn
District of Columbia.
r.. On July 4, 1914, draft was mad
is on the governors of Maryland, Vii
IN ginia and Pennsylvania for militia
%. Depredations by the British in south
ern Maryland were increasing an
alarm was growing in Washington
q On the morning of Aug. 16, 1914, 2
,,o sail entered the Chesapeake an
=; Joined the fleet already in the PatuI
ent river. The combined fleet sale
I'D that river and dropped anchor o
Benedict.
10 The debarkation of troops bega
80 Aug. 10. Capt. Sir Peter Parker in tn
" frigate Menelaus, with some sma
- ships was dispatched toward Bait
more, and Capt. Gordon in the frigat
Seahorse with another frigate, rock'
ships and armed schooners was sci
.'e around Point Lookout and UP the p
III tomac to take Alexandria, which
- did.
~ The Americans were gatherir
troops at Washington. There we
two brigades of District of Columb
ny militia and volunteers numbering
VII 600 men. Then there were thr
regiments from Baltimore and ty
nd volunteer batteries. There were IL
other regiments of Maryland milit
and one Virginia regiment. The
du- were about 300 volunteer caval
DOL from the District of Columbia, MAJ
ley land and Virginia commanded
len Lieut.. Col. Tighlman.
The regular army of the Unit
States was represented by detat
The ments from the 36th and 38th inf;
cen try numbering 800 men under Lie
Ind Col William Scott. one company
ire the 18th regiment, Capt. Morgan, a
squadron of dragons under Lie
Col. Laval Barney was ready to lie
co. assistance with 400 sailors.
ian The American army for the defer
am