The Washington herald., 1911-06-04
Continued from Pase one.

and Sir Charles Napier. to assist the
British army In its assault on the Cap
ital. Fort Washington had been but little
improved.
This was the first and last time in its
history, however. that IL was ever called
upon to fire a shot. and its commander,
Capt Samuel 7. Dyon. to his ultimate
disgrace, promptly ran away with the
garrison. without making the slightest
effort to stop the advance Of the enemy !
vessels. Dyon was afterwar court-mar.
tailed and dismissed from the army. Sir
Charles Napier's- own account Of ths
capture Of Fort Washington follows!
The following morning to our great
Joy the wind became fair and we made
all sail up the river. which now assumed
q more pleasing aspect. At 8 o'clock in
the afternoon Mount Vernon, the retreat
Of the illustrious Washington. opened to
our view and showed US for the hrsI
time since we entered the Potomac a
gentleman's residence. Higher up the
river. on the opposite side. Fort Washing
ton appeared to our anxious eyes, and TO
our great satisfaction II was considered
assailable
"A little before sunset the squadron
anchored just out OF gun shot: the bomb
vessels at once took up their positions
" SoNcT tHe lrlSdteS III proycStcu ~
tack at daylight next morning and began
throwing shells. The garrison. to our
great surprise. retreated from the fort.
and a short time after Fort Washington
was blown UP, which left the Capital OF
America and the popular city OF Alex
andria open TO the squadron without the
loss OF a man.
1T was too late to ascertain whether
this catastrophe was occasioned by one OF
our shells, or whether II had been blown
up by the garrison. but the opinion was
in favor OF the latter. Still We were at
loss to account for such an extraordinary
step. The position was good. and It's cap
ture would have cost US at least nifty
men. and more. had II been properly de-
Tended: besides an unfavorable wind and
many other chances were in their favor
and We could only have destroyed II had
We succeeded in the attack.
AT daylight the ships moored under
the battery and completed its destruc-
ton. The guns were spiked by the enc
my. and We otherwise mutilated them
and destroyed the carriages. Fort Wash
ington was a most respectable defense.
1t mounted two 52-pounders. two g.
Founders. eight 4-pounders; in a battery
on the beach were five 1s-pounders; In a
martello tower two 12-pounders. with
loopholes for musketry. and a battery in
tHc rear mounted Two l--pOunu ahu Ella
6-pound field pieces"
Return Trip Less Easy.
The British army having completed the
capture Of Washington and the destruc-
tion Of many OF its most important build
ings, the British fleet proceeded no
further up the river than Alexandria.
which was turned over to them without
resistance. A dispatch sloop from the
main fleet In the Chesapeake brought in
structions for the squadron's immediate
return down the river. a retreat hastened
by the tidings of the building Of a num-
Der of masked batteries along the shores
OF the lower river by the Americans.
These batteries made the return trip q
fairly unpleasant one for the British
ships, but all reached the mouth of the
river with the loss of but few men,
Forts Washington and Hunt are the
names OF the twin defenses of Washing
ton. They are on opposite shores a mile
or so north OF Mount Vernon. They COM
mand the river for a distance Of sixteen
miles south in their position.
. At Fort Washington there are placed
four 10-inch disappearing rifles. There Is
also a nest of eight huge Pinch NOR
tars At Fort Hunt is a similar arma-
ment Of rifles and four mortars. It IL
the opinion Of the officers Of the coast
artillery that no fleet OF q foreign foe