The Washington herald., 1911-12-31
The New Year Marks Lapse of Century Since the
Time 1t Broke Out.

piled. The temporary wooden structure
at that time connecting the Senate and
House wings burned readily, and every
thing inflammable went up in smoke,
including the Library of Congress, then
housed on the second floor at the north
end
Delighted with this exploit, the admiral
and Gen. Ross led their men up the Ave
nue. to the Presidents house. After or
dering and eating supper at the home of
an old lady named Suter. living close by,
they proceeded, at about IL D. m, TO
break into the mansion, the doors OF
which were found locked. John Siousa,
porter. seems to have been the last
person to leave the place. When he had
carried DOlly's pet parrot to the house
of Col. TaylOe, two blocks away, he re-
turned, locked up. and took the keys to
Philadelphia.
The invaders found no "sumptuous
meal smoking on the table" as has often
been reported. As a matter of fact, no
regular meals had been served on that
day of alarm. When. during the after
noon. Mr.. Madison got home. he dis
tributed what food and wine there was
in larder and cellar among the tired and
hungry soldiers. Thus the house was
empty OF provisions when the British
came.
Having broken open the doors, they
ransacked the place from top to bottom,
and then, obtaining fire from a beer
shop opposite the Treasury. collected the
furniture together in heaps and set it
alight
Meanwhile. the American commodore.
Tingey. had set fire to the navy yard
and the vessels in the neighborhood. and
before midnight three CONGREGATIONS
made the whole country almost as light
as day, while from the distant hills Of
Virginia, beyond the Potomac the flying
President and members of his Cabinet
caught glimpses of the ruin their incom-
petence had caused.
Retreat Across Potomac.
In the meantime. Mrs. Madison, Joined
by her husband, had accompanied him
to the banks of the Potomac, where he
and his party took a small boat, several
trips being required to carry them
across. She took another route, crossed
the river, and slept at the house Of a
Mr.. Love, on the Virginia side. Next
morning she went on to meet the Presi-
dent at an appointed place, sixteen miles
from Washington, only to find him not
there; and. TO add to her distress, ad-
mittanCe to the only tavern was refused
by certain ladies from the Capital City,
who overwhelmed her with bitter re-
proaches, saying that her husband had
brought war on the country Neverthe-
less. great storm coming up, DolIy's
party forced their way in, and later on
Mr.. Madison arrived.
All this while the British were almost
in panic themselves. They were afraid
of being surprised by a superior force,
and were in a hurry to get away. This
state of mind was much intensified by
a frightful hurricane which struck the
city at p. m. on the day after the
Capitol and White House were burned.
1t rained as il the bottom Of the sky
had fallen out and the wind blew down
many buildings which the British had
spared. The invading soldiery were
nearly drowned. and thirty Of them lost
their lives, walls falling upon them A
British officer wrote: Our column was
as completely dispersed as II 1t had ex-
perienced total defeat"
The storm saved the War Department
and Post-Office, which the enemy had
meant to burn. They left the city
Twenty-Five hours after they had entered
IT. When Mrs. Madison returned. she
found the Long Bridge burned, and was
ferried across the river in her carriage
on a raft. Her home being in ruins, she
was received by her sister. Mrs Cuts.
Later on the President rented Col. Tay-
loe's mansion, known as the Octagon
IlOuSe N"HLtH SUN SldnuSJp on Jne corner.
OF New York avenue and Eighteenth
street, where he and Dolly passed the
following winter. There the treaty OF
peace with Great Britain was signed.
The Washington OF that period was a
city Of only 5000 inhabitants, much scat
tered. AS for the White House, il stood
in the midst of a wide area of waste
land. 1t was unfinished. and its interior
almost destitute of ornamental very diff
ferent place from the palace of to-day.
The East Room was unfinished, and
the north pOrtiCo as yet unbuilt
Benjamin Franklin said, in 1873, that
the war with England then lately finished
was only the war of the Revolution.
The war Of American independence had
yet 10 be fought. That war of indepen-
denCe was the war of 1872.
RENE BACHE