The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1912-05-02
How Mistress Dolly Madison,
Heroine Of the Occasion,
Played a Mans Part.

| Inere is no question of the fact that
| if Barney, instead of Winder, had
been in command of the American
| forces the foe would never have got
anywhere near Washington. He knew
his business. But, as it was, the Brit
ish entered the city after nightfall on
| the 23d and camped a quarter of a
! mile east of the capitol.
Panic In Washington.
! Meanwhile in Washington alarm had
turned into panic. The American
troops, after the fight at Bladensburg.
were in disorderly retreat. Crowds of
flying fugitives were passing over the
Long bridge across the Potomac, and
when the British entered the popula-
ton had dwindled to a few stragglers
and the slaves of absent residents. All
| private houses were shut up and there
were few signs of life.
| During the previous twenty-four
hours clerks at the presidents house
! had been busy packing and aiding in
the removal Of valuables. Coarse linen
bags, hastily made for the purpose, were
hung around the walls to receive port
able stuff and particularly documents
Among the latter were the Declaration
| of Independence, the constitution of
| the United States and Washington's
! commission as commander in chief Of
| the American forces. The records of
the Continental congress are said to
have been carried away by Mrs. Madi-
son in small red trunk, which is pre-
| served to this day as historical relic
| in the department of state.
History relates that General Ross
was in favor of attacking Baltimore
rather than Washington, because of
the larger loot there to be obtained.
but Cockburn thought it would be
| more spectacular to raid the Capital
City, and his plan prevailed, one notion
of his being that it would be a fine
scheme to take the president and his
wife and exhibit them as captives in
England.
Cockburn had a strong sense of the
picturesque. and it is related that on
the evening Of his arrival in Washing
ton he entered the capitol and, seat
ing himself in the chair of the speaker
of the house of representatives, put the
question, "Shan this harbor of Yankee
democracy be burned?" The mock reso-
luton was carried unanimously, and
thereupon the furniture and whatever
other combustib!es CHANGED to be at
hand were gathered in heaps, the torch
being applied. The temporary wooden
structure at that time connecting the
senate and house wings burned read
lily, and everything 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 adj
miral and General Ross led their men
up the avenue to the presidents house.
After ordering and eating supper at
the home of an old lady named Suter,
living close by, they proceeded at about
II p. m. to break into the mansion, the
doors of which were found locked
John Siousa, a porter, seems to have
been the last person to leave the place.
When he had carried Dolly's pet par
rot to the house of Colonel Taylor, two
blocks away, he returned, locked up
and took the keys to Philadelphia.
The Capitol Ransacked.
Having broken open the doors they
ransacked the place from top to bot
tom. and then obtaining fire from
beer shop opposite the treasury col
lected the furniture together in heaps
and set it alight.
Meanwhile the American commo-
dore, Tingey, had set fire to the navy
yard and the vessels in the neighbour
hood, and before midnight three con-
fagrations made the whole country al
most as light as day, while from the
distant hills of Virginia, beyond the
Potomac, the fleeing president and
members of his cabinet caught glimpses
of the ruin their incompetence caused.
All this while the British were al
most in panic themselves. They were
afraid of being surprised by 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. It rained as if the bot
tom Of the sky had fallen out, and the
wind blew down many buildings
which the British had spared. The
invading soldiery were nearly drown
ed, and thirty of them lost their lives.
walls falling upon them. A British Of
ficer wrote, "Our column was as COM
pletely dispersed as if it had expert
enced total defeat"
The storm saved the war department
and the postoffice. which the enemy
had meant to burn. They left the city
Twenty-Five hours after they had en-
tered 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. Cults. Later the president rent
ted Colonel Taylor's mansion, known