The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1912-05-02
CENTENNIAL OF OUR WAR
OF 1872 WITH ENGLAND
Capture of Washington and
Other Spectacular Incl
dents Recalled.


"HE year 1912 marks the lapse Of
century since the outbreak of
our last war with England. By
all odds the most spectacular in
cident of that conflict was the capture
of Washington by the British, which
was followed by the burning Of the
capitol and the White House, the pres
ident and his cabinet being driven to
ignominious flight.
One hundred years ago, in 1912, the
United States declared. war against
Great Britain by bill which, after
passing the senate and house, was
formally signed by Mr.. Madison.
The struggle which thereupon en-
sued was marked by some very heroic
deeds and many plumbers on our side,
but the most inexcusable and inglori-
GUS happening of all was the taking of
Washington, which could easily have
been prevented. Truth to tell, the
president and his advisers availed
themselves of this precious opportuni-
ty to behave like lot of old women,
and General Winder, who commanded
the American troops in the vicinity of
the capital, lost his head entirely and
did nothing until it was too late to do
anything effectively.
Nevertheless the occasion had it's
hero and its heroine. The latter was
Mistress Dolly Madison. who played
her part like a man, holding the fort at
the White House until the last possible
moment and then retreating in good Or
der with everything in the way Of off,
clal documents and valuables that
could possibly be carried away.
Dolly Madison's Letter.
At the moment Of what seemed ex-
tremest peril she coolly sat down and
wrote to her sister, Mrs. Steptoe Wash
1ngton:
"Will you believe it, my dear sister,
we have had battle near Bladens-
burg? And I am still here within
sound Of the cannon. Mr. Madison
comes not. May God protect him.
Two messengers covered with dust
come to bid me fly, but wait for him.
At this late hour wagon has been
procured. I have had it filled with the
plate and most valuable portable arti-
cles. Whether it will reach it's destina-
ton, the Bank of Maryland, or fall
into the hands of the British, events
must determine. Our kind friend Mr..
Carroll has come to hasten my depar-
ture and is in very bad humor with
me because 1 insist on waiting until
the large picture Of General Washing
ton is secured. 1t required to be un-
screwed from the wall, and this proc
ess was found too tedious for these
perilous moments, so I have ordered
the frame broken and the canvas taken
out. 1t is done and the precious Dor
tralt placed in the hands Of two gen.
tlemen of New York for safe keeping.
And now, my dear sister, I must leave
the house or the retreating army will
make me prisoner in it by filing up
the road am to take"
The portrait Of Washington was by
Stuart and hung in the state dining
room. Somebody, at Mrs. Madison's
orders, broke with an ak the heavy
gold frame that protected the inner
one of wood, on which the canvas
was stretched, and thus it was re-
moved uninjured. The oft published
statement that the picture was cut
from the frame by Dolly herself is
incorrect.
But to go back little The British
forces on land and sea had orders to
destroy and lay waste such towns
and districts on the coast as might be
assailable." The enemy's fleet and
transports arrived off the mouth of
the Patuxent fifty miles south of An
napolis) on the 18th day of August,
1914. The troops, under General Rob-
ert Ross, were disembarked on the fol-
lowing day and formed into three
brigades, numbering 1850 men. On
Aug. 20 the boats Of the fleet, led by
rear Admiral Cockburn, started up
the Patuxent to capture a bunch of
gunboats blockaded there, under the
command of Commodore Barney. The
soldiers marched abreast. of the boats.
>~aA Ds1AACJ, udF1uS U1OWn up his YES
sells to prevent them from falling into
the hands of the foe, retreated.
A Remarkable Proceeding.
Now comes the remarkable part of
the military proceedings. For five days
the British troops marched across
Maryland in leisurely way, without
encountering the slightest opposition.
The country, much Of it densely for
ested and with few roads, was diff
cult. Under such circumstances a few
hundred determined men could have
so harassed the advancing column as
to make its progress practically i'm
possible. Even the most untutored
savages would have had sufficient
military knowledge to adopt such an
expedient. But General Winder, with
a force Of $500 men, including 1000
regulars and 500 fighting sailors under
Barney, did nothing.
AS a result, the enemy was not