Bridgeton pioneer., 1912-01-18
centennial Of
OF 1912
Capture of Washington and
Other Spectacular Incl
dents Recalled.

"HE year 1917 marks the lapse OF
"a century since the outbreak OF
our last war with England By
all odds the most spectacular i'll
eident 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 t.
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 blunders on our side
but the most inexcusabl and inelori-
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 dc
anything effectively.
Nevertheless the occasion had its
hero and its heroine. The latter was
Mistress Dolly Madison. who played
her part like a man. holding the fort nj
the White House until the last possible,
moment and then retreating in good or
der with everything in the way of Off
cial documents and valuabes 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
ington:
"Will you believe it. my dear sister,
we have had battle near Bladens-
burg? And | 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.
49, ehio ittN hOdi Il odSOu udS Dtcii
procured. l have had it filed with the
plate and most valuable portable arti
cles. Whether it will reach its 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 a very bad humor with
|
me because | insist on waiting unit
the large picture of General Washing
ton is secured. 1t required to he un
screwed from the wall. and this proc
ess was found too tedious for these
perilous moments. so | have ordered
the frame broken and the canvas taken
out. 1t is done and the precious por
trait placed in the hands of two gen
tlemen of New York for safe keepin.
And now. my dear sister. | must leave
the house or the retreatinc army will
make me prisoner in it by filling 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 a little. The British
on 1nr, l,.1
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. We're disembarked on the fol
lowing day and formed into three
brigades. numbering $500 men. On
Aug. 20 the boats of the fleet, led by
Rear Admiral Cockburn, started ur
the Patuxent TO capture bunch OF
gunboats blockaded there. under the
command of Commodore Barney. The
soldiers marched abreast of the boats.
and Barney. having blown 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 lcisurely way. without
encounteriGg 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 n
to make its progress practically irn
possible. Even the most untutor2G
savages would have had sufficieu'
military knowledge to adopt such a'
eXpedient. But General Winder wiz
force of 2.:5O0 men, including I.0Rt
regulars and 800 fighting sailors under