The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-08-22
BRITISH MOVED
On WASHINGTON
A CENTURY AGO
Red Coats Landed In Maryland on
Way to Capital

washington, ID. c., Aug. 22.-In the
light of present events in Europe it is
,r,eresting to recall the fact that resi-
dents of this vicinity. including the
president of the United States and all
The officials of the government, were
having some similar worries of their
oyn lust one hundred years ago today
ON this date in the year 1914 word was
received in Washington that the Brit
,sb expedition under Gen. Ross and
Admiral Cockburn had effected a land
inc nm the shores of Maryland and was
ready to march on the national capt.
tai.
Two days later, on August "a, the
british entered Washington and
vrought such havoc with its public
bindings that years were required to
reconstruct and repair them. The
capture of the city was preceded by
the defeat of a motley army mustered
IN defend It, This engagement occur
rod at Bladensburg, Md The Ameri-
can force consisted of several thousand
raw militia commanded by Gen. Win
der and a few hundred OF Commodore
Barneys sailors and marines. Had the
militia been equal to holding its
ground the victory would have been
with the Americans. But the citizen
soldiers quality was not on a par with
their quantity.
Defenders Are Scattered.
The American position at Bladens-
burg was strong and the defenders
we're well posted. The British force
consisted of less than 5000 men, but
the most OF these men were veterans
who had fought under wellington in
Europe. After a scrambling .yskirmish.
the British charged and the American
militia broke and fled. The sailors
and marines alone disdained to retreat.
They put up resolute resistance and
were overcome by numbers. The
president and his cabinet were at
Bladcnsburg when the British APP
preached, but returned to the city
when the conflict began, and narrowly
escaped capture.
As soon as the British entered
Washington they began their work of
obstruction. The congressional library
with many valuable historical docu-
ments, was destroyed. and an attempt
was made to burn the Capitol. The
torch was also applied to the White
House. the treasury and the war and
state departments, and before the
British evacuated the city and the
hme5 were eXtinsuished, property
yalued at $2,O00.000 had been destroy
ed, and in addition. many Americans
had been killed and wounded The
black mark which the raid left on
Washington came very near to ending
it's career as the capital OF the United
States, and it required all President
Madisons influence to prevent the seat
Of government being removed to some
place less resembling a struggling viii
lage that had been visited by conhag-
ration,
Sacking Is Denounced.
When the world heard OF the sack Of
Washington it denounced II as exceed
ing the limits of decent warfare. New
ertheless the British government hon
ored Gen. Ross by permitting his fam
lily to add "of Bladensburg" to their
patronymic. Most British historians
have attempted to excuse the vandai-
ism 10y stating that the acts were in
retaliation for the depredations COM
mtted by the Americans along the
Canadian border, particularly i'm the
towns and villages in the vicinity of
Niagara Falls. Others have stated that
the British soldiers were incensed be-
cause of an attempt made by citizen
Of Washington to kill Gen. Ross, whose
life was saved at the expense of his
horse.
After applying the torch to Wash
ington the British beat a hurried re-