The Washington times., 1914-08-23

are concerned, rests SquaTely
CockbiIrn.
BRITISH GENERAL A
Major General Ross was loath to
march on the Capital and to burn the
Public buildings after he occupied the
city. Indeed his manner while here was
spclogctic end the resident at whose
hcuse he stayed said that he did not
smile while in the CITY,
In his official report General Ross
said: To Rear Admiral Cockburn. who
suggested the attack on Washington
ana accompanied the army, l confess
the Greatest obligation"
The responsibility OH the American
side is not SO easy to hx. but President
Madison and his Cabinet must bear the
greater portion of it. Brig. Gen. VIII
liam u. Winder. who commanded the
American troops, was possessed Of at
ltast ordinary courage, but he lacked a
commanding personality and military
genius, and il has been said that he
Was too tender hearted to order his
neighbors into a fierce conflict where
many of them would be sure to be killed
or wounded.
For more than two months there were
persistent rumors thai the British would
attack Washington. but the President
and his Cabinet refused to regard the
warning seriously. Dn one occasion
President Madison asked What the
dcvil would the British do in Washing
TONI" adding that Baltimore was their
effective point.
British ships manned by more than
a0eo fighting men had been in Chesa-
peake Bay for a year, but there seems
TO have been no real alarm in Wash
ington until Thursday, August IS. when
Commodore Joshua Barney, in charge
of the little American force on the bay,
sent word that Rear Admiral Cochrane
had boasted he would eat his Sunday
dinner in Washington.
Barney Told to Burn Ships.
Commodore Barney. veteran navy Of
ficer. was in command of fourteen
small barges manned by 500 men, and
with this small force he had harassed
the British ships for months. making
several important captures. When the
British menaced Washington. he sailed
Up the Patuxent TO Nottingham where
ne had q skirmish with the enemy. who
had disembarked at Benedict and
marched on to Nottingham.
August 90. the Secretary Of the Navy
sent the commodore orders which read:
Should the enemy dash for this place
Washington. destroy the flotilla and
proceed with the men 10 this place. %
This order was typical of the American
officers procedure in the entire affair,
making defeat almost certain by pre-
pairing for IL.
Accordingly, on August 81. Barry has
tened with his men to join the forces of
General Winder. leaving a small force
to destroy the only iiShliny vessels The
americans hal in Chesapeake waters.
The moral effect IN the American de
VAS depressing. AMI The enemy was
greatly encouraged.
L. = L1a Il, l,..
Is now Anacostia expecting the British
to approach l,y that road. Th.-her w.nt
President MadisU1 and his Whole Cahi-
net at daybreaS August -. The latter
included james Monroe. i Revolutionary
veteran. Secretary OF state. Jchn Arm
strong. Secretary IF War: Villa III
Jones, Secretary If he Navy; George
W. Campbell, Secretary Of the Treasury,
and Richard Rush. Attorney General
Debate in Face of Foe.
As a gathering ~ nuta5l es IL as i'm
pressive, but as a council Of Mar it r'ns
farcical. President Madisol issued an
order putting .he Secretary Of War in
charse Of the defc.'-r Of the "Ity. and
u few hours rescindeI While iFey
debated what was TO be GonC. Wo:d was
fought that G-1"rai Ross VAS mdI cir-
iGg on Blddensburg and there VAS a
great scurrying to meet him ther.
Here they found a very respectable
force Of Americans drawn up in the
Washington side Of the little stream
near Bladensburg. Brig. Gen. Tobias e.
>ransbury had thrown up earthworks
md had distributed his men in what is
acknowledged to be an effective defense
But Secretary of State Monroe sum-
marily changed the alignment. bringing
three regiments back 10 the rear for d
second line of defense in an exposed
position.
Then had a Washington. a NapOleonI
a Lee. a Sheridan. or even military
leader OF relatively smaller caliher
arisen, American vslor might haze been
INDICATED. Ent on tn. eve OF BATH:
General Stansbury and General smith
were disputing as TO their relative rank
General Winder giving orders to cap
tain Of artillery said. when you re-
treat retreat by the Georgetown roaG
Secretary of the Navy Jones was stlI
further anticipating defeat by b!owlnE
up tn. navy yard Attorney General
Rush started 10 make a speech Of en-
engagement TO the troops but ~as
sharply admonished by an officer that
his men needed no eNhortation to night
Impeded BY Red Tape.
In Washington. a clerk in the war
Department was furnishing 700 Nir-
ginians under colonel Minor, with fiints
for their guns. but his insisIence on
going through all the departmental
tape kept the entire force from the
front till the rout was complete. The
beautiful Dolly" Madison, nactns the
White House 4 oors n anxiety for he1
President husband sensed the general
confusion and writing TO a friend at
noon on the 2ifh. said:
Since sunrise | have been turning my
Epyglass in every direction and watch
ing with unwearied anxiety. hoping 10
discern the approach OF my dear hus-
band but, alas. can descry only
groups of military wandering in all di-
rections as IL there was a lack of arms.
or of spirit to fight for their own fire
sides"
Brigedier General Youngs brigade
Of go men, after a series Of confusing
commands was finally ordered to re-
main at a certain spot I'll further ord
ers. There they were promptly forsot-