Evening star., 1914-07-19

residue" according to Gen Smiths state
ment to the committee appointed by the
House Of Representatives to investigate
the disaster of Bladensburg. being COM
mon militia.
There was also a District of Columbia
brigade of militia from Alexandria. under
Gen. Young. of between five and six hum
dred men. which Saturday or Sunday. Au-
gust ~ or ~ crossed the Potomac and
took up a position between Piscataway
and Fort Washington. or Fort Warbur-
ton. 1t WAS then called. These did not
get TO p!adensburg. but on the evening
of the fight recrossed TO Alexandria and.
under orders of superior officers. en-
camped west OF that town. and when
the British feet appeared at Alexandra.
August %. were about twenty miles west
OF Alexandria.
Gen. Walter Smith says that late in
the night of August Is he received orders
to call out the whole brigade under his
command and to rendezvous on the even-
ing Of the following day on the banks Of
the Tiber. In Washington. and to report
to Gen. Winder. The troops assembled
according TO orders. but. being deficient
in many essential supplies for actual serv-
ice. were. after an inspection dismissed
until the evsuinG morning. the GOTH when
every exertion being made to perfect their
itol about 3 pm, crossed the Eastern
branch and halted about four miles rhere-
from on the road leading to Nottingham
They were here overtaken by tho haggageN
when It was ascertained there MAS a great
deficiency OF ~ esSary camp equipaSe
the public stores being exhaust ID Many
Of Che troops were compelled 10 lie out
in the open field. and OF tn" essential are
Gle of hints upon a requiSitioa for 1000
only 30 could be had. Means We're i'm
.aEnrtpI Ia, ha 1off
defect from private sources: the former
WAS never accomplished. "
Gen. Winder With such troops as could
be got together moved down into Mary
land TO Long Old Fields The British ilad
marched from Benedict Ia Nottingham
Then they We're heard of at Marlboro
Gen. Smith had temporarily beer PUT III
command OF the whole force and took np
a position near To Old Fields To engage
the invaders as they came on from Mari.
boro. Gen. Ninder returned to the
command. and night coming on and be
leving that in night engagement the
American superiority i'll artillery would
not tell. ordered a retrograde movement
on Washington.
It could NOT he determined hy the
American military authorities whether
the enemy meant To- march on ANNAPOLIS
and Baltimore or TO march against Fort
Washington taking il in the rear that
the British squadron known to be in the
Potomac could proceed unmolested to
he meant to strike directly at Washing
ton. and if at Washington. where The
road on which he was reported would. II
he continued to follow it, bring him into
Washington over the Eastern Branch
bridge
Wiuder finally recrossed the bridge
made arrangements with Commodore Tim
gey in command of the navy yard for the
destruction Of the bridge at "A moments
notice, and took up his position on the
high land. above where the ruined stone
warehouse stands.
In his statement before the committee
of inquiry into the military conduct Of
the battle of Bladensburg, Gen. Winder
said that under all these circumstances,
after waiting for the enemy At Old Fields
till sundown. determined to retire over
the Eastern Branch bridge. i'm which
Commodore Barney concurred. and his
force, with mine proceeded accordingly.
The reasons for retiring to the Eastern
Branch bridge Were the absolute security
it gave to that pass. the greater facility
OF joining Gen. Young and aiding in the
protection of Fort Washington. the
greater facility of pursuing the enemy
should he proceed to Annapolis and the
certainty that I could draw Gen. STAINS
bury and Lieut.. Col Sterett, who we're
near Bladensburg, to me If the enemy ad-
vanced too rapidly for me to advance and
unite to support them
Thus II was that the American army
was encamped above the Eastern branch
bridge on the morning Of August "A, 1873.
when scouts reported that the British
column had changed its course and was
headed toward Bladensburg. This intel
ligence reached the American camp at
10 o'clock Gen. Stansbury's brigade OF
Baltimore militia. Col. Steretts Mary
land regiment and Beall's regiment from
Annapolis were already at Bladensburg
Gen. Winder and the army under him
took up the march for Bladensburg close
upon IL clock and the engagement open
ed at noon.