The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1915-06-04

let the sun go up on a proclamation |
calling tor volunteers and will have !
1t go down on a million men in i
arms" He, therefore, will be partic- !
ularly interested in learning what an |
army OF volunteers did for the defense !
OF his present residence, the city of |
Washington, hundred years ago.
In June of 1914 it became known at
Washington that 1000 British troops
had touched at Bermuda on their way
to the United States The President,
James Madison, Called Cabinet meet
ing. AT this meeting it was decided to
wait watchfully and to notify the
states of Maryland and Pennsylvania
and Virginia to hold certain quotas of
militia in readiness.
The governor of Pennsylvania re-
piled by saying he was very sorry but
his legislature had repealed the militia
law and had forgotten to pass new
militia law in its place and there was
no legell way of raising any new mil
itia regiments; but he would some
how try to do something.
He did. He produced 5000 soldiers
AFTER Washington had been cap
tured and burned.
AS for the governor of Virginia. he
did indeed send some men to Bladens-
burg. And they had guns. But there
was zone trouble about them. In
those days, in order to discharge a gun
you had to have flint These men
had no flints.
Most of the men who fought at
Bladensburg came from Maryland.
They did not come at once. The
government waited watchfully till the
base hirelings of a militaristic mon
archy landed. Then the freemen of
Maryland came in great haste Their
haste is illustrated by the charming
dairy of one of them, who says that
he fought in his dancing pumps. No
militaristic preparations for that free
man!
The British proceeded slowly from
their landing-point toward Washing
ton 1t was raid The British com
mander proposed to levy a tribute on
Washington, if he could, and then re-
embark. His march toward Washing
ton was not interrupted by the
Americans for five days. The third of
these days was watchfully spent by
President Madison holding a review,
in Washington itself, of his freshly
recruited volunteers.
Forty-eight hours later the British
walked into Bladensburg, on the east
branch of the Potomac. We had col
lected ourselves to meet them there.
There were 5000 volunteers in our
army and 400 regulars. Only a part
of the British force had arrived. 1t
consisted of 1900 men. These $500
hirelings walked across the bridge
and then walked into the American
army of $500 and walked through it.
The regulars in the American army
rudely resisted. The volunteers re-
sisted, too. until some of them were
! actually killed. The total number kill
| ed was eight. Not eight hundred Or
eighty. EIGHT. Having lost eight
killed-and nineteen wounded-they
/ departed in even greater haste than
they had assembled.
The point to which they were or
dered to depart is itself interesting. 1t
wasn't Washington. 1t was a place
four miles beyond Washington, in
Virginia. But most of them didn't
even get there. They went home.
Mrs. Madison meanwhile was prud-
emily wrapping up the original copy
Of the Declaration of Independence
This she took with her to Virginia, a
favorite country resort of most of the
inhabitants of Washington on that
particular day.
Two hundred of the British walked
into Washington. They tried to levy
tribute, but there was no one to levy
a tribute on. They hastily burned the
Capitol and the Presidents house, and
hastily withdrew to their camp. BY
mistake they left one sentinel in
Washington. He was the whole oil
the British occupying force that night
Such was the battle of Bladens.
burg and the capture of Washington
President Madison was a profound
student Of congressional government
and hater of war. Yet he fought Z
war. He had to. Europe forced i
on him.
President Madison's Secretary o.
State was likewise distinguished pac
fist. His name was James Monroe
He also was a colonel. He was pres
emit at Bladensburg. The Presiden
was there, too. After watching tn,
fighting for a while, the Secretary o
State turned to the President and sait
thing which, if said two years earl
Ter, would have been one of the wises
utterances in American history. H,
! said: "Mr. President, let us go. Thi
! is matter for military men"
The final word on the battle O
Bladensburg was said by chaplain
who accompanied the British army
! He wrote:
[ "Of the personal courage of tn
: Americans there can be no doub
They are as brave as any nation in tn
| world But these volunteers did no
have the habits of soldiers. 1t wa
= the height of folly, therefore to brin
them into situation where nothin
but those habits could avail TIL
capture of Washington was NOR
owing to the blindness of the Amer
cans than to any other cause"
SHOCKING SUBTERFUGE FAIL
Charleston, w. Va.-Varicd and il
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