Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-09-05
THE RAMBLER WRITES OF BRITISH,
WHO CAPTURED CAPITAL IN 1914
Facts in the Life of Admiral
Cockburn, Who Conceived
the Plan of Attacking
Washington Reflections
on the Battle Of Bladens-
burg.

HE story OF Springfield. on Gun
ston Neck, which was the home
of Martin Cockburn. uncle OF
Admiral George Cockburn, au-
thor of the plan to capture Washington
and co-executor with Gen. Robert ROSS
in carrying out the plan in August. 1914.
brought many thoughts to the Rambler
as he wrote it last Sunday. Those
thoughts could find no place in that
"ramble" because of lack OF space, ana
the Rambler means to present them To-
day. Americans in 1914 felt intense-iet
us say savage-bitterness TOWARD Au-
miral Cockburn and Gen. Ross. IL was
natural that this should be- me
ayersion-and that is mild word
in which those men were held was
transmitted to descendants Of the
Americans of 1914. and the Rambler
feels that many persons in this neigh
borhood today have the understanding
that Cockburn and Ross were ma
RAIDERS or bandits and men OF low
habits and of cruel and vicious tenn
permanent. That may be correct estl-
mate of the men, and the Rambler can
sympathize with that estimate even
though he does not indorse It, Quite
a high degree of ruthlessness was
shown by those officers, but war. even
IO6 years ago, was not a delicate and
gentle pastime. Though Great Britain
and the United States have long been
friends. and let us hope that they may
remain friends forever. the Rambler
has two regrets in connection with
the campaign of August. 1914. One is
that the combined land and sea force
of Ross and Cockburn was not
slaughtered before it reached the
Eastern branch, and the other regret
is that it was not slaughtered as IT
marched back to the British ships at
Benedict. The humiliating capture of
Washington was principally due to
two things.
One of these was the bold and
daring soldiership of the British and
the other was lack of anything re-
sembling good soldiership on our part.
Please do not think that the Rambler
is a military critic. He would not
strike that posture for a weeks extra
salary. There are already too many
there are observations that ordinary
common sense can make. There was
not an element Of surprise in the Brit
ish march from Benedict; we knew
they were landing and they were
watched for five days as they moved
along in one column over forty miles
of narrow road through a hilly region
with extensive stretches of open and
wooded country. We looked on their
camps at night. We made no effort
to strike them. We repeatedly estab-
lished contact with them and re-
it. We did not fight sim
gle delaying action. We took up one
defensive position after another and
abandoned it without shot by orders
of officers. regular and militia. Though
from it's base at Benedict. this made no
impression on us. At the bloody" bat,
tie of Blandensburg we killed a
trifling percentage of the invaders.
and except at one point. near the CEN
OF t1 lorna
changing from column into line.
Bladensburg has been held up for
hundred years as blithering ex-
ample of the futility of militia There
were regulars on that field; There
dragons under Lieut.. Col. Lavaa.
There was a company of the 18th
United States Infantry. There were
"detachments" (strength not stated in
reports) of the seth and 3sth United
small detachment" Of United States
artillery under Lieut.. Col. Scott
These troops did not shoot any Oft
ener. or straighter, or kill any more
British, or stay on the neld any longer
than the raw milish" that had been
hastily armed and had had only a
minimum Of close order drill and had
been marched and counter marched to
the point of exhaustion before the
fight" began. Down at Fort Wash
ington, then a weak water battery.
and a brick "block house." the little
regular garrison took to the woods
when Capt Gordon's squadron of two
frigates,~ two rocket ships. two bomb
ships and schooner hove in sight,
on August %. four days after Bladens-
burg.
+ +
After that squadron had collected
its tribute from Alexandria. seamen
under Commodore Rodgers. Com
modor Perry, Commodore Porter and
Capt. Creighton attacked and annoy
ed the rear of the enemy's squadron"
and set up batteries at the White
House Camp Humphreys) and at In
dian Head. All the British ships got
away and the Rambler believes that
there is no record showing that any
body was hurt. The only fight that
was put up was at Bladensburg by
Commodore Barney's sailors and ma
rines, who had two 17-pounders and
three 12-pounders across the road
where the old Wright Rives house
and the bricked-up spring stand now.
Those troops did the best killing that
was done. Yet the British force or