Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-09-05

little more than 1000, opposed by
about 1000 Americans, marched forty
miles from Benedict, deployed at Bla-
densburg. fired a few rounds. burned
and retreated forty miles unmolested
and sustained loss, according to
Ross official report Of Sc killed and
1875 wounded. Even the navy yard au-
thorities set on fire the old Eastern
Branch bridge from the foot of Ken
lucky avenue to MAYORS road and the
Benning bridge. not because the Brit
ish had appeared in that neighbour
hood. but because it was believed they
were coming that way. Great Scott!
my country, what a mess it was! And
Mr.. Regular officer, shake not thy
head nor point an accusing finger, and
declare ut was the 'milish' that done
it," Gen. Winder. who issued orders
in the most perfect form perhaps, who
reconnoitered the ground. planned
disposed the troops and commanded
in the field, was regular. He didn't
Bull Run, Burnside at Fredericks
burg or Hooker at Charlottesville =,
But in all this inglorious affair let us
not blame anybody or any body of
troops. If you will fix the blame it
must be pinned on the Congress of
the United States, President Madison
and his Secretary of War, Gen. Arm
strong, who. by the way, was an Army
officer. Still. one cannot help the
thought that even though Congress
was a muttonhead and the War De-
partment puddinghead the fact re-
mains that the line officers and the
men did not put up any sort of a fight.
So let US pass from this subject.
Perhaps you remember. though it is a
safe bet you do not, that in 1906 the
Rambler walked over the route of the
British from the Patuxent to the Po-
tomac, photographed everything in
sight and from the old reports and
the report of the congressional in
quiry rewrote the whole sad story.
When he believes that sufficient
number of people have forgotten
those "rambles" he may trot them
out again.
Now let us pass to Cockburn and
Ross. Cockburn was as Scotch as
scenes and haggis and Ross was
Irish. It is remarkable how often
one finds that famous Englishman
is either Scotchman or an Irish
man. Admiral Cockburn was born
in 1872, second son OF Sir James
Cockburn, barrister. The patriarch of
the ancient house Of Cockburn was
Alexander de Cockburn, who obtained
the barony of Garden. in the county
of Linlithgow, from King David II in
the year 1858. The brothers and sis
ter of Admiral Cockburn were Will
liam, who took holy orders and be-
came dean of York and married
Elizabeth. second daughter of Sir
Robert Peel; Alexander, who was in
the diplomatic service; Francis. in
the army, and Augusta. who became
the wife of Rev. Charles Hawkins.
The oldest brother of the admiral
was James, baronet. who was under
secretary of state in 1906. governor
of Curacao in 1907 and governor and
commander-in-ch chief of the Bermudas
in 1911. The admiral entered the
British navy at the age of nine. in
1881, and his record in the wars with
the French and Spaniards is a long
and very active one. AS young Of
ficers he and the great Nelson were
close friends. The following relating
to Cockburn in the American war was
taken by the Rambler from sketch
written by Prof. J. K. Laughton and
published in Leslie Stephens Die
tionary of National Biography, at
London, in 1887:
few Days later august, 1922 he was
advanced to be rear admiral, and. hosting his
Dag on board the Marlborough. was sent to
command the squadron before Cadix. In No
yember, however, in consequence OF the war
with the United States, he was ordered to
proceed to Bermuda, where he was Joined by
Sir J. Il. Warren. the commander chief.
and BY him was sent with a small squadron
to attack the enemy in the Chesapeake. Here