Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-08-24

nave IldO 10 Sul1Cl, CIllS UdbC
1873 years ago was I'M
doubtedly the greatest, since it was
on August a. 1914, that the British
invaded Washington and burned its
public buildings.
It was warm, Sultry morning,
one just befitting the season. The
entire populace was filled with
excitement at the approach of Gen.
Ross army. which had been antic-
ipa ted for months.
In June Of that year only 2.l45
effective men of the Regular Army
were in reach-one-half at New
York, one-fourth at Fort McHenry,
Baltimore, and the other quarter
divided among Annapolis, Fort
Washington and ST. Marys, besides
a company of Marines at Fort
Washington on the Potomac and
500 recruits for the Army from North
Carolina in a camp for instruction
near Washington The latter were
actually sent TO the Northwestern
frontier as late as one month before
Washington was burned.
Headed for Chesapeake Bay.
On the 9Th of June it became
known to the authorities in Wash
ington that the Emperor of Russia
and the King of Prussia had entered
Paris on March 80 with 10000 men.
Official information was also given
the President that Louis XVIII had
9scended the French throne, that
Gonaparte was a prisoner and that
peace reigned in France. He was
also acquainted with the fact that
the actual embarkation of the British
had begun, including number of
Wellington's veteran regiments, and
that it was no secret that their
estimation was Chesapeake Bay. Yet
no adequate plans were set on foot
to save from capture and destruction
the Nations Capital.
A typical illustration of the con-
dition then existing in Washington
is in connection with the Virginia
regiment. under Col Minor. When
this regiment arrived here on the
evening preceding the battle. instead
of being Immediately supplied with
arms and ammunition, the colonel
In charge was instructed to make
his men put in order the few guns
which they had brought with them
and. in the morning, to report in
person to Col. Carbery, who would
furnish him with additional arms.
Call for Arms.
Complying with instructions, the
following morning he applied, bright
and early for the arms, but was in
formed that Col. Carbery had gone
out to his country seat the evening
before After several hours spent in
most painful waiting for his return
Col. Minor was authorized by Gen.
Winder to get the arms by any
means. However, almost imme-
diately thereafter Col Carbery rode
up and the arms were ordered dealt
out. but without the necessary f1ints,
which were later procured and dealt
out one by one, and not thrown out
by the handful, as the exigency of
the situation would have warranted.
Indeed, 1t is related that they were
counted as carefully as il they had
been coins. and that, after counting
out considerable number, the man
doing the counting, fearing he had
made q mistake, insisted upon
counting them over again. the result
being that Col Minors regiment was
not able TO join the Army before the
retreat.
Notifying as the defeat of the
Americans was at Bladensburg, yet
most comforting was the defense
offered by Commodore Joshua Bar
ney and his brave sailors, assisted
by Capt. Miller and 80 men of the
Marine Corps, in all, 583 men.
Barney had been ordered to de-
fend the Eastern Branch Bridge, but