Evening star., 1948-07-25
By John CIoeett Proctor

made a miscount, insisted upon
counting them over again, the re-
suit being that Col. Minors regi-
ment was not able to join the Army
before the retreat.
Inglorious as the defeat OF the
Americans was at Bladensburg, yet
most comforting was the defense
offered by Commodore Joshua
Barney and his brave sailors, as
sisted 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 when it was ascertained that
the enemy had suddenly wheeled
to the right, he at once solicited
permission to abandon this position
and to be allowed to march with his
force to join the Army, then posted
near Bladensburg.
Barney Wounded
Riding ahead, he came to some
American forces, drawn up in de-
tached parties, the firing having
already begun. He instantly dis
patched an officer to hasten the
march of his men. who came up in
a trot, Notwithstanding their ex-
hausted condition. He stopped at
the District line, and had scarcely
time to form his men and unlimber
his guns, which were served with
such great precision that they
wrought havoc in the ranks OF the
advancing enemy, until being as
saulted by them also on the flank,
deserted by the supporting Mary
land regiment, with his ammuni-
ton nearly exhausted, he ordered
his Marines, and the seamen acting
as infantry under the f1otilla officers
to make a counterattack upon the
enemy, who we're driven back, while
his battery played upon them with
grape and canister, inf1icting severe
losses.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Amer
leans had disappeared. and the
British were able to center their at
tack on Barneys men. Barney's
horse was shot from under him,
several of his best officers were
killed Or wounded and he himself
was severely wounded in the thigh.
Realizing the hopelessness OF
further prolonging the conflict with
such a small force, without ammuni-
ton, and being nearly surrounded
by the enemy, he felt 1t his duty
to order a retreat, which was ef-
fected in perfect order. The loss
of blood weakened him so that be
was forced to lie down at the spring
which until recently was at the
east side of Bladensburg road, q
little south of the entrance to Fort
Lincoln Cemetery, the site now be-
ing covered by bungalows. Here
ne ordered his officers to leave him
1t was not long before Capt. Vain
wright came up. and upon ascsr-
tanning the con7modores identity
went in search of Admiral Cock
ourn, who soon made his appear
ance, accompanied by Gen. Ross
Bridges Destroyed
In addition to setting fire to
the Virginia end of the Long
Bridge, our troops. before abandon
ing the city, destroyed the Benning
and the Pennsylvania Avenue
Bridges.
The total value of property de-
stroyed was then estimated at ST.
100000. which today, no doubt would
amount to 10 times as much. This
of course, has no reference to the
Congressional Library, for there is
always something here which can
not be replaced; not so, however,
with the many public documents
destroyed. which made the actual
loss stupendous.
Of the loss sustained. President
Madison later said in his message:
They wantonly destroyed the
public edifices. having no relation
in their structure to operation OF
war, nor used at the time for mill
tary annoyance. Some of these
edifices were also costly monuments
Of taste and of the arts, and Others