Home school of American history; embracing the growth and achievements of our country from the earliest days of discovery and settlement to the present eventful year .. . against the city. The government hadawakened to the threatened peril a short time before, and placed 500 regularsand 2,000 undisciplined militia under the command of General William Winder took a strong position at Bladensburg and awaited Ross and Coch-rane. The British army met with no opposition, and, upon reaching Marl-borough, found that Commodore Barney, acting under the orders of the secretaryof war, had burne
Home school of American history; embracing the growth and achievements of our country from the earliest days of discovery and settlement to the present eventful year .. . against the city. The government hadawakened to the threatened peril a short time before, and placed 500 regularsand 2,000 undisciplined militia under the command of General William Winder took a strong position at Bladensburg and awaited Ross and Coch-rane. The British army met with no opposition, and, upon reaching Marl-borough, found that Commodore Barney, acting under the orders of the secretaryof war, had burned his fleet and hurried to Washington. The English com-mander arrived in sight of Washington on the 24th of August. His approachto Bladensburg was over a bridge defended by artillery from Barneys flotilla, CAPTURE AND BURNING OF WASHINGTON. 197 which were handled l)y Barney and liis sailors. They fought with the utmostheroism, rej)elling the British again andagain; but the militia fled, and, whenBarney was wounded and his commanilhelpless, he surrendered. General Rosscomplimented him for his bravery and im-mediately paroled him. This was the only check encountered. ilM^J^.,^^^^4 BUHUING OF WASHINGTON. by the British in their ad-vance upon Washington,rjeneral Winder had learnedenouiih of his militia toknow that no dependence•ould be placed upon them,and he fled to President, heads ofdepartments, and most ofthe citizens joined in thestampede, and the advanceguard of General Ross entered the city that evening. The British commander ofiered to spare the city for a large sum of money,^ 198 ADMINISTRATIONS OF MADISON. but no one was within reach with authority to comply with liis demand. Rossclaimed that his flag of truce had been fired on, and he ordered the city to beburned. In the conflagration that followed, the Presidents house, the depart-ment offices, numerous private dwellings, the libraries and public archives, manyworks of art in the public buildings, the n
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