The "General" mounted to follow, when, "looking back," he "saw his Cabinet behind." "Monroe, you're late!' quoth Madison, And now, as "Tis late indeed, I fear, For us to steer for Bladensburg; The British are so near."" "" "The Cabinet on horseback sat," they "reasoned high," as to whether they should set out for the camp, "Or northward straight should fly." Before the council ended "Cuffee screamed, 'De Shappohat and sword"" of the General "be leave behind," when he was directed to bring them at once. This caused a little delay, but the "gallant Four"-Madison, Monroe, Armstrong, and Rush (the "Boatswain," Secretary of the Navy, was detained)-soon reached the "country road," when they moved on rapidly, not a little accelerated by the "loud blast of a bugle-horn," which disturbed "our hero," the General, "it scared his horse so." 66 "Away went he, and after him Our heroes rode apace; They little dreamt, when they set out, Of running such a race." With some mishaps and much trepidation, they at length came unto the spot where Winder's forces lay," when they anxiously inquired: all Now, telling Armstrong and Rush to "stay here in camp," the "General," with Monroe as his "aid," said he would return-adding: "And, Winder, do not fire your guns, Till we are out of sight-forsooth, They flew toward Montgomery, the "General:" "Then, speaking to his horse, he said, 'I am in haste to dine: . 'Twas for your pleasure I came here; You shall go back for mine.' "Now, at Montgomery, his wife Her gallant husband, wond'ring much To see how he did ride. "Stop, stop! your Highness, here's the house!' “Here, at Montgom'ry, you're as safe "Stop him, Monroe! here's sister Cutts, The dinner's cold, and we are tir'd!' But the distant cannonade so frightened the steeds that "neither horse nor James a whit inclined to tarry there," and, with Monroe, the "General" kept on until they finally brought up at Frederick, much to the astonishment of everybody on the road-the women thinking "our General rode express:" "And so he did; for he first bore The news to Frederick-town; "Now, long live Madison, the brave! And Rush, and Cutts, Monroe and Jones! "And when, their country's cause at stake, Our General and Monroe Next take the field, to lead our troops "But fly their posts-ere the first gun Stop! stop! Potomac ! stop thy course! Nor pass Mount Vernon's Grave!" The whole production reveals an undercurrent of disrespect and bitterness-especially towards Madison-which leads to the supposition that the verses were written very soon after the battle. They were printed in 1816, but the author of them, so far as I am aware, is unknown. WASHINGTON, December 2, 1885. CHAPTER XII. LETTER FROM MR. GEORGE R. GLEIG, CHAPLAIN-GENERAL OF THE BRITISH ARMY, CONCERNING THE BATTLE OF BLADENSBURG, IN WHICH MR. GLEIG WAS A PARTICIPANT-NOTE OF ANSWER TO HIM. BYLANDS, WINCHFIELD, 11th Nov., 1885. THE HON. HORATIO KING: MY DEAR SIR,-I am very much obliged to you for sending me a copy of the Magazine of American History, which contains your interesting paper on the "Battle of Bladensburg and the Capture of Washington." You describe well the state of feeling among the inhabitants of the city, and are doubtless more correct than one of the invading force could be as to the strength of the defending troops brought into the field. But your authorities do us some injustice when they speak of large desertions from our ranks and acts of pillage by our men. We did not lose a single man by desertion. And never, perhaps, was so little damage done to the persons and property of the peaceable inhabitants by any hostile army on its march to or from the capital. You know what my opinions are of the wanton destruction to public buildings in Washington itself. They were those of the home Government at the time, and are entertained now by all classes. But in the details related by you there are many ludicrous mistakes. I was one of the battalion which first took up a position on the high ground overlooking the capital, and I can vouch for it that not a mortal shot was fired either before or after the conflagration took place. Of the dinner in the President's House, I certainly did not partake; but I was told by more than one of the officers who professed to have been present at it, that it was a reality and not a myth. So, likewise, in regard to our numbers, there can be no mistake. We landed four battalions of the line and one of marines, 3600 bayonets, which the sailors who dragged our 3-pounder guns, and the fifty artillerymen who worked them, raised to about 4000 in all. Writing as I did without reference to official documents, I much overrated our loss in battle, which, including several deaths by sunstroke, amounted to a little over 300, not 500. So difficult is it to be quite exact in writing history when historians of different nationalities undertake to describe events, each as it had represented itself to his own idiosyncrasy. Born in 1796, I shall complete my ninetieth year on the 20th of April next, if I live so long. Let me add that, while it lasted, the musketry fire of your people at Bladensburg was as sharp as any which I ever encountered from the French. Once more thanking you for giving me the pleasure of reading your account of our operations, in which I took part upwards of seventy years ago, believe me, Very sincerely yours, G. R. GLEIG. 66 [NOTE.-Mr. Charles J. Ingersoll, author of an "Historical Sketch" of the war, is the authority for stating that the British troops fired at the Capitol before entering and taking possession of it. He says, Drawing up their column on the east of the building, after a short consideration whether it should be exploded by gunpowder or consumed by fire, the latter was resolved upon by the enemy, as was believed, lest the blowing up should injure adjacent dwellings. The troops were ordered to fire a volley into the windows, after which the commanders let their followers into the interior." This statement is reiterated by a gentleman from Bladensburg, vouched for as reliable by Mr. Ingersoll, and "confirmed by the important testimony of a highly respectable English officer." This Bladensburg gentleman, "with all the recollections [Ingersoll says] of the very spot," gives the following account of the firing on General Ross. He says that after Commodore Barney was wounded and captured, "his sailors and marines, retreating reluctantly, were burning with anxiety to have another brush with the enemy, but were marched off by the officers, their rear being closely followed by the British troops until they entered the suburbs of Washington, when a party of the sailors entered a three-story brick dwelling-house belonging to Robert Sewell, and awaited the near approach of the enemy's column, led by General Ross in person, when they fired a volley which killed or disabled the horse upon which the general was mounted. The sailors then retreated by the rear of the building, and the British set fire to and destroyed the house." With respect to the elaborate dinner said to have been set out for the President and invited guests at the White House, Ingersoll says, "Mr. John Sousa, Mr. Madison's porter, a respectable Frenchman, who still (in 1849) survives, pronounces all this account of food a fable." The private houses and the stores pillaged, according to Ingersoll, were those of Messrs. Spriggs, Boon, Burch, |