Meanwhile the British were steadily approaching. A flotilla of boats and barges kept up the Patuxent River abreast of the English troops. The flotilla was commanded by Cockburn. The land troops were led by General Ross, an Irish officer from Wellington's army. As the English drew nearer, reports of their numbers kept reaching the ears of the Americans in Washington. They were magnified into 10,000 men, in splendid fighting order. General Winder had raised hastily and without proper preparation, 7,000 men, and a small force of cavalry. These should have been enough, and more than enough, to overcome all the British force. The defense was placed at Blagdensburg, a town six miles from the capital, through which the English must pass to invade it. Three days after their landing, the English came upon Blagdensburg, and the American outposts there. All the morning they had been marching through one of the thick forests, cool and impenetrable to the sun's rays. About noontide they came out into a road without shade, and the intense heat of the sun's rays, pouring with full force upon them, had been very severe. Many had fallen under it, unable to go on. When the English came in sight of Blagdensburg, they found the American army in three lines, one behind the other, within the distance of a mile. The first line was formed on a low hill, which overlooked a bridge, across which ran the direct road to Washington. The English charged across the bridge, and were driven back by the Americans. A second charge and they were over, and had gained another step on their journey. There has been a great deal said about the battle of Blagdensburg, and the folly of the country in allowing the British to get so far without check. It certainly seems, when we look at the matter, as if 7,000 men, even if part of them were undisciplined, might have kept back a force so much smaller. But the Americans had heard very exaggerated reports of the number of their foes, and did not go into battle with the confidence which is a part of success. After their first line was broken, the English troops easily drove back the second and third line, and in less than four hours they had driven the last detachment of the Americans to retreat to the forests where the enemy could not pursue them. By eight o'clock that evening the invading army marched into our national capital. President Madison and his cabinet had been on the field of battle during the day, but as they saw the certainty of their defeat, they rode hurriedly back to Washington to save what they could. Mrs. Madison had loaded a cart with her valuables, in readiness to depart. Just before leaving she remembered the great portrait of Washington which hung on one of the walls of the presidential mansion. The frame could not easily be taken down and carried away, and the energetic lady cut the canvas from its frame, and rolling up the picture, took it with her into safety. The whole party fled across the Potomac, and sought refuge in a village there for that night. When the English officers entered the White House, they found there an excellent dinner which had been prepared for the president and his party. The table was spread with the best dishes, table linen and plate, the wine waiting in wine coolers, the plates in plate warmers before the dining-room fire, and the roast meats turning on the spit. The conquerors sat down and ate with very good appetites. I wish it had made them better natured, but their first movement after dinner was to set fire to all the public buildings, the Capitol, President's House, Arsenal, Public Library, all the buildings belonging to government. The blaze lit up the whole heavens and turned night into day for many miles around. During the night a terrible storm of rain and hail came up, and after this storm had somewhat abated, the English, who had begun to fear the Americans might come back in numbers too strong for them, marched silently and rapidly back to their fleet, embarked, and put back to Chesapeake Bay. Thus ended the invasion of Washington, one of the most exciting events of the war. The English believed it a great victory, but as Washington was only a newly built, straggling, unfurnished city, only fourteen years before an uncleared spot in the wilderness, its destruction very slightly affected the fortunes of the country. The English fleet next sailed up into Patapsco River to Baltimore, and attempted to take that city. But Baltimore was able to repulse their attack, and send them away in mourning. General Ross, their gallant Irish commander, was killed in the attempt to take the city. During the attack on Baltimore the English vessels in the bay bombarded Fort McHenry, which guarded the approach to the city by water. Just before the firing began, on the night of the 14th of September, a volunteer soldier, named Francis Scott Key, had gone on board one of the vessels, under a flag of truce, to urge the release of some American prisoners taken at Washington. He was detained on the English ship during the bombardment. At midnight the firing ceased, and Key waited with intense anxiety for daylight, to see if the flag still floated over McHenry. When the morning dawned, it was still flying proudly from the top of the fort. On the deck of that ship where he had passed a night of sleepless anxiety, Key composed the song of "The Star Spangled Banner,” since one of our national songs. "Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. CHAPTER XIII. MACDONOUGH'S VICTORY. "Old Ironsides." - Macdonough on Lake Champlain. - Fight on Lake and on Shore. - Victory in the Fleet. - The British Defeat at Plattsburg. OUR good ships did excellent service on the sea all this year of 1814. The Constitution was always a "lucky ship," so the superstitious sailors said, and got the title of "Old Ironsides," which she has borne from that day. One of our poets has written some lines about "Old Ironsides," which every American school-boy knows. |