In 1814
General Winder warned the
President and his cabinet of the danger to the national capital from a contemplated invasion by the
British.
The obstinate and opinionated
Secretary of War (
Armstrong) would not listen; but when
Admiral Cochrane appeared in
Chesapeake Bay with a powerful land and naval force, the alarmed
Secretary gave
Winder a carte blanche, almost, to do as he pleased in defending the capital.
Com. Joshua Barney was in command of a flotilla in the bay, composed of an armed schooner and thirteen barges.
These were driven into the
Patuxent River, up which the flotilla was taken to a point beyond the reach of the British vessels, and where it might assist in the defence of either
Washington or
Baltimore, whichever city the
British might attack.
To destroy this flotilla, more than 5,000 regulars, marines, and negroes were landed at
Benedict, with three cannon; and the
British commander,
Gen. Robert Ross, boasted that he would wipe out
Barney's fleet and dine in
Washington the next
Sunday.
The boast being known, great exertions were made for the defence of the capital.
General Winder, relieved from restraint, called upon the veteran
Gen. Samuel Smith, of
Baltimore, to bring out his division of militia, and
General Van Ness, of
Washington, was requested
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to station two brigades of the militia of the District of Columbia at
Alexandria.
Winder also called for volunteers from all the militia districts of
Maryland.
General Smith promptly responded, but the call for volunteers was not very effectual.
Meanwhile the
British, who had pursued
Barney up the
Patuxent in barges, were disappointed.
Seeing no chance for escape, the commodore blew up his flotilla at
Pig Point (Aug. 22. 1814), and with his men hastened to join
Winder at his headquarters.
When
General Ross arrived, perceiving
Barney's flotilla to be a smoking ruin, he passed on to upper
Marlboro, where a road led directly to
Washington, D. C., leaving
Admiral Cockburn in charge of the
British flotilla of barges.
To oppose this formidable force,
Winder had less than 3,000 effective men, most of them undisciplined; and he prudently retreated towards
Washington, followed by
Ross, who had been joined by
Cockburn and his sailors ready for plunder.
That
night (April 23) the
British encamped within 10 miles of the capital.
At the latter place there was great excitement, and there were sleepless vigils kept by soldiers and civilians.
Uncertain whether
Washington City or
Fort Washington was the intended destination of the invaders,
Winder left a force near
Bladensburg, and with other troops closely watched the highways leading in other directions.
The anxious
President and his cabinet were awake that night, and at dawn the next morning (Aug. 24), while
Winder was in consultation with them at his headquarters, a courier came in hot haste to tell them that the
British were marching on
Bladensburg.
Winder sent troops immediately to reinforce those already there, and soon followed in person.
The overwhelming number of the invaders put his little army in great peril.
He was compelled to fight or surrender; he chose to fight, and at a little past noon a severe contest began.
The troops under
General Winder, including those from
Baltimore (about 2.200) and detachments at various points watching the movements of the
British, with the men of
Barney's flotilla, were about 7,000 strong, of whom 900 were enlisted men. But many of these were at distant points of observation.
The cavalry did not exceed 400.
The little army had twenty-six pieces of cannon, of which twenty were only 6-pounders.
With these troops and weapons
Winder might have driven back the invaders, had he been untrammelled by the
Secretary of War and the rest of the seemingly bewildered cabinet.
As the
British descended the hills and pressed towards the bridge at
Bladensburg, they commenced hurling rockets at the exposed
Americans.
They were repulsed at first by the
American artillery, but being continually reinforced, they pushed across the stream (east branch of the
Potomac) in the face of a deadly
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fire.
A terrible conflict ensued, when another shower of rockets made the regiments of militia break and flee in the wildest disorder.
Winder tried in vain to rally them.
Another corps held its position gallantly for a while, when it, too, fled in disorder, covered by riflemen.
The first and second lines of the
Americans were now dispersed.
The
British still pressed on and encountered
Commodore Barney and his gallant flotilla-men.
After a desperate struggle, in which the commodore was severely wounded,
Winder ordered a general retreat.
Barney was too badly hurt to be removed, and was taken prisoner.
He was immediately paroled.
The great body of the
Americans who were not dispersed retreated towards
Montgomery Court-House,
Md., leaving the battle-field in full possession of the
British.
The
Americans lost twenty-six killed and fifty wounded. The British loss was more than 500 killed and wounded, among them several officers of rank and distinction.
The battle lasted about four hours. The principal troops engaged were militia and volunteers of the District of Columbia; militia from
Baltimore, under to command of
General Stansbury; various detachments of
Maryland militia; a regiment of virginia militia, under
Col. George Minor, 600 strong, with 100 cavalry.
The regular army contributed 300 men;
Barney's flotilla, 400.
There were 120 marines from the
Washington navy-yard, with two 18-pound and three 12-pound cannon.
There were also various companies of volunteer cavalry from the
District, Maryland, and
Virginia, 300 in number, under
Lieutenant-Colonel Tilghman and
Majors O. H. Williams and
C. Sterett.
There was also a squadron of United States dragoons, commanded by
Major Laval.
