Notes

Incorrect deductions were drawn on the fact that the British troops maneuvered to give the Americans the impression that Baltimore was their destination, and General Armstrong could not be convinced that Washington would be the target of the invasion and not Baltimore, an important center of commerce. President James Madison sent Secretary of State James Monroe out to reconnoiter, and on August 23rd, Madison received a frightening dispatch from Monroe… “The enemy are in full march to Washington, Have the materials prepared to destroy the bridges, PS – You had better remove the records. On August 20, 1814, over 4,500 seasoned British troops landed at the little town of Benedict on the Patuxent River and marched fifty miles overland bent on destroying the Capitol and other federal buildings. In July, 1814, after the British fleet had been in control of the Chesapeake Bay for more then a year, a separate military command was created under Brigadier General William Winder, for the defense of Washington, Maryland, and eastern Virginia. General John Armstrong, the Secretary of War, thought this was more than enough to protect the Capital. Finally, several regiments of the Maryland Militia were called from Baltimore to defend the Capital. The strongest repulse against the British was made by Commodore Joshua Barney and his almost 600 seasoned Marines and sailors. As a precaution, two bridges across the Anacostia River were destroyed to protect the Capital, thus leaving a route through Bladensburg as the logical approach. ” To the later regrets of President Madison and his advisers, Monroe’s reports were ignored. General Winder sent troops to Marlborough to intercept the British, but they hurried back when they learned the enemy was already entering Bladensburg.