Then part of the land making up the district of columbia. This was a very wealthy port on the potomac. And they also could pose a threat to other targets in washington that hadnt been taken by the british army. Though they dont know this at this point. Georgetown had been left alone by the british and theres an important foundry that makes weapons for the u. S. Navy that is still sitting untouched. In any event, they were proceeding up river when theyre hit by the huge storm. The remarkable storm that comes through washington on august 25th sweeps down river and severely damages several of the ships in gordons squadron. And they have to stop to make repairs. They almost considered turning back at that point. But they keep coming up river. They sailed past mt. Vernon, which was just down river from here. And finally on august 27th, they come in sight of ft. Washington, which is the last fortress guarding the Potomac River as they on the approach to alexandria in washington. This was the
And u. S. Capitol building. Historians recently discussed the battle in bladensburg, maryland. They are introduce d by Rushern Baker. I want to welcome everyone to this roundtable discussion on the war of 1812. Were certainly happy to have you in bladensburg, maryland, in the county of Prince Georges County. You know, i am the county executive of Prince Georges County Rushern Baker and i get the pleasure of doing something i love to do and thats talking about history and the role the state and county place. I want to welcome our cspan audience who may be watching today on this 200th anniversary of the battle at bladensburg, which i think is tomorrow, the 200th anniversary. As i said i majored in history at Howard University so this is going to be a really fun day for me and im looking forward to hearing from our panel of experts. Normally you hear elected officials talk a lot, this is the most youll hear me so well get to those who are here who are experts and enlighten us all. On our
Hes been quite fearful that georgetown will be attacked. A a few days later, it is from this home that he would launch the mission to try to gain 8p maryland who had been taken prisoner by the british, a and this would ultimately lead to his eyewitnessing of the bombardment of ft. Mchenry and ultimately to thev f writing e national antent them. A big rainstorm hit the city that night after the n÷ britisd gone back to their camp, and extinguishes some of the flames including at the treasury. And coburn, the next morning, he rides up to the white house pretty much for the ae satisfn of seeing the burnt building and he also wanted to make sure that some of the parts of the building that hadt not been extinguished by the rain, and one party sent up to the navy yard, and coburn remarks that he is glad that the americansrn e÷d him the trouble of burning the place, but he sends some of his sailors and loyal marines there remaining buildings that had not been burned. Another party comesvel
A big rainstorm hit the city that night after the n÷ britisd gone back to their camp, and extinguishes some of the flames including at the treasury. And coburn, the next morning, he rides up to the white house pretty much for the ae satisfn of seeing the burnt building and he also wanted to make sure that some of the parts of the building that hadt not been extinguished by the rain, and one party sent up to the navy yard, and coburn remarks that he is glad that the americansrn e÷d him the trouble of burning the place, but he sends some of his sailors and loyal marines there remaining buildings that had not been burned. Another party comesvel down hero point, and this was the southern tip of the city at this point. 2p the federal government had a large arsenal ofs;fcannons and hundreds of kegs of powder stored there. And the party Royal Marines gets to it, and they find the well sh, and they try to destroy it, and some of the cannons that had been left behind. And they are in the proc
Saved by several businessmen from new york who came by4pqon secured a wagon and took it away in maryland for safekeeping. Now, dolly rides into georgetown adison friends, and she is etown waiting more word from madison. President madison arrives at the white house around 4 00 in the afternoon. Dolly is left, and he takes sort of the last look around the place, and she is accompanied by a couple of aides. He is obviously exhausted and a 60yearold man who had been riding out on a horseback out to a battlefield to come under rocket fire, and has come back to the white house, and you can only imagine what his thoughts are at this moment. This is the nation that he had helped conceive. He had been the Guiding Light behind the constitution. And now, you know, americas great enemy Great Britain had a clear path and was on its way into washington. He stopped and pauses for a glass of wine and collects his thoughts and then gets on horseback to ride down here to georgeto georgetown where the su