USA > Washington DC > Washington DC > Historical sketches of the ten miles square forming the District of Columbia : with a picture of Washington, describing objects of general interest or curiosity at the metropolis of the Union. > Part 31
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Invasion of Washington.
cluding the artillery and rifle corps, on the eve- ning of the 23d; and at 12 o'clock at night, Col. Monroe, in passing through Bladensburg to the City of Washington, advised General Stansbury to fall upon the rear of the enemy forthwith, as it was understood he was in motion for the city. General Stansbury having been ordered to take post at Bladensburg, did not think he was at lib- erty to leave it; but, independent of this consid- eration, the fatigue of the troops under Colonel Sterret, made it impracticable.
On the morning of the $4th, in a short note to the Secretary of War, General Winder says: The information up the river is threatening; Bar- ney, or some other force, should occupy the bat- teries at Greenleaf's Point and Navy Yard, and wishes council from the Government or the Secre- tary of War. Upon this note there is an indorse- ment in the hand writing of General Armstrong, to this effect: "went to General Winder, saw no necessity for ordering Barney to Greenleaf's Point or Navy Yard; advised the Commodore to join the army at Bladensburg, and ordered Mi- nor's regiment to that place. "
On the 18th of August Gen. Van Ness ordered Gen. Young to call out, en masse, the brigade un- der his command, including the Alexandria mili- tia ; the same day two troops of cavalry attached to the brigade were ordered to rendezvous at Bla- densburg; on the 19th, at 4 o'clock in the morning. to accompany Col. Monroe, Secretary of State, and to be subject to his order. On the 20th, in the afternoon, Gen. Young's brigade was ordered by Gen. Winder to cross the Potomac, opposite
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Advance of the British
Alexandria, and encamp in the best position and wait further orders, which was effected. The brigade consisting of 454 men, two brass six pounders, and one brass four pounder. On the 22d early, Gen. Young, by order of Gen. Win- der, marched his brigade and took a position on a height near the head of Piscataway creek, about three miles in the rear of fort Washington, where the ground was favorable for a small detachment to defend the country against a much greater force, and remained in this position until the morning of the 24th, when several orders were given to him ; first, to march towards the Exs- tern Branch bridge ; second, to cross the Poto- mac to the Virginia side. &c. This brigade was intended in its dispositions to aid fort Washinge ton, the town of Alexandria, and to be in a situa- tion to join Gen. Winder.
On the morning of the 24th, Gen. Winder es- tablished his head-quarters near the Eastern Branch bridge ; detachments of horse were out in various directions as videttes and reconnait- ring parties, and arrangements made to destroy the Eastern Branch bridge. Col. George Minor with his regiment of Virginia militia, composed of 600 infantry and 100 cavalry, arrived in the City of Washington in the twilight of the evening of the 2Sd ; he called on the President, who re- ferred him to the Secretary of War for orders ; the Secretary informed him that arms could not be had that night, but gave orders to report him- self to Col. Carberry early in the morning, who would furnish him with arms and ammunition, as he was charged with that duty by Gen. Winder.
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Invasion of Washington.
From early in the morning till late in the fore- noon, Col. Minor sought Col. Carbery diligently, but he could not be found, He rode to head- quarters and obtained an order from Gen. Win- der upon the arsenal for arms, &c. marched to the place with his regiment, and its care he found committed to a young man whose caution in giv- ing out arms. &c. very much delayed the arming and supplying this regiment. An instance is here given when the flints were counted out by the officers of the regiment, to expedite business at this crisis, the young man would count them over before they could be obtained.
Col. Carberry arrived at this moment, apolo- ·
gized for his absence, and informed Col. Minor, that he had the evening previous ridden out to his country scat. Col. Minor was again delayed some small length of time in having to remain to sign receipts, &c. His men were ordered to Capitol hill. In the mean time various reports were brought into head-quarters as to the move- ments and intentions of the enemy; the president and heads of departments collected at head-qoar- ters, in the following order : The president, next secretary of state, next the attorney general, next the secretary of the navy, and last the se- cretary of war and treasury together. Cole Monroe had left head-quarters upon a rumor that gained ground, that the enemy was marching up- on the city by way of Bladensburg, with a view of joining Gen. Stansbury, advising him of the rumor, and to aid him in the formation of a line of battle to meet the enemy. Gen. Stansbury, for reasons given in his report, had marched from
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459
Order of Battle.
his position in advance of Bladensburg, and occu- pied the ground west of that village on the banks of the Eastern Branch. Here the front line of battle was formed by General Stansbury and his officers, with the aid of Col. Monroe, on the pre- sumption that Gen. Stansbury's brigade, and the command of Col. Sterret, including the command of Major Pinckney and Baltimore artillery.
There is a bridge over the Eastern Branch at Bladensburg, and a large turnpike road leading direct to the City of Washington. About 400 yards from this bridge, some small distance to the left of the road, the Baltimore artillery, six pieces of six pounders, occupied a temporary breast-work of earth, well calculated to command the pass over the bridge. Part of the battalion of riflemen, under Major Wm. Pinckney, and one other company. took position on the right of the artillery, partially protected by a fence and brush ; and on the left of the battery, leading to the rear of a barn, two companies, from the regi- ment under Cul. Shutz, and the other part of the riflemen from Baltimore. Col. Ragan was posted in the rear of Major Pinckney, his right resting on the road ; Col. Shutz continuing the line on the left, with a small vacancy in the centre of the two regiments ; and Col. Sterret formed the ex- treme left flank of the infantry. At this moment, Colonels Beall and Hood entered Bladensburg, with the Maryland militia from Annapolis, cross- ed the bridge, and took a position on the most commanding height, on the right of the turnpike, about three hundred yards from the road, to se- cure the right flank. In the mean time, (about
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Invasion of Washington.
11 o'clock,) certain intelligence was received at head-quarters, that the enemy was in full march towards Bladensburg ; which induced Gen. Win- der to put in motion his whole force, except a few men and a piece of artillery left at the East- ern Branch bridge to destroy it. The day was hot, and the road dusty-the march was rapid to Bladensburg. The cavalry and mounted men arrived, and were placed on the left flank, and some small distance in its rear. Gen. Winder now arrived, and told Gen. Stansbury and Col. Monroe, that his whole force was marching for Bladensburg, and approved the dispositions which had been made of the troops ; at which moment, it had become impracticable, in the opinion of the officers, to make any essential change ; for the two armies were now coming to the battle ground, in opposite directions ; and the enemy appeared on the opposite heights of Bladensburg, about a mile distant, and halted 15 or 20 minutes. -- 'This was about 12 o'clock. The troops from the City were disposed of as they arrived. Captain Burch, with three pieces of artillery, was station- ed on the extreme left of the infantry of the first line ; and a rifle company, armed with muskets, near the battery, to support it. About this time the secretary of war arrived, and in a few min- utes after, the president and the attorney general, and proceeded to examine the disposition of the troops. In the mean time, as the enemy advanced into Bladensburg, the officers were forming ra- pidly the second line. The command of Com. Barney came up in a trot ; and formed his men on the right of the main road, in a line with the
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Order of Battle.
command under Colonels Beall and Hood, with a considerable vacancy, owing to the ground. The heavy artillery Com. Barney planted in the road ; the three 12 pounders to the right, under Captain Miller, who commanded the flotilla men and ma- rines, as infantry, to support the artillery. Lieut. Col. Kramer, with a battalion of Maryland mili- tia, was posted in a wood, in advance of the ma- rines and Colonels Beall and Hood's command. The regiment under command of Col. Magruder, was stationed on the left of Com. Barney, and in a line with him and Col. Beall. The regiment under command of Col Brent, and Major War- ring's battallion, and some other small detach- ments, formed the left flank of this second line, and in the rear of Major Peter's battery ; and Lieut. Col. Scott, with the regulars, was placed in advance of Col Magruder, and to the left, forming a line towards Major Peter's battery, but in such a manner as not to mask it ; other small detachments in various directions.
About half after 12 o'clock, while the second line was thus forming, the enemy approached and the battle commenced : the Baltimore artil- lery opened a fire and dispersed the enemy's light troops now advancing along the street of the vil- lage, who took a temporary cover behind the houses and trees, in loose order, and presented objects only occasionally for the fire of the can- non. The enemy commenced throwing his rock- ets, and his light troops began to concentrate near the bridge, and to press across it and the river which was fordable above. 'The battalion of riflemen under Major Pinkney, now united gal-
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Invasion of Washington.
lantly with the fire from the battery. For some minutes the fire was continued with considerable effect ; the enemy's column was not only dispers- ed while in the street, but while approaching the bridge was thrown into some confusion, and the British officers were seen exerting themselves to press the soldiers on. Having now gained the bridge, it was passed rapidly, and as the enemy crossed, flanked, formed the line and advanced steadily on, which compelled the artillery and battalion of riflemen to give way, after which Major Pinkney was severely wounded. He ex- erted himself to rally his men, and succeeded at a small distance in the rear of his first position, and united with the fifth Baltimore regiment.
It appears from reports of several officers, Stans- bury, Pinkney, Law, Sterrett, &c. that the com- mand of Gen. Stansbury was three or four hun- dred yards in the rear of the battery ; of course this small party had to fight with the whole force of the enemy until they retired, and the enemy occupied the ground they left without any con- siderable resistance, as the enemy marched on without halting after the bridge was passed. Capt. Burch and Col. Sterret were about the same dis- tance, when Col. Sterret was ordered to advance to support the first line. One of the pieces of ar- tillery was abandoned, but spiked previously. The enemy soon took advantage of the trees of an orchard which was occupied or held by the force which had just retreated and kept up a galling fire on part of our line. Captain Burch's artil- lery and a small detachment near it now opened a cross fire upon the enemy, Col. Sterret, with
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Battle of Bladensburg.
the 5th Baltimore regiment, was ordered to ad. vance, and made a prompt movement until order- ed to halt, as at this moment the rockets assum- ing a more horizontal direction and passing near the heads of Colonels Shutz and Ragan's regi- ments, the right gave way, which was followed in a few minutes by a general flight of the two regiments, in defiance of all the exertions of Generals Winder, Stansbury and other officers. Burch's artillery and the 5th regiment remained with firmness : the orchard obstructed their fire ; but notwithstanding, the enemy's light troops were, for a moment, driven back by them ; the enemy having gained the right flank of the fifth, which exposed it, Burch's artillery and Colonel Sterret, who commanded the fifth, were ordered by Gen. Winder to retreat, with a view of form- ing at a small distance in the rear ; but instead of retiring in order, the fifth, like the other two regiments of Gen. Stansbury, in a very few min- utes were retreating in disorder and confusion. notwithstanding the exertions of Col. Sterret to prevent it. From reports of various officers ex- ertions were made to rally the men to bring them again to the battle, which partly succeeded in the first instance, but ultimately, and in a short time, all attempts were vain, and the forces routed ; and the first line, together with the horse, were totally routed and retreated in a road which fork- ed in three directions ; one branch led by Rock Creek Church, to Tenley Town and Montgomery court house, another led to George Town, and a third to the City of Washington.
After the retreat of the militia under Col. Kra-
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Invasion of Washington.
mer from his first position, the enemy's columu in the road was exposed to an animated discharge from Major Peter's artillery, which continued until they came into contact with Com. Barney : here the enemy met the greatest resistance and sustained the greatest loss, advancing upon our retreating line. When the enemy came in full view, and in a heavy column in the main road, Com. Barney ordered an 18 pounder to be open- ed upon them, which completely cleared the road, scattering and repulsed the enemy for a moment. In several attempts to rally and advance, the enemy was repulsed, which induced him to flank to the right of our lines in an open field. Here Capt. Miller opened upon him with the three 12 pounders, and the flotilla men acting as infantry. with considerable effect. The enemy continued flanking to the right and pressed upon the com- mand of Colonels Beall and Hood, which gave way after three or four rounds of ineffectual fire. at a considerable distance from the enemy, while Col. Beall and other officers attempted to rally the men on this high position. The enemy very soon gained the flank and even the rear of the right of the second line. Com. Barney, Capt. Miller, and some other officers of his command being wounded, his ammunition wagons having gone off in the disorder, and that which the ma- rines and flotilla men had, being exhausted ; in this situation a retreat was ordered by Com. Br- ey, who fell himself into the hands of the enemy.
The second line was not exactly connected, 'posted in advantageous positions in connec- with, and supporting each other, The com.
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Battle of Bladensburg.
mand cf Gen. Smith, including the Georgetown and City militia, still remained in order and firm without any part having given way, as well as the command of Lieut. Col. Scott of the regulars, and some other corps. The enemy's light troops had in the mean time advanced on the left of the road, and had gained a line parallel with Smith's command, and in endeavoring to turn the flank, Col. Brent was placed in a position calculated to prevent it ; the enemy also advanced, and came within long shot of part of Col. Magruder's com- mand, which opened a partial fire, but without much effect ; and at this moment and in this situ- ation Gen. Winder ordered the whole of the troops .then stationary, to retreat, which was ef- fected with as much order as the nature of the ground and the occasion would permit ; these troops, after retreating five or six hundred paces, were halted and formed, but were again ordered to retreat by Gen. Winder. Gen. Winder then gave orders to collect and form the troops on the heights west of the turnpike gate, about one mile and a half from the capitol, which order was in part executed, and the forces formed by Gen. Smith and the other officers, when Col. George Minor came up with his regiment of Virginia vo- lunteers, and united his forces with Gen. Smith's command, having been detained, as before stated, in obtaining arms, ammunition, &c. ; but, while in the act of forming, Geh. Winder gave orders to retire to the capitol, with an expectation of being united with the troops of the first line. Col. Minor was ordered to take a certain position and disposition, and cover the retreat of all the forces
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466
Invasion of Washington.
by remaining until all had marched for the capi- tol. The troops were again halted at the Capitol while Gen. Winder was in conference with Col. Monroe and Gen. Armstrong.
The first line and the cavalry, except Col. La- vall's, had taken a route which did not bring them to the Capitol ; the most of them had pro- cecded north of the District of Columbia, and others dispersed and returned home, and sought refreshment in the country. The commanding general represented the diminution of his force, the dispersion of a large portion of it, the want of discipline, the great fatigue of the troops, and be- lieved that it would be impossible to make effec- tual resistance to the invasion of the City ; nor did he think it would be proper to attempt to de- fend the Capitol, the troops being without provi- sions, and which would leave every other part of the City to the mercy of the enemy, and the pros- pect of losing his army. In this consultation the secretaries of state and war, it appears, concur- red in their views with Gen. Winder, and advis- ed him to retire and rally the troops upon the heights of Georgetown; this produced an order for the whole forces to retreat from the Capitol hill through Georgetown. On receiving this or- der the troops evinced the greatest anguish, and that order which had been previously maintained was destroyed. Gen. Smith in his report uses
this language : " When the order for a retreat from Capitol hill was received, the troops evinced an anguish beyond the power of language to ex- press. " The troops were halted at Tenley town. ind an attempt was made to collect them to.
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The Retreat.
gether, which only partially succeeded. Some returned home ; some went in pursuit of refresh- ments, and those that halted gave themselves up to the uncontrolled feelings which fatigue, ex- haustion, privation and disappointment produced. The force thus collected were marched about five miles up the Potomac, and early in the morning, 'Thursday the 25th, orders were given to assem- ble the troops at Montgomery court-house. Gen. Winder seems to have taken this position with a view to collect his forces, and to interpose for the protection of Baltimore, in case the enemy march- ed upon it, as was anticipated by him. On the 23d Gen. Winder despatched an order to the commanding officer at fort Washington to place patroles on every road leading to the garrison ; and upon the event of his being taken in the rear of the fort, to blow it up and retire across the river. On the 26th, the army at Montgomery took up the line of march about ten o'clock to- wards Baltimore : Gen. Winder proceeded on to Baltimore. On the 27th, Gen. Smith's brigade marched to this District.
The distance from Benedict to the City of Washington, by Bladensburg, is upwards of fifty miles. The enemy was without baggage wagons or means of transportation ; his troops much ex- hausted with fatigue; many compelled to quit the ranks, and extraordinary exertions used to keep others in motion ; and as if unable to pursue our forces, remained on the battle ground : the ene- my's advance reached the city about 8 o'clock in the evening, the battle having ended about £ o'clock, or before. The main body of the enemy
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Invasion of Washington.
remained on the heights west of the turnpike gate.
Doctor Catlett, the superintending surgeon. who was admitted to attend upon the wounded. and who passed through the enemy's camps and remained at Bladensburg until the city was eva- cuated, had the best opportunity of estimating the loss on both sides, as well as a good oppor- tunity to ascertain the number and force of the enemy. He estimates it as follows :
Of the Enemy .- On capitol hill, 700; turn- pike hill, 2000 ; wounded at Bladensburg, 300; attendants 300 ; wounded and attendants in the city of Washington, 60; killed at Bladensburg and the city, 180; total force, 3540. This state- ment is corroborated by all the information in his power, besides his own observations. Mr. Law estimated the enemy, on its march, at 5000; but from the best information, his estimate would be about 4,500. Col. Monroe, who viewed the enemy on his march, estimated the number at about 6000. Gen. Winder states that the best opinion at the wood-yard, made the enemy from 5 to 7000. Our forces are variously estimated; and indeed, from the manner of collecting them. and their dispersion, makes it difficult to ascer- tain the number with perfect accuracy. Gen. . Stansbury represents colonel Ragan's regiment at 550; col. Schutz's regiment at 800; colonels Beall's and Hoods, at 800; col. Sterret's regi- went at 500: major Pinckney's command, inclu- ding two companies of artillery, 500; making 2953. But general Winder estimates colonel Beall, 6 or 700: deduct 100, this leaves 9853 .-
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Supposed Estimate of Forces.
To which add the command of general Smith, and militia that united with him at the wood-yard, Battalion Old-fields, &c. the regulars under lieut. colonel Scott, Barney's command, the cavalry, &c. 3200; making an aggregate number of 6053. Besides this force, several detachments are spo- ken of by general Winder's officers, not known, amounting to several hundred. But as a small detachment was left at the Eastern Branch bridge, others, particularly some of the cavalry, were on detachment, reconnoitring, &c. the number of our forces may be estimated at least 6000, including about 20 pieces of artillery, 2 eighteen pounders, S twelves, and the balance six pounders. Our loss on the field of battle, killed, is estimated, by the superintending sur- geon, at 10 or 12, and the wounded, some of whom died, at about 30. General Winder's offi- cial report estimates our loss at about SO killed and 50 wounded.
'The probable estimate of British forces on the 24th August : Total, 4500. Killed at Bladens- burg and in the city, 150 ; wounded at both pla- ces, 300. American forces, 6000. Killed, 20 ; wounded 40 ; besides the regiment under com- mand of Col. Minor, 600 infantry and 100 horse, which met the retreat on the west of the turnpike gate ; and Gen. Young's brigade, about 500, which was ordered to remain on the banks of the Potomac, about 12 miles from the City of Wash- ington, until the evening of the 24th, when he crossed over to Alexandria, and proceeded to Montgomery court-house, to join the main army.
The enemy, on the evening of the 25th, made
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Invasion of Washington.
the greatest exertions to leave the City of Wash. ington. They had about 40 indifferent looking horses, 10 or 12 carts and wagons, one ox cart, one coach, and several gigs ; these were sent to Bladensburg to move off the wounded ; a drove of 60 or 70 cattle preceded this party. Arriving at Bladensburg, the British surgeon was ordered to select the wounded who could walk ; the 40 horses were mounted by those who could ride ; the carts and wagons loaded, and upwards of 90 wounded left behind. About 12 o'clock at night the British army passed through Bladensburg ; and parties continued until morning, and strag- glers until after mid-day. The retreat of the enemy to his shipping was precipitate and ap- parently under an alarm, and it is supposed that it was known to him that our forces had marched to Montgomery court-house.
COMMODORE BARNEY'S LETTER.
Extract of a letter from Commodore Barney, to the Secretary of the Navy, dated
FARM AT ELK RIDGE, Aug. 29, 1814.
I was informed the enemy was within a mile of Bladensburg-we hurried on. The day was hot, and my men very much crippled from the severe marches we had experienced the days be- fore, many of them being without shoes, which I had replaced that morning. I preceded the men, and when I arrived at the line which sepa- rates the district from Maryland, the battle began. I sent an officer back to hurry on my men; they came up in a trot; we took our position on the
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Barney's Letter.
rising ground, put the pieces in battery, posted the marines under captain Miller, and the flotil- lamen. who were to act as infantry, under their own officers, on my right to support the pieces, and waited the approach of the enemy. During this period the engagement continued, and the enemy advancing, our own army retreating be- fore them, apparently in much disorder. At length the enemy made its appearance on the main road, in force, and in front of my battery, and on seeing us, made a halt. I reserved our fire. In a few minutes the enemy again advanc- cd, when I ordered an 18 pounder to be fired, which completely cleared the road; shortly after, a second and a third attempt was made by the enemy to come forward, but all were destroyed, They then crossed over into an open field, and attempted to flank our right; he was there met by three 12 pounders, the marines under captain Miller, and iny men, acting as infantry, and again was totally cut up. By this time not a vestige of the American army remained, except a body of five or six hundred, posted on a height on my right, from whom I expected much support, from their fine situation.
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