Burning of Washington

Burning of Washington
Part of the War of 1812
"The Taking of the City of Washington in America" 1814 engraving
Date August 24, 1814 Location Washington, D.C. Result British razing of Washington, D.C.
Belligerents
Great Britain	United States
Commanders and leaders
Robert Ross George Cockburn	none
Strength
4,250	none
Casualties and losses
1 KIA Several Killed from Weather	None

The Burning of Washington took place in 1814, during the continental North-American War of 1812 between the British Empire and the United States of America. British forces occupied Washington, D.C. and set fire to many public buildings. The facilities of the U.S. government, including the White House, were largely destroyed, though strict discipline and the British commander's orders to burn only public buildings are credited with preserving most residences. Most historians assert that the attack was in retaliation for the American looting of York, Upper Canada (now Toronto, Ontario) after the Battle of York in 1813, and the burning down of the Parliament Buildings of Upper Canada. The British Army commanders said the goal was to attack Washington "on account of the greater political effect likely to result," and did not mention York. The proof of the retaliation comes from the fact that Governor-General Sir George Prevost of Canada had written to the Admirals in Bermuda calling for a retaliation for the American sacking of York. He needed their permission and provision of naval resources. At the time, it was considered against the civilized laws of war to burn a non-military facility and the Americans had not only burned the Parliament but also some private warehouses which were also looted. Further proof of the retaliation was that after the limited British burning of some facilities of Washington, the British left. There was no territory that they wanted to occupy and no military facility that they had planned to attack.

The White House was set ablaze causing extensive damage. Only the exterior walls remained, and they had to be torn down and mostly reconstructed due to weakening from the fire and subsequent exposure to the elements, except for portions of the south wall. A legend emerged that during the rebuilding of the structure white paint was applied to mask the burn damage it had suffered, giving the building its namesake hue. This is unfounded as the building had been painted white since its construction in 1798. Of the many spoils taken from the White House when it was ransacked by British troops, only two have been recovered — a painting of George Washington, rescued by then-first lady Dolley Madison, and a jewelry box returned to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1939 by an old man who said his grandfather had taken it from Washington.

Events

On August 24, 1814, the advance guard of British troops made a march to Capitol Hill; they were too few in number to occupy the city, so General Robert Ross intended to eliminate as much of it as possible. He sent a party under a flag of truce to agree to terms, but they were attacked by partisans from a house at the corner of Maryland Avenue, Constitution Avenue, and Second Street NE. This was to be the only resistance the soldiers met. The house was burned, and the Union Flag was raised above Washington.

The buildings housing the Senate and House of Representatives — construction on the trademark central rotunda of the Capitol had not yet begun — were set ablaze not long after. The interiors of both buildings, including the Library of Congress, were destroyed, although the thick walls and a torrential rainfall preserved their exteriors. (Thomas Jefferson later sold his library to the government to restock the Library of Congress.) The next day Admiral Cockburn entered the building of the D.C newspaper, National Intelligencer, intending to burn it down; however, a group of neighborhood women persuaded him not to because they were afraid the fire would spread to their neighboring houses. Cockburn wanted to destroy the newspaper because they had written so many negative items about him, branding him as "The Ruffian." Instead he ordered his troops to tear the building down brick by brick making sure that they destroyed all the "C" type so that no more pieces mentioning his name could be printed.

Gilbert Stuart's White House portrait of Washington

The troops then turned north down Pennsylvania Avenue toward the White House. First Lady Dolley Madison remained there after many of the government officials — and her own bodyguard — had already fled, gathering valuables, documents and other items of importance, notably the Lansdowne Portrait, a full-length painting of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart. She was finally persuaded to leave moments before invading soldiers entered the building. Once inside, the soldiers found the dining hall set for a dinner for 40 people. After eating all the food, they took souvenirs (e.g., one of the president's hats) and then set the building on fire.

Fuel was added to the fires that night to ensure they would continue burning into the next day; the flames were reportedly visible as far away as Baltimore and the Patuxent River.

The British also burned the United States Treasury building and other public buildings. The historic Washington Navy Yard, founded by Thomas Jefferson and the first federal installation in the United States, was burned by the Americans to prevent capture of stores and ammunition, as well as the 44-gun frigate Columbia which was then being built. The United States Patent Office building was saved by the efforts of William Thornton—architect of the Capitol and then superintendent of patents—who convinced the British of the importance of its preservation. Also spared were the Marine Barracks, which some attribute as a gesture of respect for their conduct at Bladensburg.

Less than a day after the attack began, a hurricane which included a tornado passed through, damaging the invaders and putting out the fires. This forced the British troops to return to their ships, many of which were badly damaged by the storm, and so the actual occupation of Washington lasted about 26 hours. President Madison and the rest of the government quickly returned to the city.

Aftermath

The Burning of Washington forms the background to this portrait of the Rear Admiral George Cockburn

The thick sandstone walls of the White House survived, although scarred with smoke and scorch marks. Reconstruction of the White House began in early 1815 and was finished in time for President James Monroe's inauguration 1817. Madison resided in The Octagon House for the remainder of his term. Reconstruction of the Capitol did not begin until 1815, and it was completed in 1864.

The British raid on Washington successfully diverted the attention of the government, and was designed to land a humiliating blow to the Americans. The attack was not as demoralizing as Cockburn intended, for it caused outrage among many previously neutral or anti-war Americans, and diverted forces the British needed in their failed invasion of New York state.

References

• White House Historical Association: The Burning of Washington
• Martin, John. "The British Are Coming: Historian Anthony Pitch Describes Washington Ablaze," LC Information Bulletin, September 1998

Further reading

• Pack, A. James.The Man Who Burned The White House, Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1987. ISBN 0-87021-420-9
• Pitch, Anthony S.The Burning of Washington, Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 2000. ISBN 1-55750-425-3
• Phelan, Mary KayThe Burning of Washington: August 1814, Ty Crowell Co, 1975. ISBN 0-690-00486-9
• Latimer, Jon 1812: War with America, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2007. ISBN 0-674-02584-9
• Whitehorne, Joseph A. The Battle for Baltimore: 1814 (1997)