Existing comment:
The Battle of Bladensburg:
British:
On August 24th, the British broke camp and moved northwest to the town of Bladensburg where they knew they could easily ford the Eastern Branch of the Anacostia River and cross into Washington. Here, the 4,000 seasoned English forces easily routed the American defenses led by General Winder and his larger but mostly raw force of 6,000 militia, 1,000 regulars, 400 men under Commodore Barney, and 114 marines. The defeat at Bladensburg allowed the British to continue unopposed into Washington DC where they sacked and burned many of the public buildings, including the Capitol, the President's House and the Treasury Building.
Ross and Winder both reached Bladensburg around noon. Ross' main force waited outside of the town while a small group of soldiers scouted ahead for snipers. There were none, but the maneuver resulted in an hour long delay that gave Winder time to position his men. |