burning of washington

[missyfan45]

in 1814 washinton was burned by the british, famously Dolley Madison saved a painting of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart but other aliens or meddlers could run amok there.

[Catsmate]

Aug 24, 2020 23:20:53 GMT missyfan45 said:

in 1814 washinton was burned by the british, famously Dolley Madison saved a painting of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart but other aliens or meddlers could run amok there.

Actually she didn't.
The painting was saved by Jean Pierre Sioussat (aka John Susé, the French born 'door-keeper' and Master of Ceremonies for the White House) and the President's gardener, a man named McGraw. The incident is documented in the diaries of Paul Jennings, then a fifteen-year-old boy and James Madison's personal slave.
Mrs. Madison fled only with some silver as the British army was held to be close by.
The picture, along with various other valuables, was put by the three onto a cart and taken away. Oh and the painting is a copy.

As you suggest the Burning of Washington is an excellent opportunity for a spot of looting saving antiques and books.

A fair amount of stuff wasn't saved from the White House (which wasn't called the White House then but the the Presidential Mansion; the white paint was to cover smoke damage) which suggest that a couple of people with the appropriate equipment could lift a fair amount. A bit beneath Tabby Fellowes or Lady Christina but they could rise to the challenge.
I'd suggest suitable attire (uniform or servant's clothes), some prying and cutting tools, a stunner (just in case) and a large sack ('SWAG' optional). If you're planning to carry the stuff I'd recommend a couple of strong horses, good tack and riding lessons. And don't be an amateur and leave your getaway horses unguarded; there are a lot of desperate people around.

• I have the tingle that suggests this is somewhere my players will be visiting soon.....
• Almost as much fun as the trip to the other White House I have planned for them.
  

So what else might be going on in Washington that Wednesday?
One fact to remember is the weather; specifically "The Storm that Saved Washington", probably the edge of an Atlantic hurricane, which damped out many of the fires, though damaging other buildings, and forced an early retreat.


The Library.
Has anyone seen The Name of the Rose? If not watch it, an excellent film brimming with ideas to be borrowed and an excellent work. There's a scene in it where

SPOILER: Click to show

William of Baskerville (Sean Connery) runs out of the burning library, smoke blackened, clutching an armful of the books he's saved.

At the time the Library of Congress was housed in the Capitol Building (along with Congress and the Supreme Court); this was a prime target for British arson. In fact they intended to burn the building to the ground.
That's a collection of three thousand volumes, mainly in the field of law (the LoC was intended purely as a reference library for members of the houses).

• The books were replaced when Thomas Jefferson’s personal library (about 6,300 volumes) was purchased, after much debate in 1815 for $23,950. This collect widened the scope of the library drastically, including books on art, science, and philosophy. Most of this collection was destroyed in second fire 24DEC1851.
• Obviously an opportunity for a second visit.
  

The Navy Yard.
After witnessing the burning of the Capitol building on 24AUG Captain Thomas Tingey, director of the Washington Navy Yard, ordered the yard and several war ships burned to prevent capture by the British.
While probably not that interesting the Navy Yard is an excellent location for captured alien spacecraft to be stored and examined. Or perhaps the headquarters of the Special Congress.
Speaking of which perhaps someone plans to use the attack on Washington as cover for looting their archives and collection of recovered artefacts and 'Anomalies'? It could be an official British plan or private enterprise.

Perhaps their headquarters was in, at or under Fort McNair at Greenleaf Point. While the arsenal there was emptied of gunpowder an explosion killed more than thirty British troops when they attempted to fire the complex.


Other towns.
Washington wasn't the only American town raided and burned. On 02JUL the British raided St. Leonard in Maryland, where they destroyed naval supplies and residences. This this spread terror along the shores of the Chesapeake Bay and many people left the coast.
On 19JUL a force of about 1,500 British marines captured Leonardtown in Maryland; there they seized or destroyed  provisions and military stores.


Timeline.
17AUG1814: the British fleet carrying over 4,000 troops and commanded by Robert Ross anchored at the mouth of the Patuxent River, 65km south-east of Washington.

• For anyone planning to prevent the attack this is a huge and condensed target.
  

19AUG: led by Major General Robert Ross a force of 4,400 troops comes ashore from the transports in the Chesapeake Bay at Benedict in Maryland; about 40km from the mouth of the Patuxent and about 80km south-east of Washington. They were to attack Washington, but Ross also planned to destroy a flotilla (commanded by Joshua Barney) on the Patuxent.

24AUG: Early in the morning President James Madison receives an urgent request from General William Winder, commanding marines and militia in the Washington area, for a meeting. At 7AM Madison and his entire cabinet went to Winder's headquarters at the Eastern Branch Bridge (crossing the Anacostia River). The meeting broke up at approximately 10AM when a messenger brought news that the British were marching on Bladensburg, a crossroads town 10km north-east of the city.

Winder and his staff left for Bladensburg immediately, accompanied at Madison's orders, by Secretary of War John Armstrong. Joshua Barney, who'd commanded the now destroyed flotilla on the Patuxent, was also sent with about five hundred sailors and marines.
Separately and a little later Madison himself went to Bladensburg to assess the situation, accompanied by Attorney General Richard Rush and an African American freeman servant, James Smith. They arrived arounf 12 noon.

• Madison borrowed a pair of pistols from Albert Gallatin, Secretary of the Treasury. He ans his small party almost rode into the British lines.
  

Despite outnumbering the British force five-to-one², having superiority in artillery and cavalry,having prepared earthworks and fighting a force who'd marched 25km through hot weather, the Battle of Bladensburg was a rout for the US forces.

• Unless someone intervenes, with a Davy Crockett perhaps.
• Commodore Barney and his sailors performed notably well. About five hundred strong his force stopped the British advance for a time with artillery fire and a downhill infantry charge. However as the militia fled around them the small force was forced to retreat. Barney himself was shot in the thigh and captured; impressed by his bravery he was paroled almost immediately.
  

As soon as defeat became apparent Madison told his Smith to head to the Presidential Mansion and tell the Dolley Madison to take flight as a British attack on Washington seemed inevitable.
Smith arrived at the Presidential Mansion at 3PM.

Madison, exhausted and accompanied by Brigadier General John Mason and Attorney General Rush, arrived at the Presidential Mansion about 4PM. His wife had already gone.
In very poor spirits at the overwhelming British victory at Bladensburg, Madison ate nothing before leaving the city. The meal produced for him and his cabinet would be eaten by British troops before they burned the building.

Roughly in order of attack:

• The Navy Yard (burned by the Americans) and at least one private house from where Americans had fired on them were the first attacks at around sunset (around 7:30PM).
  
• The incomplete Capitol where the Library of Congress was burned.
  
• A force of about 150 men marched down Pennsylvania Avenue (photo op!) and took the Presidential Mansion; after eating, drinking and looting they burned the building.
  
• The Treasury Building was looted; however no specie was left there. The British camped for the night on Capital Hill.
  
• Early on 25AUG the remains of the Navy Yard were burned along with the Treasury Building.
  
• Then they moved on to the State, War and Navy departments and the National Intelligencer; a newspaper that Cockburn felt had insulted him. Persuaded by neighbours of the 'paper not to burn the building, it was comprehensively demolished.
  
• They then moved on to Fort McNair
• That evening the storm struck and the British withdrew to the fleet at Benedict
  

Hope this helps.
Anyone have any ideas, comments or suggestions?






1. 21 Soho Square, London. Around 1800.....

2. Winder had between 1,000 and 1,500 'regular' troops, Marines, Army and sailors, and about 7,000 State militia. The British strength was about 1,500 with three cannon and no cavalry. They did have and use rockets.

[missyfan45]

hmmm maybe some "time collectors' wanna loot some books".