Bladensburg, Battle of, was a major British victory during the War of 1812 (1812-1815). It took place at Bladensburg, Maryland , in August 1814. British forces under Major General Robert Ross routed an American army led by Brigadier General William Winder. The outcome allowed British soldiers to occupy nearby Washington, D.C. , the United States capital.
Background.
During the summer of 1814, American forces were fighting the British in Canada. Farther south, U.S. officials feared that Britain was preparing to strike Baltimore or Washington, D.C. On July 2, President James Madison formed the Tenth Military District for the protection of the region. He appointed William Winder to prepare the region’s defense.
Winder, a Baltimore politician and lawyer who had joined the Regular Army at the beginning of the war, did not have a well-regarded military record. He had little experience in battle, and he relied heavily on militia (citizen army) troops. Of Winder’s nearly 7,000 defenders, fewer than 1,000 were trained soldiers. Many questioned Winder’s ability to organize and lead an army.
American fears for the Baltimore-Washington area proved well founded. Britain sent a force to the Chesapeake region to create a diversion in favor of the British forces defending Canada. British warships and troop transports arrived at Chesapeake Bay in August. Major General Robert Ross had about 4,500 veteran troops. His army disembarked at Benedict, Maryland, on August 19. British naval maneuvers kept the Americans guessing as to whether Ross’s troops would attack Baltimore or Washington. Ross finally made the decision to attack the capital.
The battle.
The British force departed Benedict on August 20. Ross left about 500 troops at Upper Marlborough (now Upper Marlboro) on August 23. On August 24, the main part of his army arrived at Bladensburg, on the Potomac River’s Eastern Branch (now known as the Anacostia River). Ross was now 6 miles (10 kilometers) from the capital. Winder’s defending force formed in three lines facing the river.
At about 1 p.m., the British crossed the river. They broke through Winder’s first line, forcing a retreat. Winder ordered his second line to fall back. Only the third line, led by Commodore Joshua Barney and equipped with heavy naval guns, presented any resistance. The British, however, soon overwhelmed the militia protecting Barney’s position and captured him.
By 4 p.m., the battle was over. The Americans’ disorderly retreat became known as the “Bladensburg races.”
The capital burns.
Ross’s army soon advanced toward Washington. At the White House , First Lady Dolley Madison collected important government papers and valued belongings. By 8 p.m., when the British reached the capital, most of the city’s residents had fled. British soldiers looted the White House and set it aflame. They also burned the Capitol , which housed the Library of Congress , and other public buildings. The retreating Americans set fire to the Navy Yard to keep its ships and supplies out of the hands of the British. Ross’s men departed the city the next day.
Aftermath.
During the fighting at Bladensburg, about 70 American soldiers were killed or wounded. British losses totaled about 250 killed or wounded.
The burning of the capital was a serious blow to American pride. American fortunes soon improved, however. In September, U.S. naval forces captured a British squadron on Lake Champlain , and Americans rebuffed a British attack on Baltimore. Americans under General Andrew Jackson later won a decisive victory at New Orleans in January 1815, but this battle was fought after a peace treaty was signed. The White House was rebuilt by 1817.
