Barney's flotilla lay at Pigs Point on the Patuxent, near Upper Marlboro. The British naval contingent moved up the Patuxent and the land forces moved on a road parallel to the west bank. When the British forces arrived in the vicinity of Upper Marlboro, the American flotilla was blown up by order of the Secretary of the Navy. This part of their mission having been arranged by an obliging enemy, and finding themselves only a few miles from Washington, with no serious opposition, the land forces abandoned their naval base on the river and proceeded in the direction of the Capital, taking the northern road through Bladensburg.

These troops had served with Wellington on the Spanish Peninsula and were well-seasoned veterans. The abdication and banishment of Napoleon to Elba had released them for service in America. They left Bordeaux on June 2. They landed much debilitated as the result of close confinement during a sea voyage of seventy days. The weather was exceedingly sultry and marching told severely upon them. Lieutenant Gleig, who was a subaltern, has left an interesting narrative of the events from the British point of view. He says:-"The second day, we marched six miles, during which a greater number of soldiers dropped out of the ranks and fell behind from fatigue, than I recollect seeing in any march

on the Peninsula." They were hampered by a lack of cavalry, which they attempted to improvise by seizing horses from the farmers. In this way they mounted some fifty soldiers who did duty as cavalry. The country over which the British troops marched was intersected with streams and woods. It was peculiarly adapted to defense and guerrilla warfare. In most places the road was so far from the river that the British infantry could not be supported by the naval detachment. Lieutenant Gleig served in the advance guard during the march from Benedict. He tells us that he expected to find the road obstructed by broken bridges and fallen trees, and that the advance would be harassed continually by hostile fire, and a repetition of the tactics from which the British suffered on their march from Concord and Lexington. He says that until they reached Upper Marlboro, the only hostile body met were two American riflemen, who represented themselves as friendly inhabitants hunting squirrels with bayonets. The lack of initiative on the part of American forces, and their failure to contest the advance, were powerful factors in determining the English to attempt a raid on Washington, after their mission against the American flotilla had been accomplished by the co-operation of the American Navy Department. The first and only serious opposition was encountered at Bladens

burg, where the American forces were drawn up in three lines on the west bank of the East Branch. The bridge and its approaches were commanded by American artillery consisting of twenty-six cannon. The British had no guns, except three small pieces called "grasshoppers" which had no appreciable effect on the result. Lieutenant Gleig's description, somewhat abbreviated, is:

"Our advance guard rushed the bridge. The fire of the American guns was very effective. We cleared out the American skirmishers on the bank. Their falling back on the first line threw it into confusion and before their infantry had fired a shot, the whole first line fled leaving the guns on the road. Our first line deployed, and covering the whole front advanced against the American second line. Our first line was too thin and was forced back to the bank of the stream and hung there. Our second brigade crossed, the Fortyfourth Regiment turned the American left, and the second line ran. The Fourth Regiment came up and defeated the rest. The fight lasted from one until five in the afternoon. About two-thirds of the British force was engaged. Their loss was five hundred men in killed and wounded. With the exception of a party of sailors from the gunboats under the command of Commodore Barney, no troops could behave worse than the Americans did. The skirmishers were driven in as soon

as attacked, the first line gave way without offering the slightest resistance, and the left of the main body was broken within a half-hour after it was seriously engaged. Of the sailors, however, it would be an injustice not to speak in the terms which their conduct merits. They were employed as gunners, and not only did they serve their guns with a quickness and precision, which astonished their assailants, but they stood till some of them were actually bayoneted with fuses in their hands, nor was it till their leader was wounded and taken and they saw themselves deserted on all sides by the soldiers that they quitted the field."

General Ross moved his troops to the vicinity of Washington where they encamped. The rout of the American army was complete. Ross attempted to open negotiations for the ransom of the city. It is said that the only official he could find was a janitor of one of the public buildings, who refused to negotiate, because the questions involved were beyond the jurisdiction of a janitor. The city was occupied by a few troops. The Capitol, White House, Treasury, Arsenal, barracks, rope-walk, a newspaper office, and several private residences were burned. The English justified the destruction of private property by the fact that some one fired a shot from the Sewall house at General Ross which killed his horse. On the night of August 25, Ross left the city, retrac

ing his march without molestation to Benedict, which he reached on the 29th and re-embarked on September 6.

The American Government had early definite information, that the troops which left Bordeaux were intended for operation in the Chesapeake, but preparations were delayed. On July 4, the President's Cabinet held a meeting to consider the situation. A few days later a request was issued for ninety-three thousand militia to be organized at home and held in readiness. An immediate call was made for fifteen thousand. On July 2, the Tenth Military District, consisting of the State of Maryland, District of Columbia, and a part of Virginia, was created, and the command assigned to General Winder. As stated by the Secretary of War, "not on the ground of distinguished professional service, but because General Winder was a native of Maryland and a relative of the Governor." General Winder was a lawyer in Baltimore, who volunteered at the beginning of the war, was made a lieutenant-colonel, was captured, and about a year afterward exchanged, and made a general.

Two days after the British landed, General Winder's call for the militia was approved. On August 21, some troops were mustered and on the 22d were reviewed by the President. General Winder with a brigade of militia proceeded