228 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1814. 



were fortunate eiiougli to arrive 

 up in time to take tlieir share in 

 this battle, excepting Captain Pal- 

 mer, of'the Hebrus, with his aide- 

 de-camp, Mr. Arthur Wakefield, 

 midshipman of that ship, and 

 Lieutenant James Scott, tirst of 

 the Albion, who acted as my aide- 

 de-camp, and remained with me 

 during the whole time. 



The contest being completely 

 ended, and the enemy having re- 

 tired from the field, the general 

 gave the army about two hour's 

 rest, when he again moved for- 

 ward on Washington. It was, 

 however, dark before we reached 

 the city ; and on the general, my- 

 self, and some officers, advancing 

 a short way past the first houses 

 of the town, without being ac- 

 companied by the troops, the 

 enemy opened upon us a heavy 

 fire of musketry from the capitol 

 and other houses : these were there- 

 fore almost immediately stormed 

 by our people, taken possession of, 

 and set on fire, after which the 

 town submitted without further 

 resistance. 



The enemy himself, on our en- 

 tering the town, set fire to the 

 navy yard, filled with naval stores, 

 a frigate of the largest class, almost 

 ready for launching, and a sloop of 

 war lying off it, as he also did to 

 the fort which protected the sea 

 approach to Washington. 



On taking possession of the city, 

 we also set fire to the president's 

 palace, the treasurj', and the war- 

 office ; and in the morning Cap- 

 tain Wainwright went with a 

 party to see that the destruction in 

 the navy yard was complete, when 

 he destroyed whaiever stores and 

 buildings had escaped the flames 

 of the preceding night; a large 

 quantity of ammunition and ord- 



nance stores were likewise de- 

 stroyed by us in the arsenal, as 

 were about two hundred pieces of 

 artillery of difl'erent calibres, as 

 well as a vast quantity of small 

 arms. Two rope-walks of a very 

 extensive nature, full of tar rope, 

 &c. situate at a considerable dis- 

 tance from the yard, were likewise 

 set fire to and consumed. In short. 

 Sir, I do not believe a vestige of 

 public property, or a store ot any 

 kind, which could be converted to 

 the use of the government, escap- 

 ed destruction : the bridges across 

 the eastern branch of the Potow- 

 mac were likewise destro}'ed. 



This general devastation being 

 completed durmg the day of the 

 25th, we marched again at nine 

 that night on our return, by Bla- 

 densburgh, to upper Marlborough. 



We arrived yesterday evening at 

 the latter without molestation of 

 any sort, indeed without a single 

 musket having been fired ; and 

 this morning we moved on to this 

 place, where I have found his 

 Majesty's sloop Manly, the ten- 

 ders, and the boats, and I have 

 hoisted my flag, pro tempore, in the 

 former. The troops will probably 

 march to-morrow, or the next day 

 at farthest, to Benedict, for re- 

 embarkation, and this flotilla will 

 of course join you at the same 

 time. 



In closing. Sir, my statement 

 to you of the arduous and high- 

 ly important operations of this 

 last week, I have a most pleas- 

 ing duty to perform, in assuring 

 you ofthe good conduct of the ot- 

 ficers and men who have been 

 serving under me. I have been par- 

 ticular!}' indebted, whilst on this 

 service, to Captain Wainwright, of 

 the Tonnant, for the assistance he 

 has invariably afforded me ; and to 



