BS: March on Washington, 1814

Subject: RE: BS: March on Washington, 1814
From: Ebbie
Date: 22 Aug 14 - 12:49 AM

From Wikipedia:

"On August 24, 1814, after defeating the Americans at the Battle of Bladensburg, a British force led by Major General Robert Ross occupied Washington City and set fire to many public buildings, including the White House and the Capitol, as well as other facilities of the U.S. government.[3] The attack was in part a retaliation to American actions in the Raid on Port Dover.

Throughout the history of the United States, the U.K. is the only country to have ever burned the White House or Washington, D.C., and this was the only time since the American Revolutionary War that a foreign power captured and occupied the United States capital."

Subject: RE: BS: March on Washington, 1814
From: Mrrzy
Date: 21 Aug 14 - 11:21 PM

Somehow I thought it was the Canadians who burned the White House to the ground...

Subject: RE: BS: March on Washington, 1814
From: Rapparee
Date: 21 Aug 14 - 09:32 PM

Could you Brits come back and sort of clean house for us? No need to burn anything this time around, though.

Subject: BS: March on Washington, 1814
From: robomatic
Date: 21 Aug 14 - 08:43 PM

200 years ago this week.

There was plenty of warning the British were coming. The defenses were ill-led militiamen, the attackers were well trained and well-led, many veterans of the Napoleonic Wars.
The President and his wife fled before the onslaught.
And the White House was put to the torch. The British burned Washington.

"All Things Considered" American Public Radio, is doing a radio report of the events in the style of "You Are There". It's a lot of fun, if listening to one of the great losses of American forces in history can be said to be fun.