The picture was saved, and it now adorns one of the
reception rooms in the White House.
The British entered Washington at sunset, August 24, 1814, and at once
began to plunder, burn and destroy. The capitol, president's house,
treasury buildings, arsenal and barracks were burned, and of the public
buildings only the patent office was saved. Some private houses were
plundered and others were burned. While these buildings were blazing in
the city, the public vessels and other government property at the navy
yard were in flames, for Commodore Tingey, who was in command there, had
been ordered to destroy this property in case it was likely to fall into
the hands of the invaders. Two millions of dollars' worth of public
property were destroyed on that night.
On the 27th of August, three days later, Alexandria was plundered of her
public stores by the British. Having taken an enormous amount as ransom
for the city, the British sailed down the Potomac, annoyed part of the
way by the guns from the American forts.
Fernando Stevens' riflemen, after the battle of Bladensburg, hastened
toward Baltimore, which they knew to be also threatened. Here they found
the people energetically making every possible effort to defend the
city. Fort McHenry, which commanded the harbor, was garrisoned by about
a thousand men, under Major Armistead, and was supported by redoubts.
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