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76 HISTORY OF MARYLAND.
resolve to march on Washington. "As general of brigade under Lord
Wellington," says the English narrative, " General Ross had no doubt, learned
th'e art of war in an excellent school, but only to obey, with no more
responsibility than a colonel commanding a battalion. But, at the head of an
independent army, upon his determination depend, he feels, not only the success, but the lives and safety of the troops. This diffidence, General Ross
exhibited in the loss, first, of three hours in Nottingham, and again, of eight at
Marlborough. The truth is, that the capture of Washington was not the original end of the expedition. To destroy the flotilla was the sole object of
the disembarkation; and, but for the instigations of Admiral Cockburn,
who accompanied the army, the capital of the enemy would probably
have escaped its visitation. It was he, who, on the retreat of the flotilla
from Nottingham, urged the necessity of a pursuit; and it was he who also
suggested the attack on Washington, and, finally, prevailed on General Ross to
venture so far from the shipping." And General Ross, in his letter to Earl
Bathurst, dated August 30th, 1814, says: "Having advanced to within six-
tesn miles of Washington, and ascertaining the force of the enemy to be such
as might authorize an attempt at carrying his capital, I determined to
make it."x And in his official report he says :
" To Rear-Admiral Cockburn, who suggested the attack on Washington, and accompanied the army, I confess the greatest obligation for his cordial co-operation and
advice."
In conformity with the wishes of General Ross, Rear Admiral Cockburn
immediately sent orders on the afternoon of the 23d of August, to his marine
and naval forces at Pig Point to move immediately over to Mount Calvert,
and with the marines and marine artillery and a portion of the seamen to
disembark and join him at Upper Marlborough with all possible dispatch.
They arrived in due time, and it was arranged that Captain Robyns with the
marines should remain and keep possession of Marlborough, while the
marine artillery and seamen accompanied the army. On the night of the
23d, General Ross bivouacked at a place called Melwood, about three miles
from the Old Fields, and some ten or twelve miles from Washington. To
save his troops as much as possible from the excessive heat, General Ross, at
an early hour on the 24th of August, put them in motion, directly for Bladensburg, twelve miles from his camp, and at four o'clock A.M. passed the Old
Fields, the position of the American camp. An advance of two miles
further brought him to a fork of the road, one branch of which runs northward to Bladensburg, distant about ten miles, and the other westward to
Washington by the Eastern Branch Bridge, distant seven or eight miles.
Here he practised the same ruse as at the fork of the road from Nottingham
to^Upper Marlborough. He took the road leading directly to Washington
by the Eastern Branch Bridge and advanced his whole force until his last
column passed the fork, then suddenly countermarched and moved rapidly to
Bladensburg.
1 Wilkinson, i. Appendix, No. xix.
| Title | History of Maryland - 3 |
| Creator | Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas) |
| Publisher | J. B. Piet |
| Place of Publication | Baltimore |
| Date | 1879 |
| Language | eng |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Title | 00000101 |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Transcript | 76 HISTORY OF MARYLAND. resolve to march on Washington. "As general of brigade under Lord Wellington," says the English narrative, " General Ross had no doubt, learned th'e art of war in an excellent school, but only to obey, with no more responsibility than a colonel commanding a battalion. But, at the head of an independent army, upon his determination depend, he feels, not only the success, but the lives and safety of the troops. This diffidence, General Ross exhibited in the loss, first, of three hours in Nottingham, and again, of eight at Marlborough. The truth is, that the capture of Washington was not the original end of the expedition. To destroy the flotilla was the sole object of the disembarkation; and, but for the instigations of Admiral Cockburn, who accompanied the army, the capital of the enemy would probably have escaped its visitation. It was he, who, on the retreat of the flotilla from Nottingham, urged the necessity of a pursuit; and it was he who also suggested the attack on Washington, and, finally, prevailed on General Ross to venture so far from the shipping." And General Ross, in his letter to Earl Bathurst, dated August 30th, 1814, says: "Having advanced to within six- tesn miles of Washington, and ascertaining the force of the enemy to be such as might authorize an attempt at carrying his capital, I determined to make it."x And in his official report he says : " To Rear-Admiral Cockburn, who suggested the attack on Washington, and accompanied the army, I confess the greatest obligation for his cordial co-operation and advice." In conformity with the wishes of General Ross, Rear Admiral Cockburn immediately sent orders on the afternoon of the 23d of August, to his marine and naval forces at Pig Point to move immediately over to Mount Calvert, and with the marines and marine artillery and a portion of the seamen to disembark and join him at Upper Marlborough with all possible dispatch. They arrived in due time, and it was arranged that Captain Robyns with the marines should remain and keep possession of Marlborough, while the marine artillery and seamen accompanied the army. On the night of the 23d, General Ross bivouacked at a place called Melwood, about three miles from the Old Fields, and some ten or twelve miles from Washington. To save his troops as much as possible from the excessive heat, General Ross, at an early hour on the 24th of August, put them in motion, directly for Bladensburg, twelve miles from his camp, and at four o'clock A.M. passed the Old Fields, the position of the American camp. An advance of two miles further brought him to a fork of the road, one branch of which runs northward to Bladensburg, distant about ten miles, and the other westward to Washington by the Eastern Branch Bridge, distant seven or eight miles. Here he practised the same ruse as at the fork of the road from Nottingham to^Upper Marlborough. He took the road leading directly to Washington by the Eastern Branch Bridge and advanced his whole force until his last column passed the fork, then suddenly countermarched and moved rapidly to Bladensburg. 1 Wilkinson, i. Appendix, No. xix. |
