Star-Spangled Banner • Star-Spangled Banner 2018 • Washington, D.c., Region

In August 1814, residents of the small riverfront town of Benedict saw a startling sight: nearly 4,400 enemy troops were disembarking from more than 50 warships and other vessels. The force grew even larger after the British Army and Navy linked up in Upper Marlboro, creating a truly imposing force set on invading America’s fledgling federal city.

Thousands of American militiamen and soldiers, including some that had served nobly as part of Commodore Joshua Barney’s recently scuttled U.S. Chesapeake Flotilla, confronted the British at Bladensburg, just a few miles east of the Capital. However, the American forces proved too inexperienced and disorganized to put up much of a fight. The road to Washington, D.C., was left wide open.

Before long, the U.S. Capitol and White House were set aflame. President James Madison and his wife Dolley, along with hundreds of frightened citizens, fled the city, while the Declaration of Independence and other important documents were rushed to safety in the surrounding countryside. With morale ebbing, the young nation licked its wounds.

August 24, 1814 – Two days after destroying his U.S. Chesapeake Flotilla instead of surrendering it to the British, Commodore Joshua Barney links up with other American troops in a brave but futile defense of Bladensburg.

August 25, 1814 – Having already set the Library of Congress, White House and unfinished U.S. Capitol on fire the night before, British troops burn more government buildings. The U.S. Navy destroys the Washington Navy Yard rather than have it fall into enemy hands.

August 26, 1814 - President James Madison sets up a temporary office in Brookeville, Md., making it “The United States Capital for a Day.”

August 27, 1814 – As the British navy approaches, Fort Washington is destroyed by its own garrison without a shot being fired. The next day, a defenseless Alexandria, Va., surrenders.

August 30, 1814 – A victorious British force, having pulled back to Nottingham and Benedict following its foray into Washington, boards ships on the Patuxent River.

Secretary of War John Armstrong was convinced that Washington, D.C., would not be an enemy target because of its minor strategic value when compared to cities such as Portsmouth and Baltimore. The District was left poorly defended and, as a result, the Capital became occupied by a foreign power for the first and only time in America’s history.

Quaint country roads in the southern part of this region are, in some cases, the very ones used by British troops in August 1814 during their march northward toward Washington.

Soldiers, sailors and Royal Marines laden with artillery disembarked from boats near a circa-1790 plantation house known today as the Mount Calvert Historical and Archaeological Park [1]. The force then made its way deeper into Upper Marlboro, where a cluster of sites have ties to the war. Mattaponi is a home that belonged to Governor Robert Bowie, who assisted in rounding up enemy soldiers looting the area. Academy Hill contains the grave of Dr. William Beanes, an American prisoner of war whose release negotiations brought Francis Scott Key to Baltimore to witness the bombardment of Fort McHenry. (See page 42.) St. Thomas Episcopal Parish (formerly Page’s Chapel) is the supposed burial spot for several British soldiers. Finally, Darnall’s Chance [2] is an 18thcentury residence that was home to John Hodges, who stood trial for treason during the war. (Hodges was tried for “delivering up prisoners to the enemy,” but former Maryland Attorney General and wounded Bladensburg war veteran William Pinkney won him an acquittal.)

Captain Samuel Dyson commanded Fort Washington Park [3], which sits on a high bluff of the Potomac River. Upon seeing his position threatened by a British squadron, Dyson decided to blow up the fort without a single shot being fired, an action that led to his dismissal. A new fort was completed in 1824 and played an important role in protecting Washington during the Civil War.

Also on the Potomac River, Mount Welby [4] was the residence of Mary Welby DeButts, who wrote letters describing the British squadron’s advance. The circa-1811 home is now part of Oxon Cove Park & Oxon Hill Farm, where visitors can participate in hands-on agricultural activities and living-history programs.

To the north, 6,000 American troops, some of whom had already been flushed some of whom had already been flushed out of Southern Maryland, mounted one last effort to protect Washington. Unfortunately, their stand on a ferociously hot August day in Bladensburg proved to be one of America’s greatest defeats during the war.

Though the numbers were on the Americans’ side, their lines were spread too far apart to support each other. Against a disciplined enemy, they could not hold their flank and were sent scampering in retreat.

Despite taking heavy casualties, the British invaders required just a few hours to brush aside the American force that was the final obstacle between them and the nation’s capital.

Bladensburg Waterfront Park [5] overlooks the battlefield site and also offers kayak access to the Anacostia Water Trail, rental boats, pontoon boat tours, a fishing pier, an 1812 trail orientation center and other features. The actual bridge that the British used to cross the Anacostia River during their attack no longer exists, but a pedestrian/bike bridge is nearby.

As the raw militia that filled most of the American lines fled, President James Madison and Secretary of State James Monroe watched from the heights in the distance. Commodore Joshua Barney and his band of U.S. Chesapeake Flotilla marines provided the only resistance. Barney, however, was struck by a bullet and captured. He was soon paroled out of respect for his bravery, but knew that his fighting days were over; he died four years later, at the age of 59, from complications related to his wound.

Fort Lincoln Cemetery [6] marks what was the right flank of the American line. The cemetery’s entrance is about one mile west of Bladensburg Waterfront Park. Look near the mausoleum for a historical marker and monument commemorating Barney and his men.

Several blocks east of the park is Bostwick [7], a home built in 1746 and used during the war by Colonel Thomas Barclay, a British prisonerof- war agent who warmly welcomed his compatriots as they marched into Bladensburg. The George Washington House, now in use by the Anacostia Watershed Society, is one of three other pre-Revolutionary War structures still standing in town. Local tradition holds that cannonballs scarred the brick walls of the residence, though no evidence of this can be seen today.

Rosalie Stier Calvert resided in an impressive, federal-style mansion a couple of miles upriver from the battlefield, in an area now known as Riverdale Park. She claimed that, from her bedroom window, she could observe “several cannonballs” being fired. Calvert’s husband and slaves helped to bury the dead following the battle. Today, the Riversdale House Museum [8] interprets the site’s War of 1812 history. In addition, a Battle of Bladensburg encampment and re-enactment is held here each August.

The British marched unmolested the rest of the way into Washington, intent on claiming their prize. The federal city wasn’t just the seat of government in those days; it also contained important military resources, including the Washington Navy Yard, the U.S. Marine Barracks and an arsenal.

The U.S. Capitol [9], standing at the crest of what had been known as Jenkins Hill, was still a work in progress when war broke out. Its south wing, reserved for the House of Representatives, had just been completed in 1811. Now, it faced British torches and rockets. Before long, a fire consumed the entire Library of Congress, which was housed in the Capitol at the time.

An exhibition hall in the U.S. Capitol’s underground visitor center contains many items related to the war, including a model of what the area looked like around 1814. Artifacts include the plans submitted by British-born architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe for rebuilding the Capitol, a task that began in 1815.

The Sewall-Belmont House and Museum [10], situated two blocks northeast of the Capitol, is one of only a few private structures that the British burned. Built in 1800, the house was targeted after an American sniper shot at General Robert Ross from one of its windows. It later served as the headquarters of the National Woman’s Party and today includes exhibits on women’s suffrage and the equal rights movement.

The White House [11], which had only been occupied for a mere 14 years, was left a roofless shell by the British. But President Madison’s wife, Dolley, saved the Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington that now hangs in the East Room.

The U.S. Treasury Building, located near the White House, was also burned. The Octagon House [12], which served as a temporary executive residence for President Madison after the White House was destroyed, is where the Treaty of Ghent was ratified, officially ending the war.

The Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History [13] holds one of the most cherished symbols of the War of 1812 — the huge garrison flag that flew defiantly over Fort McHenry as the British departed Baltimore. (Read more about the Battle for Baltimore beginning on page 38.) The tattered banner is dramatically displayed behind a floorto- ceiling glass wall within a climatecontrolled gallery that re-creates “dawn’s early light.”

A museum at the headquarters of the National Society United States Daughters of 1812 contains more information about the war. Meanwhile, walking tours of the Congressional Cemetery reveal the burial sites of such notables as Attorney General William Pinkney, Commodore Joseph Smoot and Major General Jacob Brown, as well as a public vault where Dolley Madison was temporarily interred.

The Washington Navy Yard in southeast D.C. was set on fire by its defenders rather than have it fall into British hands. Located on site is the National Museum of the U.S. Navy [14], which features such items as artifacts from Commodore Joshua Barney’s U.S. Chesapeake Flotilla.

In the opposite corner of the nation’s capital, historic Georgetown is an international community of embassies, upscale shops and eclectic eateries. Here, Martha Washington’s granddaughter, Martha Peter, watched from her bedroom window at Tudor Place [15] as the nation’s capital burned. Today, the residence and its nearly six-acre garden are open to the public, as is the Dumbarton House, to which Dolley Madison fled as the British advanced.

Francis Scott Key, the writer of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” is honored with a memorial park located next to the bridge that also bears his name. The former location of Key’s residence when he lived on M Street is noted within the park.

Following the British occupation of Washington, President Madison and members of his cabinet sought refuge 18 miles north of Washington in the town of Brookeville, which earned the nickname “the United States Capital for a Day.” Brookeville Academy [16] temporarily held U.S. Senate records.

The Declaration of Independence and other documents were packed in 22 carts that traveled to Leesburg, Va., for safekeeping. The carts passed through the present site of Claude Moore Park. President Madison himself caught a ferry as he fled through what is now Riverbend Park in Great Falls, Va. A boat ramp marks the spot of the ferry landing.

Fearing a similar fate to the one suffered by Washington, officials in nearby Alexandria, Va., capitulated to a British naval squadron and endured a weeklong enemy occupation from August 28 to September 3. Dolley Madison was among many people who were critical of the city’s quick surrender, yet “Old Town Alexandria” might not otherwise exist today with its quaint shops, waterfront restaurants and many historical structures. Look for links to the War of 1812 at museums such as The Lyceum [17] and the George Washington Masonic National Memorial [18].

Intersection of Maryland & Pennsylvania Aves. and Constitution & Independence Aves., Washington, D.C.

1600 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. (Temporary visitor center: Ellipse Visitor Pavilion Complex near 15th and E sts. N.W.)

National Mall, 14th St. & Constitution Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C., 202-633-1000,

Frederick

LOCATED ABOUT 50 MILES northwest of Washington, D.C., the city of Frederick has figured prominently in three centuries of American history. Guided walks and candlelight ghost tours show off intriguing architecture and historic sites.

“Star-Spangled Banner” writer Francis Scott Key once lived, worshipped and practiced law within the 50-block downtown area. Key’s sister, Anne, married local resident Roger Brooke Taney, a chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court known for delivering the Dred Scott decision. Key and Taney practiced law together, and both are buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery, which is also the site of an impressive Key monument erected in 1898, 55 years after his death.

Specialty shops, galleries and acclaimed restaurants have earned Frederick recognition as one of AmericanStyle magazine’s top 25 “Small Art Cities.”

Among many other destinations of note are the Museum of Frederick County History, which is housed in a residence dating back to 1820, and the Roger Brooke Taney House, built in the 1790s. The National Museum of Civil War Medicine and Monocacy National Battlefield are both popular stops for travelers who are following either the Antietam Campaign Civil War Trail and Scenic Byway or the Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Scenic Byway. The Historic National Road National Scenic Byway also passes through the area as it stretches from Baltimore to the Mason-Dixon Line in Western Maryland.

Stop by the Frederick Visitor Center for an overview of the region’s varied historical and cultural riches.

VISITOR-FRIENDLY PLANTATION AND manor houses have become museums that reveal much of the history of this region. Montpelier Mansion in Laurel welcomed guests such as George Washington and Abigail Adams, the Marietta House in Glenn Dale once belonged to War of 1812-era Supreme Court Justice Gabriel Duvall, and the Belair Mansion in Bowie has been part of two centuries’ worth of Thoroughbred horse racing fame.

National Harbor is one of the area’s newest attractions — an urban waterfront community with elegant shops and attractions, a variety of dining establishments and water taxi service that extends across the Potomac River to Old Town Alexandria, Va. This part of Virginia offers river cruises, carriage rides and walking tours that pass by a number of colonial structures.

The National Park Service’s Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail network includes a 238-mile Tidewater Potomac Heritage Bicycle Route that begins and ends at Fort Washington Park. Just minutes from Washington, D.C., travelers can observe hundreds of Canada geese at the Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary, launch a boat at Piscataway Park or rent a canoe at Patuxent River Park.

The Anacostia Trails Heritage Area and the Anacostia Watershed Society invite visitors to use the new Anacostia Water Trail Map and Guide for paddle explorations and to take advantage of other outdoor pursuits. Farmers’ markets, world-class theater productions, public art displays and other entertainment are also on hand.

Welcoming tens of thousands of visitors each day, Washington, D.C., is brimming with monuments, memorials and museums found among the many government buildings. In the heart of the federal city, National Park Service staff members are available for daily interpretive programs, bicycle tours based on the War of 1812 and other themed tours. Several popular sites involved in programs include the Jefferson Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, World War II Memorial, White House Visitor Center at the Ellipse Pavilion Complex and Vietnam Veterans Memorial. In addition, Cultural Tourism D.C. has mapped out selfguided walking tours along Neighborhood Heritage Trails.

Spring is a particularly picturesque time to visit Washington, as cherry blossoms and numerous gardens come alive with color. Many travelers arrive through Union Station, located at the north end of Capitol Hill. Along with being Washington’s main Amtrak terminal, it also has retail stores, a food court, restaurants and a seasonal outdoor market.

A trip to D.C. is hardly complete without a stop at one or more of the properties associated with the Smithsonian Institution, the largest museum and research complex in the world. Seventeen facilities in the nation’s capital range from the National Air and Space Museum to the National Portrait Gallery.

Washington also boasts acclaimed performing arts at venues such as the Kennedy Center, which features a full schedule of ballet, classical music, dance, jazz, opera and more.

Two Maryland Scenic Byways brush right up against the District of Columbia — the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Byway approaches from the north while the Booth’s Escape Byway begins in D.C. and slips southward.

The century-old College Park Airport, established by none other than Wilbur Wright, investigates the evolution of flight. Meanwhile, the future unfolds in Greenbelt at the interactive NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center.

Heritage Montgomery, an official Maryland Heritage Area, incorporates 18thcentury plantation homes, 19th-century railroad communities, farm museums, and African-American and Underground Railroad history.

Star-Spangled Banner - Star-Spangled Banner 2018

Washington, D.c., Region

Disgrace & Devastation: THE CAPITAL BURNS

Frederick

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Star-Spangled Banner 2018