thrown into confusion, and fell back upon the advancing column. At this moment the whole army might have been compelled to surrender, had the commodore's left been supported by such an officer as himself, or by another Miller. But this not being the case, and his left being exposed, the opportunity was lost. General Ross succeeded in his mancuvres, and charged the marines simultaneously in front and on both flanks, by a force three times their number. Their commander was wounded, and resigning his post to Captain Sevier, ordered them to retire. Barney's corps continued to make

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dreadful havoc, until they were nearly surrounded, and the British had even seized on their pieces; but they were compelled to join the marines in their retreat. The Commodore now lay bleeding on the ground, and, with the gallant Miller, fell into the hands of the enemy; both receiving from them, on account of their brave defence, the greatest praise and attention.

Thus, the fate of Washington, the capital of the United States, was decided. Such was the panic of the militia, that, instead of retreating towards Washington, where they might have been formed on the heights of the Capitol, they had scattered in every direction, so that it was found impossible to collect any considerable number. General Ross slowly approached the city, where he arrived at eight o'clock in the evening. Having reached Capitol Hill, he offered terms of capitulation, which were, that the city might be ransomed, by paying a sum of money equal to the value of the public and private property which it contained; and that on receiving it, the British troops should retire unmolested. As there was neither civil nor military authority on the spot, at that instant, competent to enter into such an engagement, he proceeded to burn the Capitol, containing the Senate-Chamber and Representative-Hall, the Supreme Court Room, the Congressional Library, and the Public Records. The President's House, the Treasury, War, and Navy Offices, shared in the conflagration. Every public building, except the General Post-Office, was subjected to the same Vandalic torch; in retaliation, it was declared, for the burning of York, and other places in Canada.

Having indulged their national animosity in the destruction of the finest specimens of the arts in the republic, the British army retired from Washington, on the evening of the 25th, leaving behind a number of wounded officers and men, and arrived, on the 29th, without molestation, at Benedict, where they were re-embarked, on the following day. The British loss in this expedition was four hundred killed and wounded, and five hundred who were made prisoners, or deserted; while that of the Americans was but thirty or forty killed,

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about fifty wounded, and one hundred and twenty taken prisoners.*

In the meantime, the squadron under Captain Gordon, which had entered the Potomac, passed up that river without opposition. Fort Warburton, by which they might have been successfully assailed, was abandoned by its commander, Captain Dyson, in a disgraceful manner; and no further obstacle remaining, they reached Alexandria, on the 29th of August. The inhabitants of that defenceless town, being at the mercy of the enemy, were compelled to agree to a capitulation, by which all their merchandise and vessels were delivered up to him. Having collected a rich booty by the pillage of this unfortunate town, the squadron descended the river, without serious injury, although annoyed by the militia, and detachments of seamen, under Commodore Rodgers, and Captains Perry and Porter. In this expedition, the British lost seven killed and thirty-five wounded.

The remaining expedition, under Sir Peter Parker, was not so fortunate as the others. Having ascended the Chesapeake, that officer landed a corps of about two hundred and fifty seamen and marines on the eastern shore, with the hope of surprising a body of militia, to the number of about two hundred, who were encamped near Bellair, under the command of Colonel Reed. The Americans were, however, prepared to receive him; and, on the advance of the British column, delivered so galling a fire, as to compel it to press to the right, with a view of gaining the flank of the militia, where it was again repulsed. The cartridges of the Americans being now exhausted, they fell back, for the purpose of obtaining a supply; and the enemy, who had sustained a severe loss, also retreated, carrying with them part of their wounded, among whom was their commander, Sir Peter Parker, who died in a few minutes after leaving the field. They lost fourteen killed and twenty-seven wounded. Of the Americans, only three were wounded.

The success of the attack upon Washington encouraged

* General Winder to the Secretary of War, August 27th.

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the British commander to undertake an expedition against another city, from which he was, however, destined to meet with a different reception. Baltimore, from its proximity and its exposed situation, as well as from the booty it was supposed might be obtained, became the next object of attack; and no time was lost in assailing it.

The whole of the militia of the city were called into the field, which, with a brigade of Virginia volunteers, a few companies from Pennsylvania, and about seven hundred regulars, amounting in all to fifteen thousand men, formed the defence of the place. Commodore Rodgers, with his marines, took charge of the principal batteries on the high ground, situated on the eastern side of the town-the only point through which it was assailable by land-where a ditch was hastily thrown up, and guarded by at least ten thousand men. One division of this force was confided to General Winder, another to General Stricker, the whole under the command of General Samuel Smith, an officer distinguished in the revolutionary war, by his defence of Fort Mifflin. The approach to the city, by water, was defended by Fort M'Henry, garrisoned by one thousand men under Major Armistead; by large vessels sunk in the channel of the river; and by two temporary works, between Fort M'Henry and the city, superintended by Lieutenants Newcomb and Webster of the navy.

On the 11th of September, Admiral Cochrane appeared at the mouth of the Patapsco, with a squadron of fifty sail, and on the succeeding morning, the land-forces, to the number of about five thousand men, debarked at North Point, about fourteen miles from Baltimore, and took up their march for that city. In anticipation of their landing, General Stricker was detached with three thousand two hundred men, to impede their progress. On the morning of the 12th, information being received of the landing of the enemy, General Stricker took a favourable position at the junction of two roads, about eight miles from Baltimore, resting his right on Bear creek, and his left on a marsh; the artillery (six four-pounders,) being posted on the main road. Having sent on an advanced corps, to

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engage the light troops of the enemy, who had taken possession of a farm-house, at the distance of about three miles, he awaited their approach. This detachment had hardly proceeded half a mile, when it fell in with the main body of the enemy; and a skirmish ensued between the most advanced parties, in which the British commander, General Ross, was killed. The command devolved upon Colonel Brook, who continued to move forward; and, about half-past three, the action commenced by the discharge of cannon on both sides. The Americans retired gradually towards the city, until the evening, when they rested within half a mile of their intrenchments. During the day, the enemy suffered heavily. On the following morning the British appeared within two miles of the intrenchments, and shortly afterwards they moved to the right, with the apparent intention of taking a circuitous route to reach the city; but, having been frustrated in their attempts to do so, by the skilful manoeuvres of General Smith, they advanced within one mile, apparently with the design of assaulting the works in front during the night.

Meanwhile Fort M'Henry was furiously assailed. At sunrise, on the 13th, the bombardment commenced from the bomb-vessels of the enemy, at the distance of about two miles. This being out of range of the guns of the fort, it was compelled to remain silent. Though thus inactive, and exposed to an incessant shower of shells, the troops within the fort remained steadfast at their posts, with a degree of firmness that would have reflected honour on the most experienced veterans. The bursting of a shell within the south-west bastion, having created some little confusion, the ships of the enemy were advanced, in the hope of profiting by it; they were, however, soon compelled, by the heavy and well-directed fire of the garrison, to retreat with very considerable loss, to their former stations, where they continued the same tremendous bombardment until seven in the morning of the 14th. During the night, and in the midst of a most heavy cannonade, several of the rocket-vessels and barges succeeded in passing the fort, and entering the Patapsco undiscovered; but they