Neither Victor Nor Vanquished by William Weber

Author:William Weber
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History and Legacies
Publisher: Potomac Books Washington, D.C.
Published: 2013-02-26T16:00:00+00:00

6

THE BATTLE OF BLADENSBURG

Could Washington Have Been Saved?

The most startling example of Republican military ineptitude in the Mr. Madison’s War narrative occurred in August 1814 when four thousand British soldiers routed nearly twice their number of U.S. militia forces and regulars at Bladensburg, Maryland. The subsequent British capture of Washington—and their burning of the Capitol, the president’s mansion, and other public buildings—is one of the most iconic events of the War of 1812. It is often viewed as an inevitable result of the early republic’s decision to declare war on a global power capable of projecting force on Napoleon’s empire on the European continent and on the nascent empire of liberty across the Atlantic Ocean. This single defeat underscored a decade of Jeffersonian military policy and marked the nadir of President James Madison’s political fortunes. Yet, as if special providence intervened to attenuate its impact on the national psyche, this sad event was followed within months by the stout defense of Baltimore, celebrated in Francis Scott Key’s “Star-Spangled Banner,” and Andrew Jackson’s spectacular victory at New Orleans—both of which are key episodes in the Second War of Independence narrative.1

Immediately afterward and for years to come, blame for the American defeat and retreat was cast on the political and military figures responsible for the defense of Washington. President James Madison, Secretary of War John Armstrong, Secretary of State James Monroe, and Brig. Gen. William Winder, who commanded the newly formed Tenth Military District and was the senior officer present at the battle, received their share of blame and then some. Implicit in these accusations and debates was the assumption that a successful defense of the city was possible.

Exploring that assumption requires recounting the historical record of the events that led to this debacle before assessing whether specific changes in command and tactics, as Henry Adams and others suggest, might have altered the outcome. An examination of these factors also provides some perspective on how the defeat at Bladensburg enhanced perceptions of the victory at Baltimore one month later. Finally, it clarifies the role this battle plays in the historical narratives of the War of 1812.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.