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British in the Bay: The Washington Campaign
Further Reading An Overview of the British Attack on Washington and Baltimore The Americans Prepare to Defend Washington and Baltimore The British Attack Bladensburg and Move Onto Washington The American Defeat at the Battle of Bladensburg The British Attack on Baltimore The American Defense of Baltimore
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The British Sail Up the PotomacDuring the attack on Washington, Captain James Gordon is ordered to sail up the Potomac with two frigates, three bomb ships, a rocket ship and several small tenders. His mission is to attack Fort Warburton and stand by in case General Robert Ross’s land force has to be evacuated by water. Gordon anchors off Fort Warburton on the evening of August 27, and has his bomb ships fire off a few rounds. These shots miss their target, but to the utter amazement of Gordon and his men, the Americans evacuate the fort and blow it up.Now that the way is clear, Gordon moves on to Alexandria. The defenseless town capitulates immediately and Gordon seizes all the ships in the harbour. His men then empty the town’s warehouses and the cram the booty onto the captured ships. On August 31, a messenger from Vice Admiral Alexander Cochrane tells Gordon to withdraw downriver. The messenger also warns him about a trap the Americans have laid on the Potomac: makeshift shore batteries have been hastily erected by three U.S. naval captains. One of these captains is the hero of the Battle of Lake Erie, Oliver Hazard Perry, who just happens to be in the area. Perry and his naval colleagues do their best, but Gordon’s cannons quickly destroy two of the batteries. Although Perry’s battery is unscathed, it runs out of ammunition before it can inflict serious damage on the British ships. Gordon and his vessels sail away with their loot. |
