The Old Print Shop

The Taking of the City of Washington in America.

  • ARTIST:

  • PUBLISHER: Published Oct 14, 1814 by G. Thompson No. 43 Long Lane West Smithfield.

  • MEDIUM: Wood engraving,

    DATE: 1814.

  • EDITION SIZE: Plate size 14 15/16 x 18 3/4" (37.7 x 47.6 cm).

  • DESCRIPTION: Artist unidentified. Title continues “The City of Washington Capital of the United States of America was taken by the British forces under Major Gen.l Ross on Aug.t 24th 1814 when we burnt and destroyed their Dock Yard with a Frigate and a Sloop of War, Rope Walk, Arsenal, Senate House, President’s Palace, War Office, Treasury, and the Great Bridge. With the Flotilla the public property destroyed amounted to thirty Millions of Dollars. A view from the Potomac River, of Washington, D.C. under attack by British forces under Major General Ross, August 24, 1814.” <BR> There is a lettered key that identifies twelve prominent locations and buildings including "the Presidents Palace on fire." <BR><BR> This is one of the truly rare images of the destruction of Washington during the War of 1812. Officially the invasion and destruction of Washington, DC was in retaliation for the U.S. invasion raid and destruction of Port Dover, which is west of Niagara Falls on Lake Erie. United States forces attacked the burned the city on May 14-16, 2014. <BR><BR> On August 14, 1814, British forces led by Major General Robert Ross occupied and burned most of Washington, DC. Destroying the Presidents Mansion today known as the White House and the Capitol along with many other Government buildings. President James Madison fled the city just ahead of the invasion. Many items were saved from the White House, some by first lady Dolly Madison, but most by the slaves who worked in the White House. According to Paul Jennings James Madison personal slave, he helped remove the large painting by Gilbert Stuart of George Washington and move large silver urns into wagons and hall them off before the British arrived. In 1865 as a free man, Paul Jennings wrote his memoir about the events of 1814. The British forces moved into Washington quickly, it is said they found a warm meal in the White House when they arrived and enjoyed the food, before setting sacking and setting fire to the building. <BR><BR> The orders given to Major General Robert Ross were not to occupy but to “destroy and lay waste” the city of Washington. Less than a day after the attack on Washington, a sudden and heavy thunderstorm, likely a hurricane put out the fires. The ferocity of the storm also spurred several tornados one of which went down Constitution Avenue killing British soldiers and American civilians. The torrential rains put the fires out saving the city from total destruction, and the storm drove the British to retreat from the city. President Madison returned to the city on September 1 and a special session of Congress was called on September 19. Because the Capitol was destroyed, they met at the Post and Patent Office building. <BR><BR> British forces went on to attack the city of Baltimore between September 12-15, 1814. The battle was a loss to the British who initially got the American forces to retreat; however, it delayed the attack and allowed the defenders to rally at Fort McHenry which withstood the bombardment. The United States. forces inflicted heavy damage to British forces causing them to retreat after three days. Francis Scott Key was witness to the bombardment of Fort McHenry and wrote a poem “Defense of Fort McHenry” which later became the lyrics for the United States national anthem “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

  • ADDITIONAL INFO: Printed on 1820 watermarked paper which matches the example at the Library of Congress.

  • CONDITION: Good condition. B/W

  • REFERENCE:

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