Editing War of 1812 (section)

==== Burning of Washington ====
{{See also|Burning of Washington}}
In August 1814, a force of 2,500 soldiers under General Ross had just arrived in Bermuda aboard {{HMS|Royal Oak|1809|6}}, three frigates, three sloops and ten other vessels. Released from the Peninsular War by victory, the British intended to use them for diversionary raids along the coasts of Maryland and Virginia. In response to Prévost's request,{{specify|date=July 2020}} they decided to employ this force, together with the naval and military units already on the station, to strike at the national capital. Anticipating the attack, valuable documents, including the original Constitution, were removed to [[Leesburg, Virginia]].{{sfn|Latimer|2007|pp=316-317}} The British task force advanced up the Chesapeake, routing Commodore Barney's flotilla of gunboats, carried out the [[Raid on Alexandria (Virginia)|Raid on Alexandria]], landed ground forces that bested the US defenders at the [[Battle of Bladensburg]], and carried out the [[Burning of Washington]].

United States Secretary of War [[John Armstrong Jr.]] insisted that the British were going to attack Baltimore rather than Washington, even as British army and naval units were on their way to Washington. Brigadier General [[William H. Winder]], who had burned several bridges in the area, assumed the British would attack Annapolis and was reluctant to engage because he mistakenly thought the British army was twice its size.{{sfnm|Webed|2013|1p=126|Hickey|1989|2p=197}} The inexperienced state militia was easily routed in the Battle of Bladensburg, opening the route to Washington. British troops led by Major General [[Robert Ross (British Army officer)|Robert Ross]], accompanied by Cockburn, the 3rd Brigade attacked and captured Washington with a force of 4,500.{{sfn|Latimer|2007|p=317}} On 24 August, after the British had finished looting the interiors, Ross directed his troops to set fire to number of public buildings, including the [[White House]] and the [[United States Capitol]].{{efn|The task was directed by pyrotechnic experts Lieutenants George Lacy and George Pratt of the Royal Navy.{{sfn|Latimer|2007|p=317}}}} Extensive damage to the interiors and the contents of both were subsequently reported.{{sfn|Hickey|1989|pp=196–197}} US government and military officials fled to Virginia, while Secretary of the United States Navy [[William Jones (statesman)|William Jones]] ordered the [[Washington Navy Yard]] and a nearby fort to be razed in order to prevent its capture.{{sfn|Herrick|2005|page=90}}{{sfn|Benn|2002|p=59}} Public buildings in Washington were destroyed by the British though private residences ordered spared.{{sfn|Webed|2013|p=129}}