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CHAPTER FIFTEEN

WAR OF 1812

THE CITY OF WASHINGTON^77

77First Invasion, The War of 1812, The History Channel CD.

“Moreover, the LORD your God will send the hornet among them until even the survivors who hide from you have perished,”
Deuteronomy 7:20-21.

“And I sent the hornet before you, which will drive them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; but not with thy sword, nor with thy bow,” Joshua 24:12. KJV

On August 19, 1814, 5,000 British troops landed at Benedict, Maryland. Benedict is less than 25 miles from the city of Washington. When news of the coming British army reached the defenseless city the people became overwhelmed with fear and Washington quickly fell into total disarray. President Madison ordered the removal of all important papers from Washington. The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, etc. were bagged up and carried away.

August 24, 1814, was one of the blackest days of American history. The First Lady, Dolly Madison, ordered an expensive picture frame to be broken so that the portrait of George Washington could be taken out and saved. At 8:00 P.M., 4,000 British soldiers stormed the city and soon began setting fire to the government buildings. After breaking into the Capitol they took a vote as to whether or not they should burn the building. The vote was unanimously to burn it. When the fire ignited the roof of the capital, a witness reported that she heard a roll of thunder overhead, just as if God was showing his displeasure. At about 10:30 P.M., the soldiers moved to The White House. After rummaged through the rooms and gathered souvenirs they went back outside and threw their torches through the windows. The glow of the burning buildings could be seen 50 miles away.

On the morning of August 25, the British soldiers sat the Navy yard and the Library of Congress and on fire.

At about two o’clock in the afternoon, God intervened by sending one of the most powerful hurricanes in history on the city of Washington. The sky was filled with lightning. Ferocious winds tore through the city streets. The hurricane produced a torrential rainstorm and caused havoc to the British ranks. One soldier, talking about the horrible storm said, “Our column was completely scattered as if it had received a total defeat. Some of the men fell flat on the ground to prevent themselves from being carried away. The violence of the wind was so strong that two pieces of cannon were lifted from the ground and thrown several yards.” As the hurricane was causing destruction suddenly a tornado formed and went through the center of the capitol. This awesome storm raged for two hours and extinguished most of the fires in Washington. The tornado caused more casualties in the middle of the British column than they had suffered in many battles. When the storm died down the next day the British left the city.^78

78First Invasion, The War of 1812, The History Channel CD.

Study Guide

Chapter Fifteen

1. What type insect did God use in the Old Testament to drive out the enemies of his people?

2. How many British troops landed at Benedict, Maryland?

3. Where were these British troops heading?

4. What did the British troops do when they entered the city of Washington?

5. What two major buildings did the British burn?

6. When the flames burst through the roof of the capitol, what happened, just as though God were showing his displeasure?

7. How far could the flames of the burning buildings of Washington be seen?

8. What did the British burn on August 25?

9. What strange thing did God providentially provide at about 2 P.M. that day?

10. What was another strange thing God provided?