1853 dated Letter from the Secretary of the State of Rhode Island - Americana - Burning of the Capitol Content

Letter from the Secretary of the state of Rhode Island mentioning the "Burning of the Capitol" in 1812. The Burning of Washington, often referred to as the Capture of Washington, was a notable British amphibious operation executed by Rear-Admiral George Cockburn during Admiral Sir John Warren's campaign in the Chesapeake. This event marked the first instance since the American Revolutionary War in which a foreign nation successfully seized and occupied the capital of the United States. After the American forces were defeated at the Battle of Bladensburg on August 24, 1814, a British contingent under the command of Major-General Robert Ross advanced towards Washington, D.C. That evening, British troops and sailors ignited fires in several public structures, including the Presidential Mansion, the United States Capitol, and the Washington Navy Yard.