Burning of Washington Burning of Washington The Burning of Washington was a British invasion of Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States, during the War of 1812. On August 24, 1814, after defeating the Americans at the Battle of Bladensburg, a British force led by Major General Robert Ross burned down buildings including the White House (known as the "Presidential Mansion"), the Capitol, as well as other facilities of the U.S. government. The attack was in part a retaliation for the recent American destruction of Port Dover in Upper Canada. The Burning of Washington marks the only time since the American Revolutionary
USS Jones (1814) USS Jones (1814) USS "Jones" was a brig in the United States Navy during the War of 1812. "Jones" was built at Sacketts Harbor, New York, for service in Commodore Isaac Chauncey's fleet on Lake Ontario and was launched on 10 April 1814. Most of the cannon for the new American ships had not reached Sackett's Harbor on 19 May when the British fleet arrived off the American base and established a strict blockade which temporarily bottled up the heavily outgunned American squadron. After the British commander, Sir James Yeo, raised the blockade on 6 June, an epidemic struck the