Burning of Washington Capitol dome to match the diameter of 86 ft. With the reconstruction of the public buildings in Washington, the value of land in the area increased dramatically, paving the way for the expansion of the city that developed in the years leading up to the American Civil War. 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
USS Wasp (1814) The American warship continued her ravages of the British merchant marine. On 12 September 1814, she encountered "Three Brothers", a brig, and scuttled her. On 14 September 1814, she sank the brig "Bacchus". On 21 September 1814, an eight-gun brig, (or "Atlanta"), ran afoul of "Wasp", and she, too, suffered the ignominy of capture. Deeming "Atalanta" too valuable to destroy, Blakeley placed her under the command of Midshipman David Geisinger and sent her to the United States. She entered Savannah, Georgia safely on 4 November 1814. After "Wasp" and "Atalanta" parted company, on 9 October 1814 she spoke the Swedish