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 Allen (1814) USS Allen (1814) USS "Allen" was a row galley built in 1814 at Vergennes, Vermont, by Adam and Noah Brown. She was commissioned during the summer of 1814, with Sailing Master William M. Robins in command. She became a unit of Commodore Thomas Macdonough's squadron on Lake Champlain and participated in the Battle of Lake Champlain in September 1814, during which the American squadron captured the remnants of the British squadron under Captain George Downie. After the War of 1812, she remained in active service for another decade. She was sold at Whitehall, New York, sometime in late 1824 or