History of Washington, D.C. problems, and plans for further construction to reach the Ohio River were abandoned. During the War of 1812, British forces conducted an expedition between August 19 and 29, 1814, that took and burned the capital city. On August 24, the British routed an American militia, which had gathered at Bladensburg, Maryland to protect the capital (see Battle of Bladensburg). The militia then abandoned Washington without a fight. President James Madison and the remainder of the U.S. government fled the capital shortly before the British arrived. The British then entered and burned the capital during the most notably destructive raid of
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