RIFLES HISTORY TODAY - How Rifles ancestors made The White House white! The Battle of Blandesburg & The Burning of Washington DC. 24th August 1814. From The 85th (Bucks Volunteers) Light Infantry later 2nd Bn KSLI. The Rifles Heritage is very rich and stretches back over 320years, so here is an interesting tale from 100years before the outbreak of WW1 wher our ancestors were fighting in a very different war against a different foe. The 85th had been withdrawn from the Peninsula campaign in 1811, but in 1814 found itself deployed to North America and the campaigns against the US now known as the War of 1812. Ostensibly the war occured over US anger at British restrictions on trade with Europe and their enforcement by the Royal Navy however it had as much to do with an attempted land grab along the British possessions along the Canadian frontier and Great lakes area, as trade embargoes. the US president, Madison, had hoped that British forces were to tied up fighting the French to bother about the Canadian frontier and expected a quick and easy campaign. he was wrong. Two years into the campaign and after numerous US defeats on land, in August 1814 the 85th LI became part of a joint expeditionary force under Admiral Cochrane and General Ross, which was landed in Chesapeke Bay in order to reek retribution on the US for the burning of York (present Toronto) and settlements along the Great Lakes by US Forces the year previous. Once landed the force moved towards Washington and met a force of US troops at Blandensburg on the 24th . Approximately 6000 US troops faced Rosss landing force of just over 4700. A brief fight ensued with the British force prevailing and the US forces routing and quitting the field in great haste and 10 cannon and a Colour being captured. The British force under Admiral Cochranes direction now swiftly advanced on the US Capital, which was now in a state of panic with residents including the president and the secretary of state for war, fleeing the city. On entering and capturing Washington, Cochrane ordered the public buildings burned to the ground, the Capitol and Presidential house among them. The 85th Light Infantry seized the presidents residence, finding a Victory Banquet set (in anticipation of a US victory at Blandensburg!) which they promptly ate first before firing the furniture and drapes. Supplies and stores were seized and the British raiding party withdrew from Washington returning to the British Fleet and then towards the main target of Baltimore. When the presidents residence was restored, the masonry and stonework was found to be so scorched with black marks that the only way to conceal them was to whitewash over them. And so the whole outside of the building was whitewashed and to this day, the residence of the US President has been known as The White House. Peace was eventually signed between Britain and the US in late 1814, as much because with the defeat of Napoleon, restrictions on trade with Europe were lifted as for any other reason. The war ending in Jan 1815 after the unfortunate battle at New Orleans which US Forces under Andrew Jackson did win, but which need never have been fought as the treaty had already been signed. Just no body knew it yet. And thankfully the US and UK settled down to good relations, cemented since as allies in many a conflict since from WW1 to Afghanistan in the present. Out of conflict our special relationship and mutual respect was founded, and by the actions of the 85th LI one of the most iconic buildings of the USA was created.
Posted on: Sun, 24 Aug 2014 08:00:00 +0000
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