British engraving of 1814, depicting the burning
British engraving of 1814, depicting the burning of Washington on August 24, 1814, during the War of 1812. This view is from what is now Piscataway Park, just south of Fort Washington on the Potomac River, in Maryland, about 14 miles south of Capitol Hill. The soldiers and ships are the British secondary force, that progressed up the Potomac river only as far as Alexandria, Virginia. Fort Washington, across the water, directs Artillery fire at the British. In the distance, the Capitol burns, set on fire by the British primary force, that marched 50 miles overland after landing at the Patuxent River. The ships burning at left in the Potomac, may be American fire ships, deliberately set on fire to slow British progress up the river
Picture No
13124978
Media ID
45372929
Size
3000px x 1648px
(1.9MB)
Credit
Mary Evans / The Everett Collection
Source
Courtesy Everett Collection





























