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87-662: The two eponymous bases are co-located along the west boundary of the cemetery, and Fort McNair is across the Potomac River, in Washington, D.C., on the Anacostia River . On Fort McNair sits Grant Hall which is the location of the 1865 military tribunal of the conspirators of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln . Each quarter the Hall is open to the public where people can visit the courtroom and learn more about

174-799: A March 2021 House Transportation & Infrastructure hearing on a bill prohibiting such a restriction on the Channel, it was noted that the rule, which did not propose the construction of a fence or blast wall, seemed designed to safeguard the views of "rich generals' houses". During the January 6 United States Capitol attack , the senior Congressional leadership was evacuated from the Capitol building to Fort McNair, about two miles away. The Democratic Party leaders evacuated included House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her senior associates Steny Hoyer and James Clyburn . Incoming Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer

261-544: A commissary and before that as Fort McNair's stables. The center dated from the creation of the Army General Staff historical branch in July 1943 and the gathering of professional historians, translators, editors, and cartographers to record the history of World War II. That effort led to a monumental 79-volume series known as the "Green Books." Today, the center operates through four divisions. The histories division

348-610: A ladder to get it down. All she carried off was the silver in her reticule , as the British were thought to be but a few squares off, and were expected any moment. Jennings said the people who saved the painting and removed the objects actually were: John Susé ( Jean Pierre Sioussat , the French door-keeper, and still living at the time of Jennings's memoir) and Magraw [McGraw], the President's gardener, took it down and sent it off on

435-631: A name previously assigned to today's Fort Belvoir . The Army War College was reorganized as the Army-Navy Staff College in 1943 and became the National War College in 1946. The two colleges became the National Defense University in 1976. The post was renamed in 1948 to honor Lieutenant General Lesley J. McNair , commander of army ground forces during World War II , who was headquartered at

522-508: A proclamation calling on citizens to defend the District of Columbia. Congress did not return for three and a half weeks. When they did so, they assembled in special session on September 19 in the Post and Patent Office building at Blodgett's Hotel, one of the few buildings large enough to hold all members to be spared. Congress met in this building until December 1815, when construction of

609-558: A retaliation against the American destruction of private property in violation of the laws of war . Prévost argued that, in consequence of the late disgraceful conduct of the American troops in the wanton destruction of private property on the north shores of Lake Erie, in order that if the war with the United States continues you may, should you judge it advisable, assist in inflicting that measure of retaliation which shall deter

696-565: A similar fate". The Reverend John Strachan , who as Rector of York had witnessed the American acts there, wrote to Thomas Jefferson that the damage to Washington "was a small retaliation after redress had been refused for burnings and depredations, not only of public but private property, committed by them in Canada". When they ultimately returned to Bermuda, the British forces took with them two pairs of portraits of King George III and his wife, Queen Charlotte , which had been discovered in one of

783-564: A tendency to neatness suitable for rolling, pinching, tying, and bundling cartridges with bullets and black powder. Wounded Civil War soldiers were also treated at the Arsenal in a hospital next to the penitentiary that was built prior to the war in 1857. On June 17, 1864, fireworks left in the sun outside a cartridge room ignited, killing twenty-one women, many of whom burned to death in flammable hoop skirts . The War Department paid for their funerals, and President Abraham Lincoln attended

870-610: A wagon, with some large silver urns and such other valuables as could be hastily got hold of. When the British did arrive, they ate up the very dinner, and drank the wines, &c., that I had prepared for the President's party. The sappers and miners of the Corps of Royal Engineers under Captain Blanshard, who were employed in burning the government buildings, entered the White House. Blanshard reported that it seemed that Madison

957-773: Is a United States Army post located on the tip of Buzzard Point , the peninsula that lies at the confluence of the Potomac River and the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C. To the peninsula's west is the Washington Channel , while the Anacostia River is on its south side. The fort has been an army post for more than 200 years, third in length of service, after the United States Military Academy at West Point and

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1044-484: Is located on Summerall Field, 200 feet (61 m) northeast of the parade ground's flagpole. Due to its proximity to Arlington National Cemetery , this is also the base of operations for most Honor Guards services and burial teams. A large percentage of burials in Arlington National Cemetery originate from Old Post Chapel, one of the two chapels on Fort Myer. Visitors are also given access to

1131-511: Is the one most involved in writing the histories and providing historical research support to the Army staff. The field program and historical services guides work done at various posts and installations, as well as the work by deployed historical detachments for Army operations, ensures historical information is comprehensive and factual. Another division is responsible for overseeing the Army museum system and preserving artifacts and artwork that are

1218-507: Is the same one on display in the East Room .) "A dozen descendants of Jennings came to Washington, to visit the White House. They looked at the painting their relative helped save." In an interview with National Public Radio, Jennings' great-great-grandson, Hugh Alexander, said, "We were able to take a family portrait in front of the painting, which was for me one of the high points." He confirmed that Jennings later purchased his freedom from

1305-500: The National Intelligencer , intending to burn it down. However, several women persuaded him not to because they were afraid the fire would spread to their neighboring houses. Cockburn wanted to destroy the newspaper because its reporters had written so negatively about him, branding him the "Ruffian". Instead, he ordered his troops to tear the building down brick by brick, and ordered all the "C" type destroyed "so that

1392-584: The Carlisle Barracks . The fort is named for General Lesley James McNair , who was killed in action by friendly fire in Normandy, France during World War II . The military reservation was established in 1791, on about 28 acres (110,000 m ) at the tip of Greenleaf Point. Major Pierre Charles L'Enfant included it in his plans for Washington, the Federal City, as a significant site for

1479-516: The Department of Defense and Army Corps of Engineers proposed a permanent restricted area of about 250 feet to 500 feet into the Washington Channel along the fort's western bank outlined by buoys and warning signs. This proposal was met with resistance from D.C. city leaders as it would limit access of up to half of the heavily used waterway. In January 2021, the NSA intercepted communications from

1566-724: The Institute for National Strategic Studies . This institute, established in 1984, conducts independent policy analyses and develops policy and strategy alternatives. It also includes a War Gaming and Simulation Center and the NDU Press. The university has several other educational programs. These include the Capstone program , for general and flag officer selectees; the International Fellows program, which brings NDU almost 100 participants from 50 different countries; and

1653-611: The Iranian Revolutionary Guard that threatened mounting suicide boat attacks on Fort McNair similar to those used in the USS Cole bombing . The communications also revealed threats to kill Vice Chief of Staff of the Army General Joseph M. Martin and plans to infiltrate and surveil the installation. This contributed to calls to establish the buffer zone and continue increased security. During

1740-570: The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1946, prepares selected officers for joint and combined duty. In 1990, the Information Resources Management College was formed as the capstone institution for Defense Information Resource Management education. As such, it provides graduate-level courses in information resources management. The National Defense University also features a first-rate research capability through

1827-665: The National Defense University , as well as the official residence of the Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army . The fort's flat greenspace, which is only three miles from the White House , is frequently used as a landing zone for Marine One when the White House South Lawn is unavailable for that purpose. The National Defense University represents a significant concentration of

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1914-502: The Old Brick Capitol was complete. Most contemporary American observers, including newspapers representing anti-war Federalists , condemned the destruction of the public buildings as needless vandalism. Many in the British public were shocked by the burning of the Capitol and other buildings at Washington. Such actions were denounced by most leaders of continental Europe, where capital cities had been repeatedly occupied in

2001-575: The Quartermaster Corps . A general hospital, the predecessor to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center , was located at the post from 1898 until 1909. Major Walter Reed found the area's marshlands an excellent site for his research on malaria . Reed's work contributed to the discovery of the cause of yellow fever . Reed died of peritonitis after an appendectomy at the post in 1902. The post dispensary and

2088-646: The Royal Navy 's North America and West Indies Station , controlling naval forces based at the new Bermuda dockyard and the Halifax Naval Yard , which were used to blockade American ports throughout the war. He planned to carry the war into the United States, by attacks in Virginia and against New Orleans . Rear-Admiral George Cockburn had commanded the squadron in Chesapeake Bay since

2175-523: The War of 1812 . Soldiers at the arsenal evacuated north with as much gunpowder as they could carry, hiding the rest in a well as the British soldiers came up the Potomac River after burning the Capitol . About 47 British soldiers found the powder magazines they had come to destroy were empty. Someone threw a match into the well, and "a tremendous explosion ensued," a doctor at the scene reported, "whereby

2262-685: The caissons , stables and the Old Guard Museum . The military's largest child development center , named the Cody Child Development Center (CDC), is located here. The Pentagram is written and produced here. It is a weekly newspaper that is delivered to the joint base and the Pentagon . Fort McNair Fort Lesley J. McNair , also historically known as the Washington Arsenal ,

2349-473: The 4,500-man army in Washington, composed of the 1st Battalion, the 4th (King's Own) Regiment of Foot , the 21st (Royal North British Fusilier) Regiment of Foot , the 1st Battalion, the 44th (East Essex) Regiment of Foot , the 85th Regiment of Foot and a battalion of Royal Marines . This force defeated an American army at the Battle of Bladensburg . President James Madison , members of his government, and

2436-594: The British were prevented from collecting enough wood to burn the stone walls completely. However, the Library of Congress's contents in the northern wing contributed to the flames on that side. Among the items destroyed was the 3,000-volume collection of the Library of Congress and the intricate decorations of the neoclassical columns, pediments, and sculptures designed by William Thornton in 1793 and Benjamin Latrobe in 1803. The wooden ceilings and floors burned and

2523-556: The British were trying to dispose of them by dropping them into a well, the powder ignited. As many as thirty British soldiers were killed in the explosion, with several others injured. Less than four days after the attack began, a sudden, very heavy thunderstorm—possibly a hurricane —put out the fires. It also spun off a tornado that passed through the center of the capital, setting down on Constitution Avenue and lifting two cannons before dropping them several yards away and killing British troops and American civilians alike. Following

2610-665: The Hale Rocket. A large civilian workforce manufactured ammunition at the arsenal, and the site included a large military hospital. During the Civil War , women worked in an ammunition factory at the Washington Arsenal as it served the Union . Many lower-class women—including Irish immigrants —needed wages, especially after male relatives went to war. Women were believed to have nimble fingers, attention to detail, and

2697-635: The House of Representatives, then the northern wing, containing the Senate. Prior to setting it aflame, the British sacked the building, which at that time housed Congress, the Library of Congress , and the Supreme Court . Items looted by troops led by Rear Admiral Cockburn included a ledger entitled "An account of the receipts and expenditures of the United States for the year 1810"; the admiral wrote on

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2784-523: The Madison House, still stands in Brookeville. On August 24, 1814, the British, led by Ross and Cockburn, entered Washington with a force of 4,500 "battle hardened" men. The plan to attack Washington had been formulated by Rear Admiral Cockburn, who predicted that "within a short period of time, with enough force, we could easily have at our mercy the capital". Ross commanded the troops and

2871-606: The Old Brick Capitol between December 1815 and December 1819, when the Capitol reopened. The Capitol reconstruction took much longer than anticipated. The Old Brick Capitol took only five months to complete, but the Capitol took twelve years. A committee appointed by Congress to investigate the damage to the district concluded that it was cheaper to rebuild the already existing and damaged buildings than to build an entirely new one. On February 13, President Madison and Congress passed legislation to borrow $ 500,000 to repair

2958-490: The Patent Office was the only Government building ... left untouched" in Washington. The Americans had already burned much of the historic Washington Navy Yard , founded by Thomas Jefferson, to prevent capture of stores and ammunition, as well as the 44-gun frigate USS Columbia and the 22-gun USS Argus , both new vessels nearing completion. The Navy Yard's Latrobe Gate , Quarters A, and Quarters B were

3045-635: The Reserve Components National Security Course, which offers military education to senior officers of the armed forces. The Inter-American Defense College is an advanced-studies institute for senior officers of the 25-member nations of the Inter-American Defense Board . Up to three students of the rank of colonel or the equivalent may be sent to the college by each member nation. The students' backgrounds must qualify them to participate in

3132-542: The United States focused on imposing a naval blockade at sea, and maintaining a defensive stance on land. The British Army could not reinforce Canada; instead, the government relied on militia units and indigenous allies to support the British Army units already posted in Canada. With the defeat and exile of Napoleon in April 1814, Britain was able to use its newly available troops and ships to prosecute its war with

3219-509: The United States's role in initiating the war, viewing this as an act of aggression. Several commentators regarded the damages as just revenge for the American destruction of the Parliament buildings and other public buildings in York , the provincial capital of Upper Canada , early in 1813. Sir George Prévost wrote that "as a just retribution, the proud capital at Washington has experienced

3306-754: The United States. The Earl of Bathurst , serving as Secretary of State for War and the Colonies , dispatched an army brigade and additional naval vessels to the imperial fortress of Bermuda, from where a blockade of the U.S. coast and even the occupation of some coastal islands had been overseen throughout the war. It was decided to use these forces in raids along the Atlantic seaboard to draw American forces away from Canada. The commanders were under strict orders not to carry out operations far inland, or to attempt to hold territory. Early in 1814, Vice-Admiral Alexander Cochrane had been appointed commander-in-chief of

3393-482: The War College's first classes were conducted at Roosevelt Hall , the iconic building designed by the architectural firm of McKim, Mead and White . About 90% of the present buildings on the post's 100 acres (0.40 km ) were built, reconstructed, or remodeled by 1908. During World War I , Washington Barracks and the sub‑posts at Camp Leach and Camp A. A. Humphreys , were commanded by Abbot and were home to

3480-440: The Washington Arsenal penitentiary , which was constructed adjacent to the main arsenal buildings, had a three-story block of cells, administrative buildings, and a shoe factory for teaching prisoners a trade. In 1857, the federal government purchased additional land for the site. By 1860, the arsenal had used one of the first steam presses, developed the first automatic machine for manufacturing percussive caps, and experimented with

3567-433: The anti-establishment MP Samuel Whitbread , joining in the criticism, declaring that the government was "making much of the taking of a few buildings in a non-strategic swamp, as though it had captured Paris". In contrast, the majority of British public opinion perceived the burnings to be justified following the damage that the U.S. military had inflicted during its incursions into Canada. The British public also pointed to

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3654-535: The area, Washington property owners funded the building of the Old Brick Capitol, a larger meeting space where the Supreme Court now stands. Construction of the Old Brick Capitol cost $ 25,000 and was funded primarily through the sale of stocks. The largest donor was Daniel Carroll of Duddington, a rich English property owner in the area. Construction began on July 4, and concluded in December. Congress met in

3741-461: The army's historical treasure. One such museum, The Old Guard Museum, was located at Fort Myer until it was closed. Burning of Washington British victory 1814 The Burning of Washington , also known as the Capture of Washington , was a successful British amphibious attack conducted by Rear-Admiral George Cockburn during Admiral Sir John Warren 's Chesapeake campaign . It

3828-603: The attack, of whom the fatality and three of the wounded were from the 6th West India Regiment of the Corps of Colonial Marines . The destruction of the Capitol, including the Senate House and the House of Representatives, the Arsenal, Dockyard, Treasury, War Office, President's mansion, bridge over the Potomac, a frigate and a sloop together with all materiel was estimated at £365,000 or around $ 40,540,000 in 2021. A separate British force captured Alexandria, Virginia , on

3915-403: The burning of the White House and the Capitol building. The United States Capitol was, according to some contemporary travelers, the only building in Washington "worthy to be noticed". Thus, it was a prime target for the British, for both its aesthetic and its symbolic value. Upon arrival into the city via Maryland Avenue , the British targeted the Capitol, first the southern wing, containing

4002-443: The capital defense. On L'Enfant's orders, Andre Villard, a French follower of Marquis de Lafayette, placed a one-gun battery on the site. In 1795, the site became one of the first two United States arsenals. An arsenal first occupied the site, and defenses were built in 1794. However, the fortifications did not halt the invasion of British forces in 1814 , who burned down many public government buildings in Washington, D.C., during

4089-482: The capital would degrade the American sense of dignity and strength (however, many Southern congressmen simply did not want to move the capital north of the Mason–Dixon line ). On September 21, the House of Representatives voted to strike down a proposal to relocate the capital from Washington, D.C. by a margin of 83 to 54. On February 3, 1815, in an effort to guarantee that the federal government would always remain in

4176-502: The case, the British occupation of Washington lasted only about 26 hours. Despite this, the "Storm that saved Washington", as it became known, did the opposite according to some. The rains sizzled and cracked the already charred walls of the White House and ripped away at structures the British had no plans to destroy (such as the Patent Office). The storm may have exacerbated an already dire situation for Washington D.C. An encounter

4263-470: The course of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars but always spared destruction, at least on the part of the occupiers—the famous burning of Moscow that occurred less than two years prior had been an act carried out by the defenders . According to The Annual Register , the burning had "brought a heavy censure on the British character", with some members of Parliament, including

4350-742: The defense community's intellectual resources. Initially established in 1976, the university includes the National War College and the Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy (formerly the Industrial College of the Armed Forces ) at Fort McNair, and the Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia . These and other schools are separate entities, but their close affiliation enhances

4437-401: The enemy from a repetition of similar outrages. Many sources also suggest that the attack on Washington was motivated by revenge for the American looting of York in Upper Canada, the provincial capital, after the Battle of York in April 1813. Earlier, the British had filed general complaints about the "wanton destruction" along the Niagara region and Lake Erie. Major General Ross commanded

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4524-430: The exchange of faculty expertise and educational resources, promotes interaction among students and faculty, and reduces administrative costs. The National War College and the Eisenhower School concentrate on preparing civilian and military professionals in national security strategy, decision-making, joint and combined warfare, and the resource component of national strategy. The Joint Forces Staff College, established under

4611-465: The fifteen-year-old boy Paul Jennings , was an eyewitness. After later buying his freedom from the widow Dolley Madison, Jennings published his memoir in 1865, considered the first from the White House: It has often been stated in print, that when Mrs. Madison escaped from the White House, she cut out from the frame the large portrait of Washington (now in one of the parlors there), and carried it off. She had no time for doing it. It would have required

4698-444: The glass skylights melted from the intense heat. The building was not a complete loss. The House rotunda, the east lobby, the staircases, and Latrobe's famous Corn-Cob Columns in the Senate entrance hall all survived. The Superintendent of the Public Buildings of the City of Washington, Thomas Munroe, concluded that the loss to the Capitol amounted to $ 787,163.28, with $ 457,388.36 for the north wing and main building, and $ 329,774.92 for

4785-453: The inside leaf that it was "taken in President's room in the Capitol, at the destruction of that building by the British, on the capture of Washington, 24th August, 1814". He later gave it to his elder brother Sir James Cockburn , the Governor of Bermuda . The book was returned to the Library of Congress in 1940. The British intended to burn the building to the ground. They set fire to the southern wing first. The flames grew so quickly that

4872-399: The joint funeral procession. A monument at Congressional Cemetery commemorates these women. In memory of the many Irish victims, the Irish foreign minister Eamon Gilmore laid a wreath at the Congressional Cemetery memorial in 2014 to commemorate the accident's 150th anniversary. Following the defeat and surrender of the Confederate States of America in the spring of 1865 to end

4959-413: The lives of the unarmed inhabitants of the United States". Ross was less optimistic. He "never dreamt for one minute that an army of 3,500 men with 1,000 marines reinforcement, with no cavalry, hardly any artillery, could march 50 miles inland and capture an enemy capital", according to historian John McCavitt. Ross refused to accept Cockburn's recommendation to burn the entire city. He spared nearly all of

5046-402: The military fled the city in the wake of the British victory at Bladensburg. They found refuge for the night in Brookeville , a small town in Montgomery County, Maryland , which is known today as the "United States' Capital for a Day". President Madison spent the night in the house of Caleb Bentley , a Quaker who lived and worked as a silversmith in Brookeville. Bentley's house, known today as

5133-496: The nation's capital. Stationed here are The First and Fourth battalions of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard); since August 2011, 'A' Company (Commander in Chief's Guard), which was stationed at Fort McNair, D.C; and The U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own" . The gravesite of Black Jack , the riderless horse in the state funerals of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur and U.S. Presidents John F. Kennedy , Herbert Hoover , Dwight D. Eisenhower , and Lyndon B. Johnson ,

5220-473: The night in Brookeville , a small town in Montgomery County, Maryland ; President Madison spent the night in the house of Caleb Bentley , a Quaker who lived and worked in Brookeville. Bentley's house, known today as the Madison House, still exists. The United Kingdom was already at war with France when the United States declared war in 1812. The war against France took up most of Britain's attention and military resources. The initial British strategy against

5307-442: The officers and about 30 of the men were killed and the rest most shockingly mangled." The remaining soldiers destroyed the arsenal buildings, but the facilities were rebuilt from 1815 to 1821. Eight buildings were arranged around a quadrangle and named the Washington Arsenal. In the early 1830s, four acres of marshland were reclaimed and added to the arsenal. A seawall and additional buildings were constructed. Between 1825 and 1831,

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5394-406: The only buildings to escape destruction. Also spared were the Marine Barracks and Commandant's House, although several private properties were damaged or destroyed. In the afternoon of August 25, General Ross sent two hundred men to secure a fort on Greenleaf's Point. The fort, later known as Fort McNair , had already been destroyed by the Americans, but 150 barrels of gunpowder remained. While

5481-406: The only records of the War Department lost were recommendations of appointments for the Army and letters received from seven years earlier. The First U.S. Patent Office Building was saved by the efforts of William Thornton , the former architect of the Capitol and then the superintendent of patents, who gained British cooperation to preserve it. "When the smoke cleared from the dreadful attack,

5568-404: The post and was killed during Operation Cobra near Saint-Lô , France, on July 25, 1944. He was killed in an infamous friendly fire incident when errant bombs of the Eighth Air Force fell on the positions of 2nd Battalion, 120th Infantry , where McNair was observing the fighting. Fort McNair has been the headquarters of the Military District of Washington since 1966. In 2020,

5655-431: The previous year. On June 25, he wrote to Cochrane stressing that the defenses there were weak, and he felt that several major cities were vulnerable to attack. Cochrane suggested attacking Baltimore , Washington, D.C. , and Philadelphia . Rear Admiral Cockburn accurately predicted that "within a short period of time, with enough force, we could easily have at our mercy the capital". He recommended Washington, D.C. as

5742-416: The privately owned properties. An added motive was retaliation for the "wanton destruction of private property along the north shores of Lake Erie" by American troops under Colonel John Campbell in May, the most notable being the Raid on Port Dover . On June 2, Sir George Prevost , Governor General of British North America , wrote to Cochrane at Admiralty House , in Bailey's Bay , Bermuda, calling for

5829-416: The public buildings, including the Capitol, "on their present sites in the city of Washington". Benjamin Latrobe , architect of the Capitol who took over for William Thornton in 1803, was rehired to repair the building on April 18. He immediately requested 60,000 feet (18,288 m) of boards, 500 tons of stone, 1,000 barrels of lime, and brick. With the $ 500,000 borrowed from Washington banks, Latrobe

5916-408: The public buildings. One pair currently hangs in the House of Assembly of the Parliament of Bermuda , and the other in the Cabinet Building, both in the city of Hamilton . There was a movement in Congress to relocate the capital after the burning. Congressmen from the north pushed for relocation to Philadelphia or some other prominent northern city, while Southern congressmen claimed that moving

6003-426: The rascals can have no further means of abusing my name". The British sought out the United States Treasury in hopes of finding money or items of worth, but they found only old records. They burned the United States Treasury and other public buildings. The United States Department of War building was also burned. However, the War and State Department files had been removed, so the books and records had been saved;

6090-409: The school for Engineer officers and the site for enlisting and organizing divisional Engineer regiments for service in France. The Army Industrial College was founded at McNair in 1924 to prepare officers for high-level posts in Army supply organizations and study industrial mobilization. It evolved into the Industrial College of the Armed Forces . The post was renamed Fort Humphreys in 1935 –

6177-494: The solution of hemispheric-defense problems. The officers study world alliances and the international situation, the inter-American system and its role, strategic concepts of war, and engage in a planning exercise for hemispheric defense. The college has been at Fort McNair since 1962. In September 1998, the United States Army Center of Military History moved from rented offices in Washington, D.C., to Fort McNair in historically preserved quarters remodeled from its previous use as

6264-517: The south side of the Potomac River , while Ross's troops were leaving Washington. The mayor of Alexandria made a deal and the British refrained from burning the town. In 2013, an episode of the Weather Channel documentary series When Weather Changed History , entitled "The Thunderstorm That Saved D.C.", was devoted to these events. President Madison and the military officers returned to Washington by September 1, on which date Madison issued

6351-455: The south wing. After burning the Capitol, the British turned northwest up Pennsylvania Avenue toward the White House. After U.S. government officials and President Madison fled the city, First Lady Dolley Madison received a letter from her husband, urging her to be prepared to leave Washington at a moment's notice. Dolley organized the enslaved and other staff to save valuables from the British. James Madison's personal enslaved attendant,

6438-504: The storm, the British troops returned to their ships, many of which were badly damaged. There is some debate regarding the effect of this storm on the occupation. While some assert that the storm forced the British to retreat, historians have argued that their intention was only to destroy the city's government buildings, rather than occupy it for an extended period. It is also clear that Ross never intended to damage private buildings as had been recommended by Cockburn and Cochrane. Whatever

6525-405: The target, because of the comparative ease of attacking the national capital and "the greater political effect likely to result". On July 18, Cochrane ordered Cockburn to "deter the enemy from a repetition of similar outrages ... You are hereby required and directed to destroy and lay waste such towns and districts as you may find assailable". Cochrane further instructed, "You will spare merely

6612-599: The trials. Fort Myer is headquarters to service personnel working throughout the National Capital Region . The post provides housing, support, and services to thousands of active-duty, reserve, and retired military, members of the U.S. Coast Guard, and their families stationed in the United States Army Military District of Washington . The JBMHH's mission is to operate the Army's community and support Homeland Security in

6699-617: The visiting officers' quarters now occupy the buildings where Reed worked and died. From December 1901 to March 1903, Engineer officer Frederic Vaughan Abbot served on a panel that reported on the feasibility of establishing the United States Army War College at Washington Barracks and reconstructing the site so it could host the headquarters of the Chief of Engineers and the Engineer School . In 1904,

6786-499: The war, John Wilkes Booth assassinated Lincoln in retribution. Following Booth's death at the hands of Federal troops in Port Royal, Virginia, his conspirators were then apprehended and imprisoned in the Washington Arsenal penitentiary. After being found guilty by a military tribunal , four were hanged in the yard of the penitentiary, and the rest received prison sentences. Among those hanged at what would become Fort McNair

6873-602: The way for the expansion of the city that developed in the years leading up to the American Civil War . In 2009, President Barack Obama held a ceremony at the White House to honor the Madisons' slave Paul Jennings as a representative of staff action to save the Gilbert Stuart painting and other valuables. (The painting that was saved was a copy Stuart made of the painting, not the original, although it

6960-402: Was Mary Surratt , the first woman ever executed under federal orders. The military tribunal tried the conspirators in a complex that is known as Ulysses S. Grant Hall. This hall periodically holds public open houses. Each quarter of the hall is open to the public, and people can visit the courtroom and learn more about the trials. The arsenal was closed in 1881, and the post was transferred to

7047-432: Was able to rebuild the two wings and the central dome before being fired in 1817 over budgetary conflicts. Charles Bulfinch took over and completed the renovations by 1826. Bulfinch modified Latrobe's design by increasing the height of the Capitol dome to match the diameter of 86 ft (26.2 m). With the reconstruction of the public buildings in Washington, the value of land in the area increased dramatically, paving

7134-585: Was also evacuated. Senior Senate Republicans evacuated to Fort McNair included outgoing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senators Chuck Grassley and John Thune . House Republican leaders evacuated to Fort McNair included House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Steve Scalise . Fort McNair is today part of the Joint Base Myer–Henderson Hall , the headquarters of the Army's Military District of Washington , and serves as home to

7221-652: Was in part a retaliation for prior American actions in British-held Upper Canada , in which U.S. forces had burned and looted York the previous year and had then burned large portions of Port Dover . Less than four days after the attack began, a heavy thunderstorm, possibly a hurricane and a tornado , extinguished the fires and caused further destruction. The British occupation of Washington, D.C. lasted for roughly 26 hours. President James Madison , along with his administration and several military officials, evacuated and were able to find refuge for

7308-507: Was less optimistic. While Cockburn recommended burning the entire city, Ross planned to damage only public buildings. Ross, who was described by historian John McCavitt as "an officer and a gentleman", initially planned for an orderly surrender of Washington. However, as he and his men entered the city under a flag of truce, American soldiers remaining in the city "treacherously" opened fire, wounding Ross' horse and killing two of his men. McCavitt argued that this led him to "reluctantly" order

7395-575: Was noted between Sir George Cockburn and a female resident of Washington. "Dear God! Is this the weather to which you are accustomed in this infernal country?" enquired the Admiral. "This is a special interposition of Providence to drive our enemies from our city", the woman allegedly called out to Cockburn. "Not so, Madam", Cockburn retorted. "It is rather to aid your enemies in the destruction of your city", before riding off on horseback. The Royal Navy reported that it lost one man killed and six wounded in

7482-415: Was so sure that the attacking force would be made prisoners of war that a handsome feast had been prepared. Blanshard and his sappers enjoyed it. The soldiers then burned the president's house, and fuel was added to the fires that night to ensure they would continue burning into the next day. The day after the destruction of the White House, Rear Admiral Cockburn entered the building of the D.C. newspaper,

7569-639: Was the only time since the American Revolutionary War that a foreign power had captured and occupied a United States capital . Following the defeat of American forces at the Battle of Bladensburg on August 24, 1814, a British army led by Major-General Robert Ross marched on Washington, D.C. That evening, British soldiers and sailors set fire to multiple public buildings, including the Presidential Mansion , United States Capitol , and Washington Navy Yard . The attack

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