Battle of Bladensburg

The Battle of Bladensburg, also known as the Bladensburg Races, took place during the Chesapeake Campaign, part of the War of 1812, on 24 August 1814, at Bladensburg, Maryland, 8.6 miles (13.8 km) northeast of Washington, D.C.

Battle of Bladensburg
Part of War of 1812

The Final Stand at Bladensburg, Maryland,
24 August 1814 by Charles Waterhouse shows U.S. Marines manning their guns in defense of Washington.
DateAugust 24, 1814
Location
Bladensburg, Maryland
38°56′12″N 76°56′15″W
Result British victory
(see Aftermath section)
Belligerents
 United Kingdom  United States
Commanders and leaders
George Cockburn
Robert Ross		 William Winder
Joshua Barney
Strength
1,500
60 rockets		 6,920
Casualties and losses
64 killed
185 wounded		 10–26 killed
40–51 wounded
100–120 captured
Bladensburg
Location within Maryland

The battle has been described as "the greatest disgrace ever dealt to American arms," a British force of army regulars and Royal Marines routed a combined U.S. force of Regular Army and state militia troops. The American defeat resulted in the capture and burning of the national capital of Washington, D.C., the only time that the city fell to a foreign invader.

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