Dublin Core
Title
When we remarked
Description
Most of the content in this issue of the National Intelligencer was reprinted from the Baltimore Patriot. The offices of the Intelligencer were torn down and the printing mechanisms destroyed by British soldiers at the express orders of Admiral Cockburn, who was angry at the way the paper's editor, Joseph Gales, had protrayed him in articles.
Source
Digitzed by Readex. View original.
Publisher
Daily National Intelligencer (Washington, DC)
Date
August 31, 1814
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
When we remarked, in our paper of yesterday, that private property had in general been scrupulously respected by the enemy during his late incursion, we spoke what we believed from a hasty survey, and perhaps without sufficient inquiry. Greater respect was certainly paid to private property than has usually been exhibited by the enemy in his marauding parties. No houses were half as much plundered by the enemy as by the knavish wretches about the town who profited of the general distress. There were, however, several private buildings wantonly destroyed, and some of those persons who remained in the city were scandalously maltreated. Among the private buildings destroyed was the dwelling house owned and occupied by Mr. Robert Sewall (formerly rented by Mr. Gallatin) from behind which a gun was fired at Gen. Ross, which killed the horse he rode; the houses built for Gen. Washington on the brow of Capitol hill, the large hotel belonging to Daniel Carroll Dudn. and others, and recently occupied by Mr. Tomlinson, the rope walks of Tench Ringgold, Heath and Co and John Chalmers, were destroyed by fire, without any pretence being assigned therefor that we know.
The enemy was conducted through the city by a former resident, who, with other detected traitors, is now in confinement.
Cockburn was quite a mountebank in the city, exhibiting in the streets a gross levity of manner, displaying sundry articles of trifling value of which he had robbed the President's house, and repeating many of the course jests and vulgar slang of the Federal Republican respecting the chief magistrate and others, in a strain of eloquence which could only have been acquired by a constant perusal of that disgrace of the country.
The magazine at Greenleaf's point was destroyed (partially only) and the guns spiked on Thursday. In a dry well belonging to the barracks our soldiers had thrown many barrels of powder for concealment. After exploding the magazine, the British soldiers through casually into this well one or two of their matches, which communicated to the powder deposited there. The effect was terrific. Every one of his soldiers near was blown into eternity, many at a greater distance wounded, and the excavation remains an evidence of the great force of this explosion.
The enemy was conducted through the city by a former resident, who, with other detected traitors, is now in confinement.
Cockburn was quite a mountebank in the city, exhibiting in the streets a gross levity of manner, displaying sundry articles of trifling value of which he had robbed the President's house, and repeating many of the course jests and vulgar slang of the Federal Republican respecting the chief magistrate and others, in a strain of eloquence which could only have been acquired by a constant perusal of that disgrace of the country.
The magazine at Greenleaf's point was destroyed (partially only) and the guns spiked on Thursday. In a dry well belonging to the barracks our soldiers had thrown many barrels of powder for concealment. After exploding the magazine, the British soldiers through casually into this well one or two of their matches, which communicated to the powder deposited there. The effect was terrific. Every one of his soldiers near was blown into eternity, many at a greater distance wounded, and the excavation remains an evidence of the great force of this explosion.