Dublin Core
Title
To the Public
Description
William Thornton was a prominent member of Washington society, Superintendent of the Patent Office, and a Justice of the Peace. On August 26th, when the British had retreated and American officials not yet returned, Thornton organized patrols and visited with wounded British soldiers. Some of his decisions on that day brought him into conflict with Mayor James H. Blake, who proceeded to publicly question Thornton's patriotism. To defend himself, Thornton wrote this article describing his actions during the British occupation and its aftermath.
Creator
Dr. William Thornton
Source
America's Historical Newspapers. Read original.
Publisher
Daily National Intelligencer (Washington, DC)
Date
September 7, 1814
Coverage
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
Hearing of several misrepresentations, I think it my duty to state to you in as concise a manner as the various circumstances will permit, my conduct in the late transactions in this City. After securing all the public papers committed to my care, and sending them to a place of perfect safety, (leaving my own property unattended to) I proceeded on the 23rd inst. to the neighborhood of the army....
The next day I removed with my family in the retreating army from the City, and bedeld in deep regret, that night, the tremendous conflagration of our public buildings, &c. Hearing next morning while at breakfast in Georgetown, that the British were preparing to burn the War Office and the public building containing the models of the arts, I was desirous not only of saving an instrument that had cost me great labor, but of preserving if possible the building and all the models - I therefore left my breakfast and hastened forward, determining to request the first known democrat I should meet to accompany me, lest the malevolent should insinuate that I had in any manner held an improper communication with the invaders of the country ….
When we arrived there we found the Revd. Mr. Brown, Mr. Lyon and Mr. Hatfield near the Patent Office. Major Waters, who was then on guard and waiting the command of Colonel Jones, informed me that the private property might be taken out, I told him that there was nothing but private property of any consequence, and that any public property to which he objected might be burnt in the street, provided the building might be preserved, which contained hundreds of models of the arts, and that it would be impossible to remove them, and to burn what would be useful to all mankind, would be as barbarous as formerly to burn the Alexandrian Library for which the Turks have been ever since condemned by all enlightened nations. The Major desired me to go again with him to Col. Jones, who was attending some of his men engaged in destroying Mr. Gale's types and printing apparatus. I went to the Avenue and was kindly received by the Colonel; they took their men away and promised to spare the building. I then returned satisfied without seeing any other British officer, and went out of the district with my family. On Friday (26th) I returned to the city lest any inferior officer, not knowing of this promise, should set fire to the building; but I found the British were gone, except a few sick and wounded men and their attendants.
The next day I removed with my family in the retreating army from the City, and bedeld in deep regret, that night, the tremendous conflagration of our public buildings, &c. Hearing next morning while at breakfast in Georgetown, that the British were preparing to burn the War Office and the public building containing the models of the arts, I was desirous not only of saving an instrument that had cost me great labor, but of preserving if possible the building and all the models - I therefore left my breakfast and hastened forward, determining to request the first known democrat I should meet to accompany me, lest the malevolent should insinuate that I had in any manner held an improper communication with the invaders of the country ….
When we arrived there we found the Revd. Mr. Brown, Mr. Lyon and Mr. Hatfield near the Patent Office. Major Waters, who was then on guard and waiting the command of Colonel Jones, informed me that the private property might be taken out, I told him that there was nothing but private property of any consequence, and that any public property to which he objected might be burnt in the street, provided the building might be preserved, which contained hundreds of models of the arts, and that it would be impossible to remove them, and to burn what would be useful to all mankind, would be as barbarous as formerly to burn the Alexandrian Library for which the Turks have been ever since condemned by all enlightened nations. The Major desired me to go again with him to Col. Jones, who was attending some of his men engaged in destroying Mr. Gale's types and printing apparatus. I went to the Avenue and was kindly received by the Colonel; they took their men away and promised to spare the building. I then returned satisfied without seeing any other British officer, and went out of the district with my family. On Friday (26th) I returned to the city lest any inferior officer, not knowing of this promise, should set fire to the building; but I found the British were gone, except a few sick and wounded men and their attendants.