With the British Nearby, President James Madison and His Wife Dolley Anticipate a Possible Invasion of Washington During the War of 1812: “Dismiss your alarm until I give you the watch-word.”

We have never before seen a letter from either James or Dolley Madison relating to the British invasion and burning of Washington

In the War of 1812, the British wanted to defend Canada after some successful American incursions, and they were also planning their own counter-invasion of the U.S. from the north. British raids around Chesapeake Bay were initiated to divert U.S. forces at that time. The British fleet sailed up and down the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River as well as numerous inlets in the summer of 1814, raiding settlements and blockading vessels. The largest of these raids took place beginning on August 19, 1814, when Adm. George Cockburn and Maj. Gen. Robert Ross landed upstream on the Patuxent River in Maryland.

The combined British force marched north toward Washington, D.C. A squadron of barges went up the Patuxent parallel to the army as far as it could. The six-ship squadron that sailed up the Potomac was primarily a supporting attack or diversion, and with a secondary mission to evacuate Ross’ army if its retreat had been cut off. The fleet itself had to stay in the deeper waters of the Chesapeake and lower Patuxent. U.S. Secretary of War John Armstrong didn’t think the British would attack Washington, which was of little strategic, military or economic significance compared to the much larger and wealthier port city of Baltimore. As the result of this miscalculation, little to nothing was done to prepare Washington’s defenses.

The situation changed on August 24, as British land forces of around 4,500 arrived just outside of Washington, at Bladensburg. There they were met by American forces – some 6,500 militia and 420 regular Army troops. It seemed that with the British outnumbered and far away from home turf, they’d stand little chance of success against the Americans, who were defending their capital. But the volunteer militia were state forces, with some being better than others. They could not, it proved, be relied on.

In the ensuing battle that took place at Bladensburg that day, the British force eventually overwhelmed the Americans, overlapping their flanks and forcing them to retreat. The American formation fell apart once the British started shooting them in the backs. At this point, the American lines of defense were breaking and U.S. General Winder is said to have remarked that the battle is already lost. He then ordered the regulars and a militia brigade to fall back to Washington to form a new defensive line. However, he never told the other militia where to go so they took off for Georgetown or the Montgomery Court House.

As for Madison, he was there to observe the battle, and he almost rode into the British advance guard before being advised by Winder and his aides that it would be better for him to vacate to a safer area. But in any case, Madison is credited with being the first commander in chief on the battlefield under fire. With the crumbling of the defenses of Bladensburg, the road was now open for the British advance on Washington.

The British marched into Washington later on the 24th, came down Maryland Avenue through the heart of the city, and burned the Capitol building; they then headed down Pennsylvania Avenue and burned the White House. As the British entered Capitol Hill they could see the glow in the sky of the burning Washington Navy Yard.

President Madison and his cabinet, when the danger was imminent, fled to safety. At the White House, First Lady Dolley Madison quickly arranged to secure and remove what documents and treasures she could, including famously a Gilbert Stuart portrait of President George Washington. Irreplaceable documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution had been rushed to safety in Virginia the day before. The burning of Washington was more a psychological victory for the British than a military victory. Although the buildings of government were destroyed, the government itself had dispersed around the area and would soon reform and regroup, under the leadership of President Madison.

Richard Rush, son of Declaration of Independence signer Benjamin Rush, was James Madison’s Attorney General when the British burned Washington. His wife Catherine was a friend of Dolley Madison, with whom she carried on a correspondence.

William Tatham was a Revolutionary soldier and a military storekeeper, a lawyer and legislator, and an author, engineer, and agriculturist. During the British invasion of Virginia in 1781, Tatham volunteered as a courier between General Nelson, General Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, and Virginia Governor Thomas Jefferson. Correspondence between Tatham and Jefferson over decades suggests a one-sided relationship – Tatham always asking for jobs, with his letters outnumbering Jefferson’s responses by about twenty to one. Over the next several years, Tatham maintained a similar one-sided correspondence with President James Madison. The Madison Papers considers Tatham a “sad figure” always in financial difficulties.

In the days before the British landed and arrived in Washington on August 24, American leadership did not expect that development. But, this letter shows, they had a watch-word should matters get out of hand. All this is described in a letter Dolley Madison wrote Catherine Rush circa August 21, 1814.

Autograph letter signed, Washington, to Mrs. Rush. “Poor Tatham! I saw a letter my dear from Governor Bowie [Maryland Governor Oden Bowie, who presumably had the latest information on the situation with the British, which he was providing to Madison] desiring a reinforcement from the City [Washington], but which does not state the number of the enemy. In truth, I don’t believe we have anything to fear for the present. My husband tells me so, & I entreat you will dismiss your alarm until I give you the watch-word. Your, D.”. Mrs. Madison only signed with her initial with those close to her. The address leaf in Dolley’s hand to Mrs. Rush is still present, and a docket in the hand of Richard Rush reads, “From Mrs. Madison when the invasion of Washington was beginning to be feared.” And as for the watch-word, that fact was unknown to the Madison Papers until now.

It is fascinating to see that with the British nearby, and the burning of Washington days away, President and Mrs. Madison were not overly concerned. But they were thoughtful about it enough to create a watch-word that would reliably inform government officials should worse come to worse.

We have never before seen a letter from either James or Dolley Madison relating to the British invasion and burning of Washington. Moreover, a search of public sale records going back 40 years fails to turn up any. Thus this letter, showing Madison’s state of mind just before the British arrival, must be considered very rare if not unique.