Battle of Bladensburg | |||||||
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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. | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Strength | |||||||
1,500[1] 60 rockets[2][Note 1] | 6,920 | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
64 killed 185 wounded[3][4][5] |
10–26 killed 40–51 wounded 100–120 captured[3][6] | ||||||
Location within Maryland |
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.
The battle has been described as "the greatest disgrace ever dealt to American arms,"[7] 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.
From the circumstance of the American artillery... completely enfilading the bridge.. our loss was much more severe than it would otherwise have been...Grand total, 249 hors de combat.
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