Comparatively few of the present generation know how near to being lost was one of the most precious of our national documents, the Declaration of Independence. - “Saved the Declaration from British,” syndicated article about Stephen Pleasonton, June, 1906.
The effect of the war, the rebuilding of the Capitol, and the renewal of the nation was to speak of the United States — singular with a capital U. — “When Washington Burned, The British Invasion of the Capital," Robert P. Watson.
Perhaps you remember the sweep of commemorative events that took place in 2012 to 2014 in the Chesapeake and greater Washington region. Historical marker unveilings, new trails and books, speakers and papers, museum exhibitions, and reenactments were all part of the Bicentennial of the War of 1812.
They filled my needs so much that when I initially read about the release of the new book, “When Washington Burned, The British Invasion of the Capital,” I initially shrugged off any notions of buying it.
But there had been a lot to learn about the so-called “America’s Forgotten War” and I was intrigued by the promotional summary — “Robert Watson has revealed the little-known roles played by a largely anonymous army of government clerks who rescued key documents and historical treasures from going up in flames.”
In late August, 1814, the unstoppable British Navy and Marines stormed up the Patuxent River and were getting closer and closer to Washington. Panic ensued and most residents fled. I knew Dolley Madison gained admirers and appreciation for saving the Gilbert Stuart painting of George Washington, and by surrendering, Alexandria avoided what might have been some losses.
But who were these forgotten clerks and what documents did they save?
As Watson lays out, there were no contingency plans when the last second call came to save the parchments that held the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and others. And crazy as it sounds, as the British got closer and closer, the Secretary of War scoffed at the idea that they would attack the capital.
By August 24th, Washington was mostly deserted. Almost all of the government clerks who could have potentially tried to save the documents were conscripted into military duty. Nevertheless, a few of them sprung into action. Lewis Machen escorted Senate records to Brookville, Maryland. John Frost and Sam Burch took House of Representative papers to a secret location. Supreme Court clerk Elias B. Caldwell rescued court books to his own nearby house. Navy Yard personnel moved papers and small property.
The one that captured my attention was Stephen Pleasonton (1776-1855). Along with his fellow clerks John Graham and Josias King, he led the rescue and saving of “the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, the Articles of Confederation, the Bill of Rights, much of George Washington’s correspondence, a number of treaties, and historic flags captured during the Revolution."
We’ll give a short account of his rescue culled from Watson’s book and a few other sources, followed by a chronological look using newspapers via newspapers.com, GenealogyBank, Chronicling America, and The Washington Post. We also provide a brief look at Pleasonton's family and the text to a letter he sent to General Winder in 1848.
From its headwaters thirty-some miles north of Washington and down to the mouth at the Chesapeake Bay, the Patuxent River flows for over a hundred miles through the central and southern Maryland. Long stretches are quiet places with serene waters. In August, 1814, however, it was anything but that. Residents who lived by and near the long body of water feared for their lives and properties.
Image: "In Full Glory Reflected: Discovering the War of 1812 in the Chesapeake," Ralph E. Eshelman and Burton K. Kummerow.
The British forces began a week (August 19-25) of terror in Benedict, a small town about 20 miles south of Washington. On August 24th, the troops were at Bladensburg.
The Capitol and President's House were now just five miles away. Although the British lost 64 souls in the Battle of Bladensburg, about three times more than that of the American fighting men, they forced an embarrassing American retreat and marched unscathed to Washington. On the night of August 24th, they torched the Capitol and the President's House.
Note: According to the Architect of the Capitol, "The British burned major rooms in the Capitol, which then housed the Library of Congress, as well as the House, Senate and Supreme Court. At the time, the Capitol was still being constructed and consisted of only the north and south wings. Damage to parts of the wings was severe, but the building was not completely destroyed."
When the last minute word to save the records arrived on August 23rd, only three clerks were at the Department of State. Pleasonton was the most senior. To his great surprise, General John Armstrong (1757-1843), Secretary of War who had distinguished himself in the Revolutionary War, and as a Delegate to the Continental Congress, and US Senator from New York, did not believe the British would attack the capitol. He scoffed at the clerks for wanting to remove the documents.
Pleasonton was not deterred. After some desperate searches, he and a few others finally found some oxen and carts. Seeing no boxes, he purchased some rough linen and made some make-shift satchels.
Image: Source. National Museum of American Diplomacy
Led by Pleasonton, the three clerks took the precious papers to a grist mill at the Virginia side of Chain Bridge. Their probable route was Pennsylvania Avenue, M Street in Georgetown, Canal Road, and across the 1,400-foot-long span over the Potomac. The grist mill was owned by Edgar Patterson, but he was probably not there.
The site of the mill at the mouth of Pimmit Run is a fascinating place. Many in speeding cars pass by oblivious to what an historical marker tells the reader. Above on the George Washington Parkway, thousands drive past each day, but can’t see the site due to the drop in height.
Those crossing over Chain Bridge must wonder why it is located more than three miles upstream of Georgetown. The answer lies in the topography. This spot is the only break in the line of cliffs.
Steve Dryden, a writer and author, parlayed his research and passion for Pimmit Run into an historical illustrated map (“Pimmit Run: History and Ecology of a Northern Virginia Stream”).
He describes the stream valley as a “scenic break in the Potomac palisades.” Sites include Native American camps, fishing stands, a tobacco inspection warehouse built by Thomas Lee and a rock quarry.
Image: Author photo.
(The site of the mill is across the road from the "Welcome to Virginia" sign. It is overgrown and not accessible).
After placing the bags in the mill, Pleasonton realized the British might find them if they proceeded to Henry Foxall's Columbian Foundry (just to the west of Georgetown), where he supplied armaments to the US Navy. So the bags were reloaded and hauled to Leesburg, thirty miles away. They went along Georgetown Pike (Route 123) and the Leesburg Road (Route 7).
Pleasonton found an empty mansion (Rokeby) south of Leesburg and the bags were put in the vault. He gave the keys to John Littlejohn, a Methodist preacher, county sheriff, and a tax collector.
Exhausted, Pleasonton slept in Leesburg. Hearing Washington was still burning when he woke up, he waited until the following day to return. There's apparently no specific information on when the documents were returned, other than it took place about two weeks later.
Chronological Look at News Reports on Stephen Pleasonton
November 9, 1801
Philadelphia Gazette
The is the first item to appear in our newspaper search for Pleasonton. It is a short Matrimony Notice:
Married by Rev. Joseph Clarkson, Mr. Stephen Pleasonton, late of Delaware state, to Miss Holly Hopkins, daughter of John Hopkins, esq. of Lancaster County.
June 8, 1808
National Intelligencer & Washington Advertiser
Partial list of the annual election of Council members of the city.
First Chamber
Charles W. Goldsborough, 210
Stephen Pleasonton, 147
Second Chamber
Elias B. Caldwell 253
James Hoban 179
Note: James Hoban is the most recognizable of these. He designed the White House, helped with the Capitol, and oversaw the architecture of the Octagon House.
Charles W. Goldsborough (1777-1843) was a clerk at the Department of Navy, a merchant in Georgetown, director of the Farmers and Mechanics National Bank in Washington, Alderman and Chief of the Naval Bureau of Provisions
Elias B. Caldwell (1776-1825) was a lawyer alongside Francis Scott Key and served as Clerk of the Supreme Court of the United States.
March 7, 1817
Daily National Intelligencer
President Monroe appointed Pleasonton as the Auditor of the Treasury Department.
Note: The Commerce Research Library, US Department of Commerce points out the first U.S. Congress under President George Washington created the U.S. Lighthouse Establishment in 1789, bringing 12 colonial-era lighthouses under the jurisdiction of the Treasury Department. Treasury personnel, including Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, became responsible for administering the nation’s lighthouses and navigational aids.
By 1820, the Lighthouse Establishment had built around 40 new lighthouses, and assigned the Establishment’s administration to Stephen Pleasonton, Fifth Auditor of the Treasury. Pleasonton’s 32-year tenure in this role was productive, but controversial. Under Pleasonton, the Establishment built over 200 lighthouses but faced an increasing number of complaints that the nation’s lighthouses were inadequate.
July 17, 1819
National Intelligencer and Washington Advertiser
The Patriotic Bank of Washington announced 12 Directors. Pleasonton was one of them.
November, 1825
Richmond Enquirer
The Richmond Enquirer published the extract of a letter from an officer of the US Ship North Carolina. At Gibraltar Bay, eight enlisted and two officers had died after eating bad food. Among them were Pleasonton’s son, Midshipmen Pleasonton.
November 20, 1832
Marriage of his daughter Matilda.
In Washington city, Hon. John G. Warmough, a Representative in Congress from Pennsylvania, to Miss Matilda, daughter of Stephen Pleasonton, Esq., Auditor of the Treasury Department.
March, 1846
American Republican (Baltimore)
A committee of merchants in Baltimore presented Pleasonton with a gold medal. He was at that time the “experienced 5th Auditor of the Treasury Department and Superintendents of Lights” (Lighthouses). This was a position he would hold until a few years before he passed in 1855.
In his remarks, William Robinson noted their appreciation of his integrity and economy in the administration of the lighthouse department. The article did not mention anything else.
Pleasonton had started the job in 1820. His address was listed as the corner of F and 21st. He sent a reply to the merchants, pointing out that since 1820, when he began the position, the number of lighthouses was 53. Since then, 202 lighthouses and 30 lightships were erected.
March 2, 1849
The Washington Daily Union
National Inauguration Ball, President Zachary Taylor
Held at the New Assembly Rooms, Jackson Hall
On the guest list were members of Congress, the Military, and distinguished citizens. Among those from Washington were Mayor Seaton, George Washington Parke Custis, W.W. Corcoran, Richard S. Coxe, Philip Barton Key, C.P. Van Ness, and Pleasonton.
Note: George Washington Parke Custis (1781-1857) built and lived at Arlington House. He was the step grandson of George Washington. He was active in Washington politics, gave speeches, and hosted visitors to Arlington House where he discussed his time spent with Washington and displayed some of his items.
William Wilson Corcoran (1798-1888) was a merchant in Georgetown, bank manager in Washington, and founded the Corcoran Gallery of Art.
Richard S. Coxe (1792-1865) was a graduate of Harvard and a prominent lawyer in Washington.
Philip Barton Key (1818-1859) was the son of Francis Scott Key, lawyer and US Attorney in Washington.
C.P. Van Ness (1782-1852) was a Governor, diplomat, and held political offices in Vermont. His brother was J.P. Van Ness, (1769-1846), Mayor of Washington from 1830 to 1834. The wife of J.P. Van Ness was Marcia Burnes Van Ness (1782-1832), a prominent socialite and founder of the Washington City Orphan Asylum.
April, 1851
The Washington Republic
An obituary noted the passing of his wife Mary at age 67.
February, 1855
The Washington Union
The Washington Union published Pleasonton’s obituary.
On the evening of January 31, Stephen Pleasonton, Fifth Auditor of the Treasury Department of the United States, in the 79th year of his age, after an illness of ten days. His friends and those of his family are respectfully invited to attend his funeral from his late residence No. 385 West 21st Street, then to proceed to the Congressional Cemetery.
Note: Pleasonton was laid to rest at Congressional Cemetery. Also there are his wife Mary, son General Augustus James at Site 244, son General Alfred at 245, daughter Laura at 246, and daughter Clementina at 247. Daughter Matilda is at Oak Hill in Georgetown.
1875
Scribner’s Monthly
"How the Declaration Was Saved"
Scribner’s published the letter Pleasonton wrote to William Winder on August 7, 1848. He gave his account of the rescue. The letter is Appendix B in Watson's book. We transcribed it and provide at the end.
October 12, 1901
The Washington Evening Star
"The Old West End, How the City Looked Nearly a Century Ago."
W.W.B.
"On the west side of 21st Street, some fifty feet south of the corner (F), Stephen Pleasonton lived, his second son, the late General James Augustus Pleasonton was a Western Academy boy, along between 1817 and 1822. There were no other buildings down to the terminus of 21st at the river."
Note: This location is currently occupied by The Dakota (Student Dormitory) at 2100 F Street, NW, DC., on the campus of George Washington University.
1906
In late June, 1906 and then again in 1910, a number of newspapers published a syndicated article titled - “Saved the Declaration from British.” It’s unclear why this occurred around this time. Perhaps it was a build up to the 100th anniversary of the war. No source was given.
The article began with:
Comparatively few of the present generation know how near to being lost was one of the most precious of our national documents, the Declaration of Independence.
It noted the document hung for many years in a frame in the State Department.
Note: The location of the State Department moved a number of times. They include: 1819-1866, Northeast Executive Building; 1866-1875, Washington City Orphan Asylum; 1875-1947, State, War, and Navy Building
April 6, 1913
Washington Sunday Star
Brief mention of Pleasonton as Fifth Auditor of the Treasury, 1820 to 1852. After that, Congress established a Lighthouse Board.
Washington Evening Star
December 14, 1927
Allen C. Clark, President of the Columbia Historical Society, visited the sites/ruins of 17 water-powered mills. Some of these had been visited by the Star’s Henry Shannon, “The Rambler.” Three years later, Clark would write, “The Old Mills” (The Records of the Columbia Historical Society, Volume 31/32, 1930).
Clark included the old Patterson Mill. The article pointed out — “it was here that Stephen Pleasonton, a Government auditor of the State Department, brought the original Declaration of Independence, the laws, the secret journals of Congress, and the correspondence of George Washington.
The article also noted that Dolley Madison passed by the mill when she saved the portrait of Washington. She had rescued Cabinet Department papers.
This article also cited Pleasanton’s letter of his account of saving the documents.
1930
The Old Mills
In his "The Old Mills" piece Clark writes:
Mr. Pleasonton was high in society and was usually of the managers of the social functions. He was identified with the municipal government and was a member of Seventh Council, First Chamber, 1808. He was an Auditor of the Treasury Department for fifty years, and was retained by twelve Presidential administrations. Edgar Patterson was a merchant in Georgetown, selling liqueurs and groceries.
September, 1936
The Washington Post
Eugene Warner
"1,000 a Day Visit Shrine of US Constitution"
This article repeats the story of James Monroe, Secretary of State, sending a note to President Madison, saying "the enemy was advancing on the city and the American troops were too weak in numbers to stop them." He added — “P.S. You better remove the records.”
It was gives a summary of Pleasonton procuring linen bags in which they were placed, and then loaded them into carts which were “driven under lashing whips” across the Chain Bridge into Virginia and taken to the gristmill owned by Edgar Patterson, where they were hidden.
“Mr. Pleasonton, hearing of the ugly mood of the British, determined to move his previous bags from the grist mill to the village of Leesburg. There they were locked up in an unoccupied house and the keys given to a Rev. Mr. Littlejohn.”
November 27, 1969
The Washington Post
"House Was US Archive in 1812 War"
Jean Geddes, a journalist and author, gave a succinct account of Pleasonton’s movements as well as one of First Lady Dolley Madison.
July 5, 1976
Washington Evening Star
"Declaration"
This article gave the movement of the Declaration of Independence and noted Pleasanton’s role in saving it.
April, 2000
The Washington Post
Michael Farquhar
"The Longest, Hottest Summer"
“During Washington’s Bicentennial year as the US Capital, another in a mostly series on the people and events that shaped this city during its formative years.”
Farquhar points out that Pleasanton's name and deeds were lost in obscurity until Anthony S. Pitch stumbled upon them while researching his 1998 book, "The Burning of Washington, The British Invasion of 1814."
Pitch found a collection of letters about the capture of Washington in a little-read scholarly journal from 1907 called the South Atlantic Quarterly. One of the letters contained Pleasonton’s account of how he saved the documents.
Note: The South Atlantic Quarterly was founded in 1901 at Trinity College in Durham, North Carolina, the forerunner to Duke University.
Pitch searched for more about Pleasanton, but found very little. Then, during a Q&A event for his book at the Smithsonian, a State Department official John Cruce told him about another letter by Pleasonton, one he had written to his friend James Buchanan in 1853. Buchanan was serving as the US Minister to the United Kingdom and would become the 15th President in 1857.
Farquhar:
“This letter revealed that in addition to the Declaration of Independence and other rare books and papers, Pleasonton also had saved the U.S. Constitution, the very bedrock of the United States, from becoming a spoil of war.
"My heart dropped," recalls Pitch. "The worst thing that can happen to a researcher is that you miss a major, major piece of information."
He included the new fact in the paperback edition of "The Burning of Washington.” (2000) edition of his book.
September 29, 2002
The Washington Post
Frederick Kunkle
Kunkle wrote “Mapping Out Creek’s Run Through History.” Steve Dryden parlayed his passion for Pimmitt Run into an historical map.
Fairfax County Library has it on file:
The “Pimmit Run: History and Ecology of a Northern Virginia Stream” map is illustrated in watercolor and annotated with historical and ecological information as well as points of interest along the trail.
Kunkle provided details of Pleasanton’s rescue.
August 18, 2002
The Washington Post
Eugene Scheel
"In Debate About Document’s Hiding Place, A Loudoun Legend Lives On"
Eugene Scheel, a foremost authority on Loudoun County history, began by saying — "Controversy remains exactly where the documents were kept for two weeks."
Pleasonton’s account (the letter to General Winder in 1848) had appeared in the 1908 “History and Comprehensive Description of Loudoun County” by James Head, a Leesburg resident. He added a footnote that started the controversy:
Mrs. A. H. Throckmorton, in an interesting narrative, differs with the authority here (Pleasonton). She says, “For one night they remained in the courthouse here in Leesburg and were then carried several miles out in the country to the estate of Rokeby and securely locked within the old vault and remained out of reach of the enemy for two weeks.”
No compelling evidence surfaced on this story. Scheel did, however, give the reader some good information. He pointed out Pleasonton's detailed story, which was related in the Aug. 7, 1848 letter to Gen. William Winder, first appeared in "The Events Which Preceded the Capture of Washington by the British." The book was published in Philadelphia in 1849 by Edward D. Ingraham.
Scheel also provided some further insight into Rokeby, which is on the National Register for Historic Places and is a private home. It was built about 1760 for Charles Binns II, first clerk of court in Loudoun County.
The vault had two small, iron-barred windows and once an iron door. During the 18th Century, it was common for local officials to store county documents in their homes.
Binns became clerk of the court in 1758. His son Charles Binns III succeeded him and held the position until 1837. It’s not known whether Binns lived at Rokeby in 1814.The home’s owner at that time was William Binns, Charles’s brother.
August 22, 2014
The Washington Post
Vicky Hallett
"Congressional Cemetery Race commemorates the 200th Anniversary of the burning of Washington"
As Hallett noted, the timing was perfect, as August 24th fell on a Sunday (Wednesday in 1814), allowing more people to attend the Congressional Cemetery "Flee the British 5K Race." A portrayer of Dolley Madison was the star of the show. Thomas Tingey is mentioned as the captain of the Navy Yard who ordered the place torched so the British could not. Mordecia Booth carried out the order.
For Pleasonton, Hallett writes:
Most people have never heard of this government clerk, buried near the family vaults. When Pleasonton learned the British were coming, he stuffed the Declaration of Independence and other key documents into bags, and fled toward Georgetown. When he decided that wasn't safe enough, he rode on horseback through the night to bring them to Leesburg, Va.
Note: Congressional Cemetery provides a "Burning of Washington Walking Tour" map, that identifies the burial plot location for Madison, Pleasonton, and nine others.
October 4, 2013
The Washington Post
Fritz Hahn
Hahn’s article touched on the self-guided tours at Congressional Cemetery and docent-led tours.
"You may not recognize all of the names, but the bite-size life stories bring out some unsung heroes of America. On a ramble through the cemetery, you'd probably walk by Stephen Pleasonton's nondescript tombstone. If you're following the "Burning of Washington" tour, you'll learn that, as the British troops approached, this Treasury Department clerk spirited important documents out of the city, including the original copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, preventing them from being burned with the Capitol."
The Pleasonton Family
The Pleasonton family can be found in 1850 US Census (GenealogyBank). The family plot is at Congressional Cemetery. The location is marked on their "Burning of DC Walking Tour" map.
Image, Author Photo.
Stephen is listed as 73, Auditor, earning $6,000 and born in Delaware.
Stephen Pleasanton
Image: Author Photo.
Wife: Mary, 66, Pennsylvania, married 1801.
Children
Mary Watmough (1804-1890)
Married Hon. John G. Warmough, a Representative in Congress from Pennsylvania, to Miss Matilda, daughter of Stephen Pleasonton, Esq., Auditor of the Treasury Department.
Augustus James (1808-1894)
Brigadier general of the Pennsylvania militia in 1861. Commanded Volunteer Army of 10,000 of Infantry, Cavalry, and Artillery for the defense of the city of Philadelphia.
Authored “The Influence of the Blue Ray of the Sunlight and of the Blue Colour of the Sky, Philadelphia, 1877.” Built large grapery. In the book, some bio information is provided. It noted his father was of “Norman extraction.” His mother was the third daughter of John Hopkins, a farmer in the county of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Alfred Pleasonton (1824-1897)
Promoted to Major General in Union Army in 1863. Fought (Calvary) in a number of battles including Antietam and Gettysburg. Post-war, served aa Commissioner of Internal Revenue.
The town of Pleasanton, California is named after him. Evidently, a typographical error by a recording clerk led to the a instead of o.
Laura 1825-1893
Clementina 1830-1888
Mary Pleasonton Coombe
Sister of Stephen. Married Griffith Coombe (1765-1845). Businessman. “One of best-known men in the early days of Washington.” Lived at Georgia (Potomac) and Third Street SE was “one of the finest residences.” Before going to Bladensburg, General Winder headquartered there and received President Madison; the Secretary of State, James Monroe; the Secretary of War, Gen. Armstrong; Commodore Tingey, Commodore Barney.
Conclusion
After the British torched the capitol and the President's House, and looted Alexandria, they moved up the Chesapeake Bay to Baltimore. A Washington lawyer named Francis Scott Key witnessed the battle and saw that “our flag was still there.”
Meanwhile, safe and secure in the vault of that home in Virginia, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and other documents were still there, too.
Extract from Stephen Pleasanton’s Account of Saving National Treasures (Appendix D of Watson's Book)
After a lapse of 34 years I may not be perfectly accurate in my recollection of all the circumstances attending the transaction referred to, but I will still with great pleasure, state them as they now occur to my memory.
I have no knowledge of information having received by the Government from Messrs Bayard and Gallatin, then ministers in Europe for adjusting a Peace with Great Britain, of a proposed attack on Washington City by the British forces; but I remember to have seen in some of the British newspapers, received from Mr. Beasley the agent of Prisoners of War, in London, who was in the habit of forwarding to the Department London newspapers, by the Cartels, a statement that the Fleet and transports were receiving troops on board at Bordeaux in France, with a view of operating against Washington and Baltimore, and that it was their intention to retaliate the outrages alleged to have been committed by our forces under Genl. Dearbon at York in upper Canada, sometime previously.
Soon after learning that the British Fleet were in the Chesapeake, we leant that they were ascending the Patuxent, evidently with the view of attacking this city. Upon receiving this information, which was about a week before the enemy entered Washington, Col. Monroe, then Secretary of State, mounted his horse, and proceeded to Benedict, a small village on the Patuxent, where the British forces were being landed. From an eminence within 1/4 of a mile of the village, Col. Monroe could distinctly see the number and kind of troops of which their army was composed; and recollecting the threats held out in the British papers and believing that we had no force which could successfully resist them, he sent a note either to Mr. John Graham, the Chief of Clerk of the Office, or myself, (I do not remember whih) by a vidette, advising us to take best care of the Books and papers of the Office, which might be in our power. Whereupon I proceeded to purchase coarse linen and cause it to be made into bags of convenient size, in which the gentlemen of the Office, assisted by me, placed the books and other papers after which I obtained carts and had them conveyed to a Grist Mill, then unoccupied, belonging to Mr. Edgar Patterson, situated a short distance on he Virginian side of the Potomac, beyond the Chain Bridge so called two miles above Georgetown.
Whilst engaged in the passage way of the building with the papers, the Department of State being on one side, and the War Department on the other side of the passage, Genl Armstrong, then Secretary of War, on his way to his own room, stopped a short time, and observed to me that he did not think the British were serious in their intentions of coming to Washington. I replied that we were under a different belief, and let their intentions be what they might, it was the part of prudence to preserve the valuable papers of the Revolutionary Government, compromising the declaration of Independence, the laws, the secret journals of Congress, then not published, the Correspondence of General Washington, his Commission resigned at the close of the war, correspondence of General Greene and other Generals as well as all the laws, Treaties, and Correspondence of the Department of State, since the adoption of the Constitution down to that time.
Considering the papers unsafe at the Mill, as, if the British forces got to Washington, they would probably detach a force for the purpose of destroying a foundry for cannon and shot in its neighborhood, and would be led by some evil disposed person to destroy the Mill and papers, also, I proceeded to some farm Houses in Virginia and procured wagons in which the books and papers were deposited, and I proceeded with them to the town of Leesburg, a distance of 35 miles, at which place, an empty House was procured, in which the papers were safely placed, the doors locked, and the keys given to the Rev. Mr. Littlejohn, who was then, or had been, one of the Collectors of Internal Revenue.
Being fatigued with the ride, and securing the papers, I retired to bed early, and was informed next morning by the people of the Hotel where I staid, that they had seen the preceding night, being the 24th of August, a large fire in the direction of Washington, which proved to be a Light from the Public Buildings the enemy had set on fire, and burnt them to the ground.
On the 26th of August, I returned to Washington, and found the President’s House and Public Offices still burning, and learned that the British Army had evacuated the City the previous evening, in the belief that our forces were again assembling in their rear, for the purpose of cutting off their retreat. However this may be, they made a forced march, and left, it was reported, a considerable number of their men on the road, who were capture by a Troop of Horse from Frederick, in Maryland.’’
As part of the British fleet soon afterward ascended the Potomac and plundered Alexandria of a large quantity of flour and tobacco, threatening Washington at the same time with a second invasion, it was not considered safe to bring back the papers of the State Department back for some weeks, not indeed until the British fleet generally lad left the Waters of the Chesapeake. In the mean time it was found necessary for me to processed to Leesburg occasionally for particular papers, to which the Secretary of State had occasion to refer in the course of his correspondence.
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