Second Line Falls

The second of three defensive lines blocking the British advance on Washington stretched along the first set of hills overlooking the river here. The American militia was unprepared to face seasoned war veterans, and after holding firm against the initial assault at the bridge, it gave way when the British rushed again and pushed through the first two lines, leaving only the third. British Lieutenant George Robert Gleig, an eyewitness, wrote that the American troops were drawn up in three lines like regiments upon a gala parade, with guns used as connecting links to a chain. Many Americans later blamed the perceived rout at Bladensburg on lack of leadership in the field; during a congressional inquiry, Brigadier General William Winder was said to be unfit for any important command, and in 1816 the anonymous poem Bladensburg Races also pointed to ineffective leadership by President Madison and Secretary James Monroe.

Colmar Manor, Maryland · United States