its own rash impetuosity. The artillery, indeed, could do
little; being unable to show itself in presence of a force so
superior; but the six-pounder was nevertheless brought into
action, and a corps of rockets proved of striking utility.

Our troops being worn down from fatigue, and of course as
ignorant of the country as the Americans were the reverse, the
pursuit could not be continued to any distance. Neither was it
attended with much slaughter. Diving into the recesses of the
forests, and covering themselves with riflemen, the enemy were
quickly beyond our reach; and having no cavalry to scour even the
high road, ten of the lightest of their guns were carried off in
the flight. The defeat, however, was absolute, and the army which
had been collected for the defence of Washington was scattered
beyond the possibility of, at least, an immediate reunion; and as
the distance from Bladensburg to that city does not exceed four
miles, there appeared to be no further obstacle in the way to
prevent its immediate capture.

CHAPTER X.

WASHINGTON

AN opportunity so favourable was not endangered by any needless
delay. While the two brigades which had been engaged remained
upon the field to recover their order, the third, which had
formed the reserve, and was consequently unbroken, took the lead,
and pushed forward at a rapid rate towards Washington.

As it was not the intention of the British Government to attempt
permanent conquests in this part of America, and as the General
was well aware that, with a handful of men, he could not pretend
to establish himself, for any length of time, in an enemy's
capital, he determined to lay it under contribution, and to
return quietly to the shipping. Nor was there anything unworthy
of the character of a British officer in this determination. By
all the customs of war, whatever public property may chance to be
in a captured town, becomes, confessedly, the just spoil of the
conqueror; and in thus proposing to accept a certain sum of money
in lieu of that property, he was showing mercy rather than
severity to the vanquished. It is true that if they chose to
reject his terms he and his army would be deprived of their
booty, because without some more convenient mode of transporting
it than we possessed, even the portable part of the property
itself could not be removed. But, on the other hand, there was
no difficulty in destroying it; and thus, though we should gain
not