hing, the American Government would lose probably to a much
greater amount than if they had agreed to purchase its
preservation by the money demanded.

Such being the intention of General Ross, he did not march the
troops immediately into the city, but halted them upon a plain
in its immediate vicinity, whilst a flag of truce was sent
forward with terms. But whatever his proposal might have been,
it was not so much as heard; for scarcely had the party bearing
the flag entered the street, when it was fired upon from the
windows of one of the houses, and the horse of the General
himself, who accompanied it, killed. The indignation excited by
this act throughout all ranks and classes of men in the army, was
such as the nature of the case could not fail to occasion. Every
thought of accommodation was instantly laid aside; the troops
advanced forthwith into the town, and having first put to the
sword all who were found in the house from which the shots were
fired, and reduced it to ashes, they proceeded without a moment's
delay to burn and destroy everything in the most distant degree
connected with Government. In this general devastation were
included the Senate-house, the President's palace, an extensive
dock-yard and arsenal, barracks for two or three thousand men,
several large storehouses filled with naval and military stores,
some hundreds of cannon of different descriptions, and nearly
twenty thousand stand of small-arms. There were also two or
three public ropewalks which shared the same fate, a fine frigate
pierced for sixty guns, and just ready to be launched, several
gun brigs and armed schooners, with a variety of gun-boats and
small craft. The powder-magazines were set on fire, and exploded
with a tremendous crash, throwing down many houses in their
vicinity, partly by pieces of the walls striking them, and partly
by the concussion of the air; whilst quantities of shot, shell,
and hand-grenades, which could not otherwise be rendered useless,
were cast into the river. In destroying the cannon a method was
adopted which I had never before witnessed, and which, as it was
both effectual and expeditious, I cannot avoid relating. One gun
of rather a small calibre was pitched upon as the executioner of
the rest, and being loaded with ball and turned to the muzzles of
the others, it was fired, and thus beat out their breechings.
Many, however, not being mounted, could not be thus dealt with;
these were spiked