BURNING OF WASHINGTON – COCHRANE, Alexander (1758-1832). Manuscript circular letter, written and signed in an unidentified secretarial hand "To the Respective Flag Officers, Captains, Commanders, Officers, Seamen and Marines of His Majesty's Ships and Vessels employed within the Capes of Virginia," "Tonnant in the Patuxent," 3 September 1814. 2pp. A letter of congratulations on the successful campaign against Washington. [With:] Manuscript document, [Washington, 25 August 1814]. 2pp. "Return of Ordinance Ammunition & Ordinance Stores taken from the Enemy between 18th and 25th August 1814." [Also with:] Duplicate of the aforementioned document.

Each two pages, 234 x 188mm & 344 x 206mm (respectively). (Mild wear to top margins.)

Looking toward the battle of Baltimore, Alexander Cochrane congratulates his forces on the destruction of Washington: “Our Army has beaten that of the Enemy double their number, captured their Cannon, and entered the City of Washington in triumph. The Capitol, the Palace of the President, the Military Arsenal, the Naval yard, a fire Frigate of the largest class about to be lunched, a sloop of war, a large rope walk, the Treasury, the War Offices … and all the other Public Buildings, about 20,000 stand of Arms above 200 pieces of Cannon and an immense quantity of Ammunition have all been either destroyed or rendered useless…” (A pair of duplicate copies of a "Return of Ordinance, Ammunition and Ordinance Stores taken from the Enemy…" offers a picture of captured munitions in granular detail.) Cochrane credits the overall success of the campaign “to the united zeal that has been conspicuous betwixt the two Services,” while looking forward to the upcoming campaign against Baltimore notes that “he relies upon a similar good conduct on their part producing similar advantages hereafter.”

Cochrane's confidence would be tested the following week as the combined forces moved against Baltimore, only to be repulsed both on land and sea, ending a year and a half of incessant raids in the Chesapeake. The British defeats, memorialized in verse by Francis Scott Key and that victory, ignited, together with Jackson’s spectacular victory at New Orleans five months later, a renewal of American patriotism and unity, dubbed by Benjamin Russell as the "Era of Good Feelings." (Columbian Centinel, 12 July 1817, p. 2)