From the Chesapeake Campaign web site.
http://members.attcanada.ca/~htfergus/bladensburg.html
An American officer under command of Joseph Willcocks, Lieutenant Abraham Markle burned the villages between Turkey Point and Port Dover. Outraged by these actions, Governor-General George Prevost informed the newly appointed commander of the North American Naval station, Vice-Admiral Alexander Cochrane that he would like to 'discourage any further atrocities'.
Major-General Robert Ross was an officer detached from Wellington's Army sent to America. With him he brought the 4th, 44th and 85th Regiments of Foot. Ross landed at Bermuda and was joined by the 21st Foot and two others now numbering forty five hundred men. The whole force was commanded by Vice-admiral Cochrane.
The Admiral was so happy to be chosen to carry out this particular mission wrote to the American Secretary of War, James Monroe: "Having been called upon by the Governor-General of the Canadas to aid him in carrying into effect measures of retribution against the inhabitants of the United States for the wanton destruction committed by their army in Upper Canada, it has become my duty, conformable with the nature of the Governor-General's application, to issue to the naval force under my command an order to destroy and lay waste to such towns and districts as you may find assailable..."
On August 3rd 1814, Cochrane sent Rear-Admiral George Cockburn's fleet sailed to Chesapeake Bay with their cargo of Ross' army. On the 15th the fleet reached the Bay and on the 17th sent troops ashore at Benedict, Maryland. When all the army of redcoats was arrived the town was vacant. The plan was to march to Washington and burn it to the ground.
The little army of four thousand troops formed up into three brigades and started the march onto Washington. The heat was so intense that almost fifty men collapsed, and fell to the side of the road. Ross was about to turn the army around but Cockburn and told the men to keep going.
At 2:00 AM on the 20th, a messenger woke the two commanders giving them a message from Cochrane, telling them to retire. Cockburn finally convinced his staff to press on.
The column came to the fork at Long Old Fields. One way was direct and led straight to the capital, the other took a circular path. Ross decided to take the straight road but reversed the formation and started again, but he would have to pass through Bladensburg.
The town was vacant when the British arrived, the bridges were foolishly still left but beyond the militia was formed up.
President Madison had told his wife, Dolley Madison to leave the mansion at any time. Madison then rode up to survey the chances of success which were very slim. The British crossed the bridge leading to the American positions. Several officers fell in a volley of muskets but the British kept coming.
The first brigade to cross under Colonel William Thornton, did not not halt to let the other brigades to keep up. The light troops fired a couple Congrieve Rockets. the militia fled from the field. The British officers called the battle the 'Bladensburg Races'.
The reserve was crushed opening Washington to the British. Mrs. Madison now joined the many people trying to leave the city.
The two commanders arrived in the city at the head of the army. Sniper fire killed the horse that Ross was riding on. What's funny is that the house which the shot came from was Albert Gallatin's (a peace delegate in Ghent). Ross ordered the light companies of the 21st to destroy the building with Congrieve Rockets.
The British wasted no time in torching Washington. It was hard to fire because the lower sections of the houses were made of stone. The House of Representatives was burned with furniture piled to the roof. The heat was so hot that some marble turned to lime. Next came the Treasury Building and right after the Presidential Mansion. In there Cockburn discovered a table for forty persons for a celebration of defeating the British. Cockburn toasted the Prince Regent and helped pile furniture in the oval office.
Some buildings were not torched. One instance some women thought their houses would catch fire from the flames from a neighboring building.
Joseph Gales, the author of an anti-British paper, the National Intelligence, wrote about the burning: "Greater respect was certainly paid to private property than has usually been exhibited by the enemy in his marauding parties. No houses were half as much plundered by the enemy as by the knavish wretches of the town who profited by the general distress.
On the 26th of August, Ross embarked his troops and sailed to Baltimore. Here they bombarded Fort McHenry but were held up by better resistance. Ross was one of the casualties. The 28th the force returned ton Halifax.
NOTE: Congrieve Rockets were not accurate at all but the reason the American militia broke was because they had never seen them before.
NOTE: The 'White House' used to be pink before the British burned it. After the burning the Americans white washed it to hide the burn marks on the bricks.