The District of Columbia National Guard, city officials and historians held a wreath-laying ceremony on August 23 at Congressional Cemetery in Washington to commemorate the service of D.C. militia members during the Battle of Bladensburg, fought 212 years earlier.
The battle took place in 1814 during the War of 1812 when approximately 1,000 D.C. militia members assembled to defend the capital as British forces advanced toward Washington. Outnumbered three to one and eventually outflanked, the American defense collapsed, allowing British forces to enter Washington and burn several prominent public buildings, according to historian Glenn Williams.
Army Brigadier General Leland D. Blanchard II, interim commanding general of the D.C. National Guard, said the militia members "were ordinary Americans who answered an extraordinary call." He emphasized that while the militia possessed courage and commitment, "courage alone could not overcome their shortcomings in preparation, organization and coordination." Blanchard stated that the battle's lessons remain relevant: "Readiness must be matched by courage through training, leadership, and the relationships built before a crisis arrives."
Cemetery researchers have positively identified 26 D.C. militia veterans of the Chesapeake campaign buried at Congressional Cemetery, though many more may remain unidentified. According to cemetery director A.J. Orlikoff, these defenders "came from all walks of life — clerks, craftsmen, public officials, businessmen."
Following remarks, cemetery officials laid a wreath at the grave of one of the fallen militiamen, with a color guard rendering a ceremonial volley in honor of those who defended the capital.