1812: The Rivers of War (36 page)

Now was the time to make their final dash for the Capitol, therefore. Even going up a hill, they’d be within the relative safety of the buildings in less than a minute. They’d have to leave their horses behind, of course.

Alas, one problem remained. The young dragoon lieutenant put it into words.

“How do we keep our
own
people from shooting us?”

A bit ruefully, Monroe pondered the problem. The illumination thrown over the area by the burning Navy Yard wasn’t sufficient enough for the soldiers who were crouched at the windows to distinguish friend from foe, certainly not at a distance.

This would all become a humiliating farce—quite possibly a fatal one—if the secretary and his party were to be driven off by gunfire from the Capitol’s
defenders
.

He decided to risk a straightforward and open approach, moving forward alone and waving a white handkerchief. One man would be less likely to be considered a threat.

Then he heard the sound of wheels coming up the street. Heavily laden wagons, from the clatter they were making.

“Into the shadows!” he hissed, guiding his horse into the darkness that lay between two nearby buildings. His dragoons quickly followed suit.

Half a minute later, they saw three wagons rumbling onto the ground just below Jenkins Hill. The wagons were, indeed, heavily laden—with ammunition, Monroe thought, and there were a couple of three-pounders being towed behind the first two wagons. The driver of the lead wagon was a Negro. The two others were driven by white men wearing some sort of uniform. There were other white men riding escort, all wearing the same uniform.

“They’re ours,” Monroe stated firmly. The British army had a variety of uniforms beyond the well-known red coats, but these uniforms—for such young men—were too elaborate and fancy for British dragoons. They were exactly the sort of flamboyant uniforms that well-to-do militia volunteers would design for themselves.

There came the sound of another cannonade. Monroe realized that whatever decision he was going to make, it had to be
made now. Once the British assault neared the walls of the Capitol, entry would be impossible.

He set his horse trotting forward into the half-lit street.

“Hold!” he cried. “We’re Americans!”

Startled, the black driver stopped the lead wagon and stared at him. A couple of the more alert soldiers raised their weapons. Monroe was both amused and relieved to see that the white dragoons, as if acting by sheer reflex, looked to the Negro for guidance.

That was a familiar reaction to a Virginia farmer and slave owner like Monroe, and one he was quite sure he’d not have seen from British soldiers. Many times in his life—he’d done it himself—he’d seen white men engaged in some enterprise about which they knew little turn to a slave to show or tell them what to do. As if, for an instant, the relationship of master and slave was reversed. He’d once commented on the matter to his good friends Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, and discovered that they had observed the same thing—and, in the case of both, found yet another subtle sign from Providence that slavery was a dubious institution. For
any
nation, much less a republic.

Monroe wasn’t sure about the matter himself, although he’d learned never to underestimate the philosophical acuity of his two friends. But unlike Jefferson and Madison, Monroe was not inclined toward theoretical ruminations on political affairs. His prominence in the new nation’s politics was due to hard work, practical ability, skill in the daily business of legislative committee work, a tightly-focused mind—and the fact that most everyone liked him, because he was a likable man.

All qualities that would be of good use here, as well, especially the latter. Monroe gave the wagon driver his most winning smile and trotted forward in a confident and relaxed manner, as if he had every right and reason to be there, and there was no cause for anxiety on anyone’s part.

All of which happened to be true, fortunately. Monroe wasn’t really a good liar, despite his years as an ambassador.

“I am James Monroe, the secretary of state,” he announced loudly.

The dragoons’ eyes grew wide. Those of the driver narrowed.

“By the Lord,” the black man said, “so you are. I recognize you, sir!”

Monroe nodded graciously. The driver sat up a little straighter. Clearly enough, he was relieved himself to discover that Monroe and his party of soldiers were not the enemy.

“I’ve seen you any number of times, sir,” the man continued. “My name is Henry Crowell, and I make regular deliveries to the State Department. The War Department, too.”

Now that Monroe had pulled up alongside the wagon, he realized that he recognized Crowell himself, although he hadn’t known the man’s name. He’d seen Crowell a few times, making deliveries. That wasn’t surprising, of course. For all that it was the capital city of a nation, Washington, D.C., was still more in the way of a large town than a small city.

He glanced into the wagon. Ball and powder, as he had surmised, along with some tools. He pointed toward the Capitol. “I assume you’re taking these supplies in there.”

“Yes, sir. I told Captain Houston I was pretty sure I could make the trip and be back before the British attacked.”

Captain Houston
, then, indeed. And how delightful it was for Monroe to discover that at least
one
piece of their intelligence had been accurate!

The sound of a third cannonade rolled over the buildings.

“Lead the way then, Crowell, if you would.”

“You’re coming, sir?”

“Oh, yes.” Suddenly, Monroe heard the lighter and sharper sounds of a multitude of muskets being fired. The British must be close now.

“And best quickly, I think.”

Robert Ross’s horse was shot out from under him by a salvo from the American guns. A grapeshot that shattered the poor beast’s skull. It was no new experience for the general, so he landed safely and was on his feet within seconds. He never even lost his grip on his sword.

He could even, for a moment, bless the soggy ground that was causing so much trouble for his advancing soldiers. The mucky soil had cushioned his impact.

His aides were at his side already. One of them started brushing the mud from the general’s uniform.

“Leave that alone!” Ross snapped. “Get me another horse.”

He
had
to get in front of this charge and lead it, or it would collapse. The American gunnery was proving even worse than
he’d feared. He was certain now that he faced the worst eventuality he might have faced. Those were U.S. Navy sailors manning the guns.

Most British army officers derided Americans as “Cousin Jonathan.” But, with a few exceptions like Cockburn, British naval officers did not, and for good reason. Not after the
Guerriere
and the
Frolic
and the
Macedonian
, and Lake Erie.

A horse was brought up. Another brown one, of course. Ross’s aides knew his habits.

Once mounted, Ross waved his sword and charged forward. The front line of his army was now within seventy yards of the breastworks, and he could sense them wavering.

They’d suffered fearsome casualties already. The treacherous and slippery ground had slowed the advance, and they’d had to cross hundreds of yards in the face of enemy fire. The fact that it was a night attack hadn’t helped them, either. The terrain provided no cover, and the illumination from the burning Navy Yard was enough to provide the enemy gunners with clear targets.

Very
heavy fire. As they had demonstrated many times since the war started, American gunners could work their cannons faster than British ones.

Suddenly, the lighter and sharper sound of musket fire was added to the hell’s brew. The Fourth had come within range of the multitude of enemy riflemen Ross could see in every window of the two Capitol buildings.

A
lot
of musket fire. British casualties would start mounting still faster.

“
Follow me!”
he bellowed. “
I’ll dine in the Capitol tonight, or in hell!”

Driscol had been waiting patiently, in the Senate room where he’d taken his position with a single platoon. The lieutenant had made no effort to stop the rest of the soldiers, in the other rooms, from firing their muskets whenever they chose, even though he knew most of them would start firing long before the enemy was in range. He’d have had no way of controlling them anyway, scattered as they were throughout the building. Maintaining volley fire wasn’t as important in defending a fortress as it was on an open battlefield, anyway.

But he
could
control that one platoon, and he’d done so easily.

No need to bring the threat of McParland and the two savage-looking Cherokees to bear. Driscol didn’t even think of them. The troll was in full presence, now, and that was more than enough.

“Easy, boys, easy.” He didn’t shout the words, didn’t need to. Even over the thunder of guns and muskets, Driscol’s voice carried easily through the chamber. “Won’t be long now. Sassenach officers are vile beasts in every other respect, but they don’t lack courage. He’ll be coming along any moment. And we’ll kill him.”

Monroe’s final dash to the western doors proved simple. American soldiers were stationed and ready there, of course, and they were indeed anxious. But their anxiety was directed at wondering whether or not Crowell’s supply run would make it back in time.

“Let me, sir,” Crowell whispered to Monroe, as they neared the Capitol. Realizing the wisdom of the words, Monroe let the driver lead him the rest of the way up the hill. A black face in the fore would mean only one thing to the sentries.

Sure enough, before Crowell had even reached the building—he’d headed for the House—soldiers were coming out to greet him. Unarmed to boot, because they were already racing toward the wagons drawn up below, to help the dragoons unload them and bring in the munitions and other supplies.

So, Monroe’s entrance into the Capitol proved something of an anticlimax. None of the soldiers paid any attention to him as they poured out in a little flood. He’d been identified as one of Crowell’s companions, which was good enough for his bona fides. For the rest, the soldiers cared only about the black man’s precious cargo.

In fact, Monroe had to more or less force his way past them and into the building. Once there, not knowing where else to go, he headed toward the central chamber. By now, the sound of musket fire was continuous. The assault was clearly reaching a climax.

Driscol had good eyes, and particularly good night vision. He’d been hoping for the sight of a white horse, since he detested Cockburn more than he did most Sassenach. But he spotted the brown one easily enough, wasn’t fooled for an instant. “That bastard!” he called out. “The one on the brown horse,
charging forward. D’you see him, boys? Look for the sword and the gold fancywork.”

Some of the men in the platoon called out their answer, but Driscol didn’t need it. He watched the way most of their shoulders shifted slightly, the way those of riflemen do when they’ve spotted a target. Holding their muskets in a line, these men would probably prove pitiably wretched. But most of them had grown up hunting. If they didn’t really know how to fight, they did know how to shoot.

“On
my
command,” Driscol growled. “Any man fires before that, I’ll grind his bones for my soup.”

He waited, cold and merciless, hunched at one of the windows and gauging the range.

Quite a splendid officer, that was. Fearless and resolute. Probably the very commander himself, Robert Ross.

Which was even more splendid.
The best way to kill a snake is to crush the head
.

“
Fire!”
Driscol roared. More of a snarl, really. He controlled his voice, because the acoustics in the chamber were far better than those of a battlefield—and one of his full-throated roars would have startled such men. Might throw off their aim.

Two seconds after the volley went off, Driscol straightened up.

“I’m proud of you, boys,” he pronounced.

Two chances saved the life of Robert Ross. The first was that his horse reared up just before the musket volley fired. Startled, probably, by a round from one of the twelve-pounders that flicked its ear. By now, the American gunners were firing canister.

Most of the volley hammered into the horse, killing it instantly. One round struck Ross in the shoulder. The left shoulder, so he retained his grip on the sword. Another struck him in the rib cage, breaking two ribs and channeling down them to exit from his lower back. A third struck him in the right forehead, a glancing shot, not fatal. Not even a serious wound, really, although a bloody one.

But it was quite enough to daze the general. And so it was a senseless man in the saddle as his horse collapsed, not one who could throw himself free. A horse weighing half a ton will crush a man that it falls upon.

The second chance came into play. One of the musket balls passed between Ross’s leg and the horse. It did no worse than bruise the general’s calf, but it cut the saddle girth as neatly as a razor. The saddle came loose and the horse’s dying spasm flung Ross off to the left.

He landed on his side, his right arm crossed below him. Unfortunately, old reflexes had kept an iron grip on the sword, so his already-injured rib cage had a terrible laceration added from the impact of his body upon the sword hilt.

He lay there, limp and unconscious.

“The general’s down!” cried one of the aides.

The Irish-born Ross was a popular officer. One of the most popular in the British army, in fact. In an instant, half-a-dozen men were there to bear him away from the field.

Thirty yards to the rear, and somewhat to the left of the field, Admiral Cockburn heard the cry. Cursing, he drove his horse forward to rally the men. Even to an admiral without Ross’s experience in such matters, it was obvious that the assault was on the verge of breaking.

“Ah, there he comes,” said Driscol with great satisfaction. He swiveled his head back and forth.

“D’you see him, boys? The fancy-looking bastard on that fancy white horse? That’ll be Cockburn himself. And I want him dead.”