Two hundred men then sought the President's mansion, ransacked the rooms, and left it in flames.

Next day they burned the official buildings and several dwellings and, content with the mischief thus wrought, abandoned the forlorn city and returned to camp at Bladensburg.

But more vexation for the Americans was to follow, for a British fleet was working its way up the Potomac to anchor off Alexandria.

Here there was the same frightened submission, with the people asking for terms and yielding up a hundred thousand dollars' worth of flour, tobacco, naval stores, and shipping.
The British squadron then returned to Chesapeake Bay and joined the main fleet which was preparing to attack Baltimore.

The army of General Ross was recalled to the transports and was set ashore at the mouth of the Patapsco River while the ships sailed up to bombard Fort McHenry, where the star-spangled banner waved.