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The Darkest Day The
Washington-Baltimore Campaign Charles G. Muller University
of Pennsylvania Press 212 Pages
5 Maps paperback $15.95 Review by K. L. Jamison This reprint of a 1963 work is a vivid account of events leading to the burning of Washington D.C. and the attack on Ft. McHenry. The author details political decisions that led to the military disasters of the war. These range from eschewing a navy for cheap gunboats, which were neither proper boats nor gun platforms. Command authority was so vague that the President appeared on the battlefield before Washington in order to mediate disputes between commanders. The battle of Bladensburg before Washington has been described as a failure of the militia. The real failure was the inability of the support staff to supply equipment in a timely manner, or at all. The militia was committed to battle in three defensive lines that did not support each other, and were unknown to militia on the other two lines. Committing forces piecemeal to an attack is a common fault, but it takes a rare fool to do so in the defense. The militia beat off the British before Ft. McHenry weeks later. The author discusses the effects of these battles on the peace negotiations that settled the war. The author demonstrates the lessons of the war. This well researched and written book is a valuable addition to the history of the development of the early American Army. |
