THE ADMINISTRATION OF JAMES MADISON 
201 
British fleet raised the white flag and surrendered (September 
10, 1813). Perry announced his victory to General Harrison 
in the famous words: “We have met the enemy, and they are 
ours: two ships, two brigs, one schooner, and one sloop.” This 
victory made it easy for the Americans to regain control of 
Detroit and the Michigan country. 
148. Chippewa and Lundy’s Lane,—In 1814 there was more 
fighting in the neighborhood of Niagara Falls. In July General 
Brown and young Winfield Scott—of whom we shall hear again 
—met the British forces just above the falls at Chippewa and 
defeated them. A few days later the two armies again met in 
battle at Lundy’s Lane, where the roar of artillery was an- 
swered by the roar of the great falls near by. The fighting in 
this battle was fierce, but neither side could claim the victory. 
There were other battles along the Canadian border, but they 
settled nothing. The Americans made no headway into Canada, 
and the British could get no foothold on American soil. 
149. The War along the Atlantic Coast.— Along the Atlantic 
coast the British throughout the war did all they could to de- 
stroy property and. keep the cities in a state of alarm. In 
August, 1814, the British general Ross, with a trained army of 
3500 men, landed at Benedict, on the Patuxent River, in Mary- 
land, and marched upon Washington. The Americans, with an 
army of raw, untrained men, gave battle to the British at Bladens- 
burg, but could not check the advance upon the capital. Troops 
under Admiral Cockburn entered the new Capitol building, and 
somebody climbed into the Speaker’s chair and put the question: 
“Shall this harbor of Yankee Democracy be burned?” All cried 
“Aye,” and the torch was applied to the building, The White 
House also was set on fire. There was no good excuse for these 
outrages, and England herself was ashamed of the conduct of 
her soldiers at Washington, 
After the capture of Washington the British moved upon the 
larger and richer city of Baltimore. But Baltimore was pre- 
pared for the attack. The guns at Fort McHenry would not 
allow the British to approach the city. All day and far into the 
night the British bombarded the fort, but could not capture it.