Photo, above: War of 1812: British attack Washington: The Burning of Washington in 1814 was an armed conflict during the War of 1812 between the forces of the British Empire and those of the United States of America. On August 24, 1814, after defeating the Americans at the Battle of Bladensburg, a British force led by Major General Robert Ross occupied Washington, D.C. and set fire to many public buildings. The facilities of the U.S. government, including the White House and U.S. Capitol, were largely destroyed.^[3] The British commander's orders to burn only public buildings and strict discipline among the British troops are credited with preserving the city's private buildings.

JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW 

Sunday  905PM Eastern (605P Pacific): William Henry Harrison: The American Presidents Series: The 9th President,1841 by Gail Collins, Arthur M., Jr. Schlesinger, Sean Wilentz and Arthur M. Schlesinger; 1 of 2

Sunday 920PM Eastern (620P Pacific): William Henry Harrison: The American Presidents Series: The 9th President,1841 by Gail Collins, Arthur M., Jr. Schlesinger, Sean Wilentz and Arthur M. Schlesinger; 2 of 2

On Sunday night, October 16, 1859, Brown left three of his men behind as a rear-guard:; his son, Owen Brown; Barclay Coppoc; and Frank Meriam; and led the rest into the town of Harpers Ferry, Virginia. Brown detached a party under John Cook Jr. to capture Colonel Lewis Washington, great-grandnephew of George Washington, at his nearby Beall-Air estate, some of his slaves, and two relics of George Washington: a sword allegedly presented to Washington by Frederick the Great and two pistols given by the Marquis de Lafayette, which Brown considered talismans.^[6] The party carried out its mission and returned via the Allstadt House, where they took more hostages.^[7] Brown's main party captured several watchmen and townspeople in Harpers Ferry.

Sunday 935PM Eastern (635P Pacific): Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid That Sparked the Civil War by Tony Horwitz; 1 of 2

Sunday 950PM Eastern (650P Pacific): Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid That Sparked the Civil War by Tony Horwitz; 2 of 2

Sunday 1005PM EDT (705P Pacific): 1812: The Navy's War by George C. Daughan; 1 of 4

Sunday 1020PM EDT (720P Pacific): 1812: The Navy's War by George C. Daughan; 2 of 3

 

The two ships met at half past five in the afternoon, 20 nautical miles (37 km) east of Boston lighthouse, between Cape Ann and Cape Cod. Shannon was flying a rusty blue ensign and her dilapidated outside appearance after a long period at sea suggested that she would be an easy opponent. Observing the Chesapeake’s many flags, a sailor had questioned Broke: "Mayn't we have three ensigns, sir, like she has?" "No," said Broke, "we've always been an unassuming ship."^[12] HMS Shannon refused to fire upon USS Chesapeake as she bore down, nor would USS Chesapeake rake HMS Shannon despite having the weather gage.^[13] Lawrence's behavior that day earned him praise from the British officers for gallantry. The two ships opened fire just before 18:00 at a range of about 35 metres, with Shannon scoring the first hit, striking the Chesapeake on one of her gunports with two round shot and a bag of musket balls fired by William Mindham, the gun captain of one of Shannon’s starboard 18-pounders. Two or three further broadsides followed which swept the Chesapeake’s decks with grape and roundshot from Shannon’s 32-pounder carronades. TheChesapeake fell on board Shannon, lying athwart her starboard bow, trapped by one of Shannon’s anchors.

Shannon now opened fire on the Chesapeake’s maindeck with her after guns firing through the Chesapeake’s port holes. The Chesapeake’s wheel was then shot away and her helmsman killed by a 9-pounder gun that Broke had ordered installed on the quarter deck for that very purpose. Trapped against the Shannon and unable to manoeuvre away, the Chesapeake’s stern now became exposed and was swept by raking fire. Her situation worsened when a small open cask of musket cartridges abaft the mizzen-mast blew up. When the smoke cleared, Captain Broke judged the time was right and gave the order to board. Captain Lawrence also gave the order to board but the frightened bugler aboard theChesapeake failed to sound the call, and only those near Lawrence heard his command. Lawrence was mortally wounded directly after issuing the order. The few Americans who heard him fell back from their cannon to arm themselves for hand-to-hand combat, but the British interpreted this as disorderly retreat, and gained courage.^[14]

Sunday 1035PM EDT (735P Pacific): 1812: The Navy's War by George C. Daughan; 3 of 4

Sunday 1050PM EDT (750P Pacific): 1812: The Navy's War by George C. Daughan; 4 of 4

Sunday 1105PM EDT (805P Pacific): Wounded Knee: Party Politics and the Road to an American Massacre by Heather Cox Richardson; 1 of 2

Sunday 1120PM EDT (820P Pacific): Wounded Knee: Party Politics and the Road to an American Massacre by Heather Cox Richardson; 2 of 2

 

• American Horse (1840–1908); Chief, Oglala Lakota:"There was a woman with an infant in her arms who was killed as she almost touched the flag of truce...A mother was shot down with her infant; the child not knowing that its mother was dead was still nursing...The women as they were fleeing with their babies were killed together, shot right through...and after most all of them had been killed a cry was made that all those who were not killed or wounded should come forth and they would be safe. Little boys...came out of their places of refuge, and as soon as they came in sight a number of soldiers surrounded them and butchered them there."

Sunday 1135PM EDT (835P Pacific): Grant's Final Victory: Ulysses S. Grant's Heroic Last Year by Charles Bracelen Flood; 1 of 2

Sunday 1150PM EDT (850P Pacific): Grant's Final Victory: Ulysses S. Grant's Heroic Last Year by Charles Bracelen Flood; 2 of 2

Sunday/Mon 1205AM EDT (905 Pacific): The Captain Who Burned His Ships: Captain Thomas Tingey, USN, 1750-1829 by Gordon S. Brown; 1 of 2

Sunday/Mon 1220AM EDT (920 Pacific): The Captain Who Burned His Ships: Captain Thomas Tingey, USN, 1750-1829 by Gordon S. Brown; 2 of 2

 

The Siege of Vicksburg (May 18 – July 4, 1863) was the final major military action in the Vicksburg Campaign of the American Civil War. In a series of maneuvers, UnionMaj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and his Army of the Tennessee crossed the Mississippi River and drove the Confederate army of Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton into the defensive lines surrounding the fortress city of Vicksburg, Mississippi.

When two major assaults (May 19 and May 22, 1863) against the Confederate fortifications were repulsed with heavy casualties, Grant decided to besiege the city beginning on May 25. With no reinforcement, supplies nearly gone, and after holding out for more than forty days, the garrison finally surrendered on July 4. This action (combined with the capitulation of Port Hudson on July 9) yielded command of the Mississippi River to the Union forces, who would hold it for the rest of the conflict.

The Confederate surrender following the siege at Vicksburg is sometimes considered, when combined with Gen. Robert E. Lee's defeat at Gettysburg the previous day, the turning point of the war. It also cut off communication with Confederate forces in the Trans-Mississippi Department for the remainder of the war. The city of Vicksburg would not celebrate Independence Day for about eighty years as a result of the siege and surrender.

Sunday/Mon 1235AM EDT (935P Pacific): CAMPAIGNS FOR VICKSBURG, 1862-63, THE: Leadership Lessons by Kevin Dougherty; 1 of 2

Sunday/Mon 1250AM EDT (950P Pacific): CAMPAIGNS FOR VICKSBURG, 1862-63, THE: Leadership Lessons by Kevin Dougherty' 2 of 2