--- title: "British troops paid respect to the Marines in the War of 1812 by not burning down their house" date: "2022-07-21" modified: "2022-07-21" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/popular/war-of-1812-marine-respect/" categories: - "History" - "Marine Corps" - "War History" - "War of 1812" tags: - "Marine Corps" - "Military History" - "War of 1812" --- # British troops paid respect to the Marines in the War of 1812 by not burning down their house ![Marines War of 1812]() *Very respectfully, they didn't burn the Marine Barracks in Washington.* The War of 1812 isn't remembered very much nowadays. Often considered America's second war of independence, not much really changed on the map as a result of the war. But what's more incredible than the story of the War of 1812 itself is the incredible number of small stories to which the war gives context. The Battle of New Orleans, for example, was fought by pirates, American Indians, slaves, and civilians alongside the U.S. Army – after the war was over. Then there's the remarkable fact that the largest naval battles of the war took place on the Great Lakes, not at sea. The event that few ever forget, however, is the burning of Washington, D.C., when British troops put the Capitol Building and other government installations to the torch. The redcoats even had dinner at the White House before setting it ablaze. But there was one building in the DC area that was spared — which was, the legend goes, for a very good reason. --- ![Marines War of 1812]() *Marines making do at Bladensburg.* The very thought seems next to impossible these days, but the War of 1812 saw the only time a foreign country ever occupied the American capital. Some 4,000 British troops landed in the Chesapeake Bay area and made their way eastward, toward Washington. The only thing standing in their way was 6,500 American militiamen and 480 U.S. Marines and sailors at Bladensburg, Maryland. When the smoke cleared, the British routed the Americans so badly that the battle went down in history as "[the greatest disgrace ever dealt to American arms]()." It even became known as the Bladensburg Races due to the speed at which the Americans fled the battlefield. Worse than that, it left the door to Washington open, and the redcoats just walked right through it. There was one bright silver lining to the Battle of Bladensburg, however. Commodore Joshua Barney and his 360 sailors and 120 Marines didn't get the order from the Army's Gen. William H. Winder to retreat from the battlefield. Eventually, it was this force of just shy of 500 left to fight the entire British Army, often using their fists or the sailors' arsenal of cutlasses. They would not be able to hold back the entire enemy force, but they made their stand last [for two full hours](). This stand gave many in Washington, including Congress, President James Madison and his wife Dolley, time to escape the city. Dolley Madison was able to take many of the White House's most treasured artifacts with her, including the famous portrait of George Washington. After a battle that was so mismanaged and a victory so lopsided, the British were bound to take note that the most intense fighting was done against the United States Marines and the Navy. When they were finally defeated, the Brits could march on to the capital. ![Marines War of 1812]() *The Home of the Commandants at Marine Barracks Washington is the oldest continuously used public building in Washington, DC. (U.S. Marine Corps/Sgt. Bobby J. Yarbrough) The Home of the Commandants at Marine Barracks Washington is the oldest continuously used public building in Washington, DC. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Bobby J. Yarbrough)* The burning of the American capital was not just some sudden spark of victory-fueled euphoria. The Americans burned the capital of British North America, Canada, at York (modern-day Toronto) the previous year. Now, the British would get their revenge, torching the Capitol Building, the White House, and many, many other government buildings. One of the few buildings that was spared in the melee was the Commandant of the Marine Corps' house and the Marine Corps Barracks at 8th and I. The reason for this, according to Marine Corps legend, is that the British were impressed by the Marines' performance at the Battle of Bladensburg and, thus, spared the house out of respect. This could be the reason, or even a secondary one, but some historians suggest that the house was likely overlooked in the chaos of the burning city. Still, an unscathed structure so close to the burning Navy Yard seems unlikely to go unnoticed, especially because the house looks like everything a military target would look and the British had all the time in the world to check up on it. If you ask the Marines, however, there's no room for doubt; Commodore Barney's Marines and their determination was worthy of that kind of respect. ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()