The scene was Washington City. The date, August 24, 1814. It was a time of chaos. With the news that the British Army had defeated the Americans at Bladensburg, James Madison and his Cabinet officials fled the capital, fearing the worst. Setting up temporary residence in Brookeville, Maryland, Madison sent a message to his wife, informing her that if she needed to evacuate the city, to save as many official documents as she could fit into her carriage. In spite of this message from her husband, Dolley was determined to stay and protect the house. Hearing cannon fire, she took to the roof of the house to see if she could ascertain what was happening in the surrounding countryside. Even though she had a spyglass, Dolley was unable to see the battling armies. It was probably a good thing, because the Americans were getting whooped.
Later in the evening, a friend of the family arrived and told her she needed to leave. Reluctantly, Dolley complied. She had already put several items into her carriage, including draperies, china, and the silver service, but as she was leaving, Dolley caught a glimpse of the Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington hanging in the state dining room. She ordered the staff, most of whom were slaves, to take it down, fearing that it would fall into the hands of the British only to be destroyed. However, the painting was screwed into the wall. With time running out, Dolley told them to break the frame and load the painting onto a separate carriage to be taken out of the city and hidden. (She was also reportedly able to save a copy of the Declaration of Independence.) With her carriages loaded to capacity, she made her escape.
A few hours later the British arrived in the city. They promptly headed to the Presidential residence and made themselves at home. They drank much of the wine they found and grabbed as many souvenirs as they could carry. Then, Admiral Cockburn, one of the British commanders, ordered the soldiers to set fire to the residence. Into the next day, the British continued their destructive path, setting many other government buildings ablaze. If not for a thunderstorm that night, much of Washington would have burned to the ground. But as it was, most of the fires were contained by the rainfall.
In the middle of the crisis, there was no sight of the President, his Cabinet, the American Army. No one. At least no one of military significance. But there was a fierce lady and a few courageous slaves. They may not have saved anything we would consider of major significance (after all, there were other copies of the Declaration of Independence, paintings can always be redone, draperies and china can by purchased again), but while many residents had fled the city, freaked out by the invading enemy army, these few kept their heads, organized an exit strategy, and escaped with what they deemed valuable.
There are Dolleys all around us. And if we’re not careful, we’ll miss seeing their significance. When being impressed with the “star”, we miss the one who chooses to remain out of the limelight. While we might remember James Madison as the father of the United States Constitution, we cannot forget the amazing woman, who, on the night in which the building that would soon be known as the White House faced destruction, took action and saved a little bit of history.
After James died, Dolley remained extremely popular in the capital city, having hundreds of friends who would come to her aid on more than one occasion. They loved her, and history has immortalized her for that fateful night during the British invasion. So in case you were wondering what it takes to get a snack cake named after you…now you have the answer. You just have to keep calm and save George.
Faith, Leadership, and History 