A Fateful Twist: The Tornado That Saved Washington In 1814

The Tornado That Saved Washington Was A Natural Miracle That Extinguished Flames At the Capitol & White House

Many have heard the story of Dolley Madison saving the portrait of George Washington from being burned by the British during the War of 1812. But I don’t think a lot of people know about the sudden storm that swept into D.C. and the tornado that saved Washington from the British attack.

Although the violent storm caused damage to buildings in Washington, it also extinguished the flames, and put an end to the only foreign attack on the nation’s capital until the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001.

I think this is a very intriguing story in American history, so wanted to share. Read on to learn how Mother Nature and a tornado saved Washington from complete destruction.

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The British Attack And Burning Of Washington

On August 24, 1814, just outside of Washington, D.C., British troops defeated a small American force comprised of volunteers.

Called the Battle of Bladensburg, the British attack was in retaliation for American troops having invaded the Canadian capital of York less than a year previously.

After their victory, the British entered the American capital and burned several buildings including the Capitol and the White House.

The Tornado That Saved Washington

The British set fire to public buildings such as the Library of Congress, the U.S. Treasury, the White House and the Capitol.

The fires blazed through the night of August 24 and were still going when the sun rose on August 25. The weather had been hot (about 100 degrees), so combined with the fire, it must have seemed like everything would be destroyed.

George Robert Gleig, a British soldier on the scene, detailed what happened next in his memoirs as a severe thunderstorm rolled into the city in the afternoon:

“Of the prodigious force of the wind it is impossible for you to form any conception. Roofs of houses were torn off by it, and whisked into the air like sheets of paper, while the rain which accompanied it resembled the rushing of a mighty cataract rather than the dropping of a shower.”

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The Storm Becomes A Blessing

The severe weather lasted for two hours, dumping torrential rain on the city. At least two British troops were killed, and Glieg was knocked off his horse.

He wrote in his memoirs that two cannons were picked up in the air and tossed around during the most violent part of the storm.

According to other accounts, the storm seemed tornado-like, tearing the roofs off the General Post Office and Patent Office buildings, and uprooting trees.

As the British troops were preparing to leave, a conversation was noted between the British Admiral and a Washington lady regarding the storm: The admiral exclaimed, “Great God, Madam! Is this the kind of storm to which you are accustomed in this infernal country?” The lady answered, “No, Sir, this is a special interposition of Providence to drive our enemies from our city.”

Divine Intervention?

The occupation of Washington by the British lasted a mere 26 hours.

While the rains did indeed douse the fires, it also created confusion, giving the British cover for their quick withdrawal from Washington that night.

It is reported that more British soldiers were killed as a result of the storm than had been killed in the battle the day before.

Related Post: Read about why we celebrate the Fourth of July.

The Burning Of Washington

The United States Capitol at that time in history was said to be the only building in Washington “worthy to be noticed,” so of course it was a prime target for the British.

The wooden ceilings and floors burned in the fire, and the glass skylights melted from the intense heat. However, the House rotunda, the east lobby, the staircases, and Latrobe’s famous Corn-Cob Columns in the Senate entrance hall all survived.

Sadly, the 3,000-volume library of the Library of Congress was destroyed.

Meanwhile, at the White House, President James Madison and his wife, Dolley, were aware of the threat from the British and had made plans to escape prior to the destruction.

Even so, both the president and Secretary of State, James Monroe, were nearly captured.

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Dolley Madison Saves Washington’s Portrait

The tornado that miraculously saved Washington wasn’t the only great providential act of the day.

On August 23, 1814 Dolley Madison rescued a famous portrait of George Washington.

“…Not until a messenger from her husband arrived, crying, “Clear out, clear out,” did she turn her back upon the White House. And even then, in the moment of a hurried and distracting departure, she had the presence of mind to secure the Stuart portrait of Washington that hung upon the dining-room wall. As the great picture could not be easily unscrewed, she gave directions to have the frame broken with an axe, and having thus removed the precious canvas, she sent it off to a place of safety in Georgetown. She also took time to save a carriage-load of Cabinet papers and the White House silver. Then, reluctantly, she took her departure. “I longed instead,” she affirmed with spirit, “to have a cannon through every window.” 

While preserving the portrait was important, Mrs. Madison felt it was equally critical that it not be allowed to be confiscated by the British. She instructed the men not to allow it “into the hands of the enemy, as their Capture would enable them to make a great flourish.”

The 8-foot-tall portrait is still on view today in the East Room of the White House. The original piece of art, painted by Gilbert Stuart in 1796, hangs in the Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.

This extraordinary event of the tornado that saved Washington serves as a reminder of the unpredictable and sometimes fortuitous ways in which nature can influence human history.

Related Post: Find out how a vault in a private home saved the Declaration of Independence and Constitution during burning of Washington.

Madison Flees To Brookeville

Meanwhile, President Madison had fled to a town called Brookeville, MD, about 18 miles north of Washington, D.C. The town’s website still boasts that, as a result of the president staying there after three full days of travel, their town was “US Capital for a Day.”

The president returned to Washington, D.C. on August 27^th and the rebuilding of the nation’s capital began.

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Wrap-Up Of The Tornado That Saved Washington

The story of the 1814 tornado that swept through Washington, DC, during the War of 1812 is a fascinating chapter in American history.

What makes it even more amazing is that tornadoes are rare in D.C. Three struck that day in 1814 (they may have all been the same one, though) and only seven others have been reported in the 210 years since.

The most recent occurred in 1995 when it whipped through the National Arboretum, but damage was limited to some uprooted trees.

I hope you learned something new and that the story of the tornado that saved Washington during the War of 1812 inspires you to learn more about American history.

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