Raid On Alexandria

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. The Raid on Alexandria was a British victory during the War of 1812, which gained much plunder at little cost but may have contributed to the later British repulse at Baltimore by imposing delay on their main forces.As part of the British expedition to Chesapeake Bay in the middle of 1814, a naval force under Commodore James Alexander Gordon was ordered to sail up the Potomac River, to attack Fort Washington, which was then known as Fort Warburton. Located on the Maryland shore about 8 miles (13 km) below Washington, it was the only fortification on the Potomac River. The raid was supposed to be a demonstration, to distract American troops from the main British attack on Washington under General Robert Ross.