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Great Battles of History
The Darkest Day: The Washington-Baltimore Campaign During the War of 1812
Excellent Book
- GenresHistoryMilitary History
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 13, 2003
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17 people want to read
About the author
Charles Geoffrey Muller
16 booksCharles G. Muller (1897-1987) was a writer for several national magazines and newspapers.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 18, 2025
“… the war has laid the foundations of permanent taxes and military establishments which the Republicans had deemed unfavorable to the happiness and free institutions of the country. But under our former system we were becoming too selfish, too much attached exclusively to the acquisition of wealth; above all, too much confined in our political feelings to local and state objects.” American Peace Commissioner Albert Gallatin
Charles Muller used many first-hand accounts through this retelling of the burning of Washington in The Darkest Day. More focus on the British actions by Cockburn, Ross and Cochrane and less on the ineptitude of the Americans made it a better reading experience. That said, if it happened today, Armstrong, the Sec. of War, would have been called up by Congress to account for his indolence, arrogance and neglect of his duties.
By giving the details of the people in and around Baltimore rallying to defend the city, the story ends with a better sense of how the War of 1812, and specifically the fall of D.C. brought out the best of the citizens. The individual who shines in this retelling is Major-General Samuel Smith, the Senator from Maryland and a Revolutionary War soldier, who orchestrated the Baltimore defenses in a matter of days. For months, the federal government dilly-dallied as Armstrong kept telling everyone that the British would never come to D.C. It’s also a reminder that committees don’t work in a time of emergency. Without a strong leader, well your Capitol gets burned and looted and your nation is humiliated.
For the British, they were punishing the Americans for attempting to destroy the capitol of Upper Canada and they viewed it as just retribution to reduce D.C. to ashes. The American Capitol was never a strategic win for the British, it was merely a night out for the boys like Cockburn who ended the affair in a brothel after charging into a saloon on a mule.
The maps really helped to understand how tenuous and dire the situation was for Baltimore. But the weather, the shoals in the Patapsco River and the earthen ramparts hastily put up around Ft. Henry along with the men who kept a vigil prevented the British Navy from landing south of the city. The British Commander Ross being killed took the wind out of the troops and the land invasion collapsed when they saw the “strong Batteries with their heavy Guns in great number” on the eastern heights of the city.
Francis Scott Key had been part of a group sent to make a prisoner exchange. The British held him on a boat in the bay. There’s a great description of the flag that flew over Ft. McHenry (another of Gen. Smith’s actions) and hearing Key’s thoughts and seeing the world through his eyes, you understand viscerally why “the flag still flew” is still such a powerful image today.
The book was published in 1963 and remains relevant today because it reminds us that people don’t change, just the circumstances and technology.
Charles Muller used many first-hand accounts through this retelling of the burning of Washington in The Darkest Day. More focus on the British actions by Cockburn, Ross and Cochrane and less on the ineptitude of the Americans made it a better reading experience. That said, if it happened today, Armstrong, the Sec. of War, would have been called up by Congress to account for his indolence, arrogance and neglect of his duties.
By giving the details of the people in and around Baltimore rallying to defend the city, the story ends with a better sense of how the War of 1812, and specifically the fall of D.C. brought out the best of the citizens. The individual who shines in this retelling is Major-General Samuel Smith, the Senator from Maryland and a Revolutionary War soldier, who orchestrated the Baltimore defenses in a matter of days. For months, the federal government dilly-dallied as Armstrong kept telling everyone that the British would never come to D.C. It’s also a reminder that committees don’t work in a time of emergency. Without a strong leader, well your Capitol gets burned and looted and your nation is humiliated.
For the British, they were punishing the Americans for attempting to destroy the capitol of Upper Canada and they viewed it as just retribution to reduce D.C. to ashes. The American Capitol was never a strategic win for the British, it was merely a night out for the boys like Cockburn who ended the affair in a brothel after charging into a saloon on a mule.
The maps really helped to understand how tenuous and dire the situation was for Baltimore. But the weather, the shoals in the Patapsco River and the earthen ramparts hastily put up around Ft. Henry along with the men who kept a vigil prevented the British Navy from landing south of the city. The British Commander Ross being killed took the wind out of the troops and the land invasion collapsed when they saw the “strong Batteries with their heavy Guns in great number” on the eastern heights of the city.
Francis Scott Key had been part of a group sent to make a prisoner exchange. The British held him on a boat in the bay. There’s a great description of the flag that flew over Ft. McHenry (another of Gen. Smith’s actions) and hearing Key’s thoughts and seeing the world through his eyes, you understand viscerally why “the flag still flew” is still such a powerful image today.
The book was published in 1963 and remains relevant today because it reminds us that people don’t change, just the circumstances and technology.
November 8, 2013
A good book on an iconic, if little-known campaign. Muller gives us a good account of actions in the Chesapeake and the attacks on Washington and Baltimore. Still, he uses a lot of naval terminology and expects the reader to know what it means. For example: "We were, however, mistaken: the Euryalus opened the ball and struck or, rather, was suddenly brought up, for nothing was felt, and the lead gave us plenty of water." Apparently the ship Euryalus had a lead (guide) boat in front. But one has to guess that the guide's soundings indicated the water was deep (the lead gave us plenty of water?) yet it apparently ran aground on a smooth sandbar (nothing was felt?). But what opening the ball ["beginning the dance" or passing first maybe?] means for certain is beyond me. While it didn't terribly muddle the explanations of what was happening, there were too many occurrences of this kind for the lay reader.
The battle of Bladensburg before Washington has been described as a failure of the militia. The real failure was the inability of the support staff to supply equipment in a timely manner, or at all. The militia was committed to battle in three defensive lines that did not support each other, and were unknown to militia on the other two lines. Committing forces piecemeal to an attack is a common fault, but it takes a rare fool to do so in the defense.
Muller tries to integrate the experiences of common people and foot soldiers, but not enough to make the book colorful or lively. The prose is dry, the language archaic, but this still a fairly good book.
The battle of Bladensburg before Washington has been described as a failure of the militia. The real failure was the inability of the support staff to supply equipment in a timely manner, or at all. The militia was committed to battle in three defensive lines that did not support each other, and were unknown to militia on the other two lines. Committing forces piecemeal to an attack is a common fault, but it takes a rare fool to do so in the defense.
Muller tries to integrate the experiences of common people and foot soldiers, but not enough to make the book colorful or lively. The prose is dry, the language archaic, but this still a fairly good book.
October 21, 2023
The mass market edition (I think so; but the leading pages don't say) falls apart too easily. All of it. All three copies I had. It lacks maps, making it hard to track the action on the upper Chesapeake. Once a hardy soul gets past that, it's a good look at what went on from both sides' points of view. I was especially interested in the action at Bladensburg; the U.S.' denouement didn't occur as instantly as often reported in other books. The British's actions are well covered.
Worth a read; but get the hard cover edition.
Worth a read; but get the hard cover edition.
January 31, 2024
The Maryland Campaign in the war from the British ascent up the Patuxent and Potomac, to the “Bladensburg Races” and burning of Washington D.C. onto the battle of North point and bombardment of For Mchenry. This book is full of long first hand accounts and benefits greatly from it. It reads almost like a novel at times with the length of the quotes. Really enjoyed it. Short quick read. Worth it.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews