 This is one of the most embarrassing defeats in U.S. military history. The British, who, you know, changed the complexion of the war of 1812 after defeating Napoleon in 1814 and sent thousands of crack troops over here. They were raiding up the Chesapeake Bay. They came to the outskirts of Washington, and they overran just a pathetic group of last-minute thrown-together militiamen on August 26th.