"Dolley Madison's Heroic Effort: Rescuing George Washington's Portrait from the Flames of the 1814 DC Fire"

 




Dolley Madison, the wife of President James Madison, is famously known for saving a significant portrait of George Washington during the Burning of Washington in 1814. This event occurred during the War of 1812 between the United States and the United Kingdom.

On August 24, 1814, British forces captured and set fire to Washington, D.C., as part of their campaign. As the British troops approached the White House, Dolley Madison took action to protect critical national symbols, including a portrait of the first President, George Washington, painted by Gilbert Stuart.

According to historical accounts, Dolley Madison was determined to save the portrait from falling into British hands and being destroyed. As the British forces closed in on the White House, she supervised the removal of valuable items and important documents. When it became clear that the White House could not be defended, she directed the servants to hastily cut the painting out of its frame.

The story goes that Dolley Madison was the last to leave the White House and is said to have written to her sister about her actions that day. The letter reads:

"[I]t had been arranged that we should be conveyed with the President's baggage, and accordingly, the carriage drove up to the door, papers were handed out to be packed in it, and a trunk of silver was put in front of the door to be filled with the plate. … I insisted on waiting until the large picture of General Washington was secured, and George promised to have it removed. It took some time to unscrew the frame; I feared it would be left behind. When, to my dismay, I saw the smoke and heard the fire crackling. … At this horrid sight, I was confined to bed and half dead. My sister and French woman stood at the door, and almost in despair of my life, when Mr. Cutting, who came back from the President's House, assured us that the General and his cabinet were on horseback and out of the city. Then Mr. Cutting went back and burst open the door of the room. . . . I, the French woman, and Bob, who had saved her things as I had saved mine, went into Mrs. Thornton's garden. The two were in safety, and I already thought one was lost. I had no power to believe my eyes when I saw George. ... He said he had thought of the General's picture and had returned for it."

The portrait of George Washington and other essential items were saved from destruction. The British troops set fire to the White House, causing extensive damage to the building and many of its contents. Dolley Madison's actions that day have been celebrated as a symbol of her dedication to preserving national history and identity, even in the face of adversity.

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