A map showing the British Army's capture of Washington D.C. during the War of 1812 under Major General Robert Ross. British movements are marked with dotted lines, American movements with dashed lines. The British Army landed near Benedict, Maryland in August 1814 before marching northwards to Bladensburg on the northern outskirts of Washington. An inset map shows the Battle of Bladensburg during which Ross and the British routed the American militia units. After Bladensburg, the British marched on Washington and burnt the Capitol, the White House, and the Navy Yards. Under Major General Ross's orders, private property was largely spared.