The War of 1812 has been called by historians, “America’s Second Fight for Independence.” America had only been a nation for 29 years when the British invaded again. During the conflict, the U.S. forces suffered many costly defeats, including the capture and burning of the nation’s capital, Washington D.C.
On August 24, 1814, a 4,000-member British army led by General Robert Ross marched into DC. Most of the city’s 8,000 residents had already evacuated, including First Lady Dolly Madison, who managed to salvage the Declaration of Independence and Gilbert Stuart’s full-length portrait of President George Washington.
As Mrs. Madison fled the city, the weather began behaving oddly. Suddenly, a hurricane swept in from nowhere, triggering a tornado in the middle of town that headed straight down Constitution Avenue toward the British attackers.
Firsthand survivors of the storm reported that roofs were town off houses and carried up into the air like sheets of paper. For two hours, non-stop rain fell in a deluge as if the clouds were dumping buckets of water. Powerful gusts of wind knocked over two British cannons and 30 Redcoats were trapped in the rubble when their shelter collapsed.
Yet had it not been for this freak storm, it is likely that all of DC would have been burned to a crisp. In fact, the perfectly timed hurricane spared the White House from being completely destroyed. With their scorched-earth policy foiled, the British retreated as quickly as they came. In fact, one British Admiral, George Cockburn, reportedly snarled at a local woman, saying, “Great God, Madam! Is this the kind of storm to which you are accustomed in this infernal country?” She replied, “No sir, this is a special interposition of Providence to drive our enemies from our capital.”
In recent articles about the event, The Smithsonian Magazine called it, “The Tornado That Saved Washington.” In the aftermath of the storm, many British and Americans thought the storm was sent by the hand of God. After the war, President James Madison called America to thanksgiving and prayer declaring, “No people ought to feel greater obligations to celebrate the goodness of the Great Disposer of events, and of the Destiny of Nations, than the people of the United States.” Madison then quoted from the Bible, specifically James 1:17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”[1]
Madison was reminding the American people that “we the people” cannot take credit for the blessings both apparent and in disguise that come from Almighty God. Indeed, He sends the sunshine and the storm. As we near another 4th of July and reflect upon the God’s goodness towards this nation we ought to be humbled. Were it not for Him, time and time again, we would not be here. Moreover, if indeed God did send that storm in 1814 to rebuff the British as many believed, then what could He do if He decided to send judgment upon a people that has hardened their hearts towards Him and legislated evil? This wayward nation ought to fear God and cast ourselves on His mercy because the next storm may be the one that takes us to our knees. For if we ever forget that “we are one nation under God then we will be a nation gone under.” -DM
[1]
Robert J. Morgan, 100 Bible Verses That Made America (Nashville, TN: Thomas
Nelson, 2020), 152-155.
No comments:
Post a Comment