<P> The Capitol was, according to some contemporary travelers, the only building in Washington "worthy to be noticed ." Thus, it was a prime target for the British invaders, both for its aesthetic and symbolic value . Upon arrival into the city via Maryland Avenue, the British targeted the Capitol (first the southern wing, containing the House of Representatives, then the northern wing, containing the Senate). Prior to setting it aflame, the British looted the building (which at that time housed Congress, the Library of Congress, and the Supreme Court). Items looted by British General Sir George Cockburn included "An account of the receipts and expenditures of the United States for the year 1810 ." </P> <P> The British intended to burn the building to the ground . They set fire to the southern wing first . The flames grew so quickly that the British were prevented from collecting enough wood to burn the stone walls completely . However, the Library of Congress's contents in the northern wing contributed to the flames on that side . Among the destruction was the 3,000 - volume collection of the Library of Congress and the intricate decorations of the neoclassical columns, pediments, and sculptures originally designed by William Thornton in 1793 and Benjamin Latrobe in 1803 . The wooden ceilings and floors burned, and the glass skylights melted because of the intense heat . But, the building was not a complete loss . The House rotunda, the east lobby, the staircases, and Latrobe's famous Corn - Cob Columns in the Senate entrance hall all survived . The Superintendent of the Public Buildings of the City of Washington, Thomas Munroe, concluded that the loss to the Capitol amounted to $787,163.28, with $457,388.36 for the North wing and main building, and $329,774.92 for the South wing . </P> <P> After burning the Capitol, the British turned northwest up Pennsylvania Avenue toward the White House . After US government officials and President Madison fled the city, the First Lady Dolley Madison received a letter from her husband, urging her to be prepared to leave Washington at a moment's notice . Dolley organized the slaves and staff to save valuables from the British . James Madison's personal slave, the fifteen - year - old boy Paul Jennings, was an eyewitness . After later buying his freedom from the widow Dolley Madison, Jennings published his memoir in 1865, considered the first from the White House: </P> <P> It has often been stated in print, that when Mrs. Madison escaped from the White House, she cut out from the frame the large portrait of Washington (now in one of the parlors there), and carried it off . She had no time for doing it . It would have required a ladder to get it down . All she carried off was the silver in her reticule, as the British were thought to be but a few squares off, and were expected any moment . </P>

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