William H. Winder
Encyclopedia
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soldier and a Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
lawyer. He was a controversial general in the U.S. Army during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
.
Winder was born in Somerset County
Somerset County, Maryland
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*53.5% White*42.3% Black*0.3% Native American*0.7% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.7% Two or more races*1.5% Other races*3.3% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. He was the nephew of Levin Winder
Levin Winder
Levin Winder in Baltimore, Maryland.During the Revolutionary War, he was appointed major of the 4th Maryland Regiment, finally attaining the rank of lieutenant colonel at war's end...
. He graduated at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, and from 1798 to 1812 practiced law in Baltimore. He was commissioned as a colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
in the U.S. Army at the start of the War of 1812. Promoted to brigadier general
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
, he was one of two acting commanders of the American army at the Battle of Stoney Creek
Battle of Stoney Creek
The Battle of Stoney Creek was fought on 6 June 1813 during the War of 1812 near present day Stoney Creek, Ontario. British units made a night attack on an American encampment...
in July 1813, where he was captured, along with fellow commander John Chandler
John Chandler
John Chandler was an American politician and soldier of Maine. The political career of Chandler, a Democratic-Republican, was interspersed with his involvement in the state militia during both the American Revolutionary War and War of 1812.Chandler was born in Epping, New Hampshire, the brother of...
.
Exchanged the following year, Winder was appointed commander of the defenses of Washington and Baltimore by President James Madison
James Madison
James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...
on July 4, 1814. He received little logistical support from the government, especially Secretary of War Armstrong who received much blame for the upcoming disaster. In August General Ross
Robert Ross (general)
Robert Ross was an Anglo-Irish British Army officer who participated in the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812. He is most well known for the Burning of Washington, including the White House.-Early life:...
with several thousand troops advanced upon Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. Winder had only a few hundred regulars, and a mob of some thousands of militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
to oppose them. He made no attempt to skirmish or slow down the advancing British and decided on an all or nothing set piece defensive Battle at Bladensburg. The Americans met the British at the Battle of Bladensburg
Battle of Bladensburg
The Battle of Bladensburg took place during the War of 1812. The defeat of the American forces there allowed the British to capture and burn the public buildings of Washington, D.C...
on August 24, 1814. He failed to show effective command in the battle, although he received virtually no support from the Secretary of War and Secretary of State James Monroe actually interfered with his command by repositioning some of the militia which may have had a significant contribution to the ensuing rout. He clearly did not support Commodore Barney's second line that actually repulsed the 85th foot after the rout of the American first line. As a result of the battle, the capital fell into the hands of the invaders. Winder was afterward court-martial
Court-martial
A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...
ed, but was acquitted of all blame.
After the debacle of Bladenburg, Winder was maneuvered out of having any significant command at Baltimore in favor of the highly competent Samuel Smith and was relegated under protest to the command of limited troops on the Western Approaches to Baltimore which were not considered a likely route for the British Attack. Winder would have participated in the battle at Hampstead Hill to the East of Baltimore had the British decided to carry forward to the attack.
Winder also testified at the impeachment
Impeachment
Impeachment is a formal process in which an official is accused of unlawful activity, the outcome of which, depending on the country, may include the removal of that official from office as well as other punishment....
trial of Associate Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase
Samuel Chase
Samuel Chase was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court and earlier was a signatory to the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Maryland. Early in life, Chase was a "firebrand" states-righter and revolutionary...
.
One of his sons, John H. Winder
John H. Winder
John Henry Winder was a career United States Army officer who served with distinction during the Mexican War...
, was a brigadier general in the Confederate army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.