Remembering another sad day at the U.S. Capitol THE EDGE With the storming on the Capitol by a mob that led to the impeachment of President Donald Trump, there has been a lot of references to the fact that this sacred ground of our republic has not been breached by violence since the War of 1812. That was after the defeat of American troops at the Battle of Bladensburg in Maryland, when British forces marched on Washington. On Aug. 24, 1814, they entered our capital – the first and only foreign power to occupy Washington – and set fire to many government buildings, including the White House and Capitol.