The War Department fire of 1800
Why Can't I Find That?
Today, let's discuss the War Department fire of 1800 in Washington, D.C.
On Saturday, 8 November 1800, a fire burned down the temporary home of the United States War Department. You see, Washington D.C. was a new idea in 1800. In 1790, the Residence Act was passed, moving the nation's capital from Philadelphia, where it had been for a decade, to Washington, D.C. - a compromise between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson.
So, in 1800, the War Department moved from Pennsylvania to the new capitol, where it occupied a three-story house on the south side of Pennsylvania Avenue.
That is where tragedy struck.
While no one is exactly certain as to how the fire started, we know that at 7 o'clock, "...the three-story building, in which the Offices of the War Department were temporarily held, took fire, and was in a few hours entirely confumed…"
The War Department Fire of 1800 destroyed everything, including critical military records and documents from the Revolutionary War era, Indian affairs, veterans affairs, naval affairs, militia, and army matters.
This loss has had long-term effects on historical research and pension claims for veterans and their families. Despite efforts to improve fire safety, the War Department faced another catastrophic fire in 1814 during the War of 1812.
Today, the 1800 fire is another reminder of the importance of protecting historical records and its lasting impact on early American history. It is also a warning for archives everywhere to secure and protect the books and documents we currently have in our libraries and warehouses so that future generations can have access to them.
Newspapers from December 1800 show the immediate impact of the loss of these records. An article from the Alexandria Advertiser and Commercial Intelligencer printed on 17 December 1800 is a notice to all "...gentlemen who have applied for military appointment…" notifying them that their applications and recommendatory letters were burned in the fire. They would have to reapply to the War Department and begin the process again.
Historians, genealogists, and family historians alike will likely feel this fire's long-term impact. As we research and hunt for documents to prove our ancestors took part in the Revolutionary War, the Quasi-War, militias in Colonial America, or further information on treaties with Native American Nations, we are likely unable to locate any specific documents.
Yet, unlike the 1890 Federal Population Schedule, there have been distinct efforts to reconstruct the information lost in the 1800 War Department Fire. In the early 1990s, a man named Ted Crackel began an initiative to rebuild the War Department documents. Today, you can visit the website Papers of the War Department - 1784-1800 online.
All hope is not lost! The Papers of the War Department collection can help you bridge that gap of documents lost over 220 years ago.
The 1800 War Department fire is another reminder of how fragile our historical records can be. It reminds us to consider loss and destruction as we research our family history and find ourselves asking, “Why can’t I find that?”
In Summary:
The War Department fire of 1800 reminds us how the loss of historical documents can lead to a lack of documentation as we reconstruct our family history. However, unlike the 1890 US Federal Population Schedule, The Papers of the War Department initiative can provide valuable resources for those seeking military records to connect their family heritage to the Revolutionary War and other pre-1800 military events.
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Thank you for reading!
Excellent note! I was unaware of this project. Cool! Thank you for posting the information.