For sale...medals of British officer who burned down White House

MEDALS awarded to a British officer who burned down the White House in Washington more than 200 years ago have come up for sale.

The gongs won by career soldier John Michell are tipped to fetch £30,000.

Michell was a captain commanding a Royal Artillery battery when he and his gunners set fire to the president’s house and Capitol building in 1814.

Only hours earlier they had been part of a 1,500-strong British force which routed 7,000 American troops at the Battle of Bladensburg in Maryland.

Confusion

The fighting was part of the now largely-forgotten War of 1812 between the US and Britain.

Describing the battle later, Michell said: “The enemy abandoned every gun and retreated in the utmost confusion.”

After entering Washington unopposed and torching public buildings, his men cheekily ate a supper intended for

US president James Madison and his staff, who had fled at their approach.

Michell, born in Somerset in 1781, had joined the Army as a cadet at 13 and had already seen action in several battles against the French in Europe.

His Army Gold Medal and Military General Service Medal were awarded for his conduct during fighting at Toulouse, Orthez and other locations.

Michell stayed in the military until the 1850s, rising to major-general and being knighted. He died in 1866.

His decorations are being sold tomorrow by London-based auctioneer Dix Noonan Webb, who said they were a “particularly scarce” combination.

Michell’s Army Gold Medal, on the left, and MGS showing battle honours from Europe. Above, a painting of the White House set alight in 1814 commissioned during George W Bush’s presidency