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Colonel William Thornton By the time of his arrival in North America in 1814, he was a Colonel and a veteran of the Peninsular Wars and had established a reputation as a capable and daring officer. It was Thornton who led the charge that ultimately burned and destroyed the capital at Washington. Demonstrating his trademark impetuousness, Thornton started the attack at Bladensburg before the reinforcements, only a short distance away, could arrive. He was wounded at this encounter but recovered in time for the campaign against New Orleans. After the British established their base camp at Pine Island on Lake Borgne in December of 1814, Thornton commanded part of the advance forces that moved up the Bayou Bienvenu to the Villere Plantation. Thornton urged his senior commander, John Keane, to move on New Orleans, while the Americans were still unaware of their proximity to the city. Keane decided to wait for Sir Edward Pakenham's reinforcements instead. In hindsight, this decision cost the British their best chance for a successful operation. On January 8, as the bulk of the British army moved on Andrew Jackson's entrenched position, Thornton was leading an attack on a U.S. artillery position on the west bank of the Mississippi. Though Thornton was eventually successful, he found out that Edward Pakenham had not waited for him to get into position as planned, and the British army on the east bank had already been severely repulsed. Badly injured, Thornton gave up command and retreated to the British camp. Thornton returned to England and continued what became a distinguished military career. He was promoted to Major General in 1825 and knighted in 1836. Thornton developed psychological problems in his later years; which were attributed by many to the wounds he sustained in the North American war. He committed suicide in 1840 at the age of 61.
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