WI Battle of Bladensburg

According to wikipedia, during the President James Madison and most of the federal government had been present at the Battle of Bladensburg during the War of 1812. Obviously, in RL they were not captured. For those that would like more information: Bladensburg is in Maryland and the battle is the even in the war immediately preceding the Burning of Washington

My questions are as follows:
Would it be possible to capture Madison during the battle?
If he is captured how would this play out for the war?
Would the British be able to force through a favourable peace treaty?
 
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You probably need to add at least a squadron of British cavalry to the infantry force they landed for this to happen.
 
You probably need to add at least a squadron of British cavalry to the infantry force they landed for this to happen.

It would probably be possible to borrow from cavalry (probably mounted infantry) from the continent, it would also be possible to divert one of the ships attacking Alexandria
 
Considering that it was already termed "the greatest disgrace ever dealt to American arms" and "the most humiliating episode in American history", the capturing of the President and large parts of the government is going to make the defeat even worse. Do we happen to have a list of who was present with Madison as a quick search mostly just seems to say 'most of the rest of the federal government'? Wonder what would happen if the British managed to make a clean sweep and everyone in the line of succession was captured. Even if they only get the Madison and Gerry trying to organise an election for December with no capital and in the middle of an invasion is going to be a nightmare. Do the British still burn Washington? And what might they try and get out of the US in the peace deal if it looks like they're in an even better position than our timeline?
 
The British called the battle 'the Bladensburg races' because they couldn't keep up with the retreating Americans so I feel it would be highly unlikely that the President of the USA could have been captured but if it was possible, the best the British could hope to achieve would have been the 1814 peace treaty being signed in 1813. The British had a larger war going on at the same time and wanted to get the war over as quickly as possible so any overwealming victory would simply be a conclusion of hostilities earlier.
 
Madison and his cabinet were nowhere near Bladensburg so the chances of their being captured are pretty much nil. I would love to know the source that claimed they were on the front line.
 
Madison and his cabinet were nowhere near Bladensburg so the chances of their being captured are pretty much nil. I would love to know the source that claimed they were on the front line.
I do wish I could remember details. But I distinctly remember reading about someone important being in a tavern, near the British forces. I don't think it was Madison, but ?the VP? ?some cabinet member(s)?

OTOH, I just googled and couldn't find anything to support it.
 
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