King Charles’ presence in the White House at a sensitive moment is just the moment to recall a very different visit to the iconic building only a few years after its construction – the burning of the White House by Major General Robert Ross in the war of 1812. Trust Ulster thranness to erect a splendid obelisk monument to the distinguished local boy at his eponymous home village, Rostrevor co Down, to be seen wide and far on both sides of the the border at Carlingford Lough.
Major General Ross apparently had qualms about the piece of vandalism and anyway the destruction was incomplete. A stirring account is available of how President Madison and First Lady Dolly escaped just in time, taking their china with them. (Hard to resist the appealing fantasy of the Trumps doing the same today).
Sadly Gen Ross was killed soon afterwards in another engagement in what was to the British, an obscure sideshow compared to the titanic struggle with Napoleon. To the Americans , another battle in the war inspired The Star Spangled Banner which became the national anthem.
Former BBC journalist and manager in Belfast, Manchester and London, Editor Spolight; Political Editor BBC NI; Current Affairs Commissioning editor BBC Radio 4; Editor Political and Parliamentary Programmes, BBC Westminster; former London Editor Belfast Telegraph. Hon Senior Research Fellow, The Constitution Unit, Univ Coll. London
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