Robert Ross (General)

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Robert Ross (1766–1814) portrait around 1812

Robert Ross (* 1766 in Rosstrevor , County Down , Northern Ireland ; † September 21, 1814 near Baltimore , United States ) was an Irish officer in the British Army who was used in the Napoleonic Wars and in the war of 1812 with the United States . He gained fame by the fact that he and his victory over the Americans in the Battle of Bladensburg on 24. August 1814 and the subsequent destruction of public buildings Washington inflicted its history the United States the greatest military humiliation.

Life

Ross was born in Rosstrevor in what is now Northern Ireland in 1766, the son of Major David Ross, a veteran of the Seven Years' War . He attended Trinity College in Dublin and joined the British Army's 20th Infantry Regiment (East Devonshire ) in 1789 as an ensign . In 1795 he received the rank of captain in the 7th Infantry Regiment, a few months later that of a major on half pay (out of service). He was active in 1799 as a major in the 20th Infantry Regiment in Holland , where he distinguished himself in a battle near Krabbendam and was seriously wounded. Two years later he was deployed with his regiment in Egypt and participated in the final victory over the French armed forces there. Although only promoted to Brevet - Lieutenant Colonel, he was given command of the 20th Infantry Regiment in 1803. Ross subjected the regiment to rigorous training and discipline, but was nevertheless popular with his soldiers, as he shared all the hardships and dangers. Success was shown when the regiment under Sir John Stuart was deployed in Calabria and played a decisive role in the Battle of Maida (July 4, 1806). 1808/1809 Ross and his regiment took part in Sir John Moore's Spanish campaign , the loss-making retreat to La Coruña , the battle there (January 16, 1809) and the disastrous Walcheren expedition , during which two thirds of the regiment fell ill with a fever . The regiment was then transferred to Ireland for some time to recover. Ross received a gold medal for his role in the Battle of La Coruña and a sword of honor for Maida. At the end of 1812 the regiment came under Wellington on the Iberian peninsula, Ross was promoted to major general and in 1813 was given command of a brigade . He participated in the Battle of Vitoria (June 21, 1813), excelled in operations near Pamplona and in the battles of Roncesvalles (July 25, 1813) and Sorauren (July 28, 1813), and was featured in battle seriously wounded at Orthez (February 27, 1814) at the head of his brigade. He received official thanks from Parliament for his role in this battle, and other awards were a gold medal for Vittoria and the Peninsula gold medal .

After the end of the fighting in Europe, Ross was given command of an army of 4,500 men, which, in cooperation with a naval association of the Royal Navy under the command of Rear Admiral Alexander Cochrane, was to carry out amphibious attacks on the Atlantic coast of the USA , with which Great Britain has been fighting since 1812 was at war ( War of 1812 ).

In the largest enterprise of its kind, Ross landed together with naval units under Vice Admiral George Cockburn on the Patuxent River , advanced on Washington and, at Cockburn's urging, ignored an order from Cochrane to cancel the risky venture. In the Battle of Bladensburg on August 24, 1814, the British defeated an American army almost twice as large and drove them apart so that the US capital could then be occupied without further resistance. The attack on the only seriously resisting Americans, a contingent of the US Navy with 500 sailors, 120 Marines and six artillery under Commodore Joshua Barney , led Ross personally, with one horse under him was shot. Essential for the astonishing success of the British was not only the courage and the military skills of Ross and his soldiers, but also the indiscipline of the US soldiers and the incompetence of their commanders, who were unable to achieve the numerical superiority and that for the Defenders use favorable terrain. The American commander in chief William Winder was a politician and lawyer with little military knowledge. Following the orders of the Canadian Governor General Sir George Prevost , the British destroyed Washington’s public buildings (including the Senate and the White House ), but attacks on civilians and civilian property were stopped by Ross, who severely punished looters. This is also confirmed by American sources, some of which report direct interventions by the general in favor of beleaguered civilians. After a three-day work of destruction, the British evacuated the US capital and withdrew to their ships without encountering any further resistance.

Grave of robert ross (general)

The success of Bladensburg and the destruction of Washington attracted worldwide attention and represent the greatest military humiliation of the USA to date. However, Ross did not experience the response to his success. At a similar operation against Baltimore , he was hit and fatally wounded by a US sniper in an otherwise meaningless skirmish. He died shortly after being wounded. His body was brought to Halifax by ship and buried there with military honors on September 29th.

A memorial was erected in his honor at St Paul's Cathedral in London , as well as near his birthplace and in Halifax. His family received the right to use the name "Ross of Bladensburg".

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personal data
SURNAME Ross, Robert
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Irish officer in the British Army
DATE OF BIRTH 1766
PLACE OF BIRTH Rosstrevor , County Down , Northern Ireland
DATE OF DEATH September 21, 1814
Place of death near Baltimore , United States