The British soldiers advanced in excellent
order as far as Bladensburg, Maryland, where,
on August 24, 1814, they encountered a force
of nearly 7,000 militia under Gen. William H.
Winder. Winder squandered his numerical ad-
vantage by deploying in three mutually unsup-
portive lines, and Ross decided to attack im-
mediately. Thornton’s brigade was ordered to
charge across a heavily defended defile to his
front while Brooke’s men attempted a flank-
ing movement. The leading British elements
were badly shot up and Thornton seriously
wounded, yet Winder was unable to coordi-
nate his withdrawal. In the ensuing fracas, the
entire American army panicked and stam-
peded. The only real resistance came from a
small knot of sailors and marines under Com-
modore Barney, who stood his ground mag-
nificently until surrounded. Ross, having sus-
tained 300 casualties—and having lost
another horse—personally directed the final
battlefield activities of the army. He then re-
sumed advancing and occupied Washington
that night. However, while accompanying the
vanguard, he was fired upon by two snipers,
who killed his mount. Ross was unhurt, but
he ordered the house from which the shots
originated burned—and the British began im-
plementing their retaliatory policy with a
vengeance.
Accordingly, the White House, Congress,
and all public property were summarily re-
duced to ashes. Ross, however, was never
happy with the practice of state-sponsored
vandalism, and he strictly forbade his sol-
diers from looting private property. Several
unlucky violators were caught and summar-
ily flogged. Then, having humiliated the
United States thoroughly and garnered addi-
tional laurels for himself, the general re-
traced his steps back to Benedict, where he
reembarked on August 30, 1814. From begin-
ning to end it was one of the War of 1812’s
most spectacular and remarkable episodes.
The entire affair underscored the military un-
preparedness of the United States, especially
when dealing with so talented and capable an
enemy as England.
After further consultation with Cochrane
and Cockburn, Ross agreed that the next ob-
ject of attention would be the bustling city of
Baltimore, long reviled as a nest of pirates be-
cause of its flourishing privateer activities.
Accordingly, Ross’s brigade was landed at
North Point on September 12, 1814, and made
its way inland. Around 7:00 A.M. he and Admi-
ral Cockburn stopped to have breakfast at
Gorsuch Farm and were graciously received.
When asked by the owner if he would be re-
turning that evening for dinner, the general al-
legedly declared, “I will sup in Baltimore
tonight, or in Hell.” Ross, disregarding danger
as usual, was reconnoitering well to the front
and became a conspicuous target. At length
he caught the attention of two American
marksmen, Daniel Wells and Henry G. McCo-
mas, who were stationed in trees. Drawing a
bead upon this highly decorated officer, the
two soldiers promptly shot Ross through the
chest. Vengeful British soldiers then killed the
snipers and any other Americans they found
engaged in such unsporting warfare. Ross,
meanwhile, was painfully conveyed back to
the fleet and expired en route. His loss was
lamented by the entire army, which now fell
under the uninspired aegis of Brooke, the se-
nior colonel. After two more days of fruitless
skirmishing, the British withdrew back to the
fleet.
Ross’s death signaled the end of the Balti-
more campaign before it had commenced in
earnest. The general’s remains were trans-
ported to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and interred
there. But in recognition of distinguished ser-
vices, the British government bequeathed his
descendants the title Ross of Bladensburg.
His native village of Rostrevor also erected a
100-foot granite obelisk in his memory.Bibliography
Barthrop, Michael. Wellington’s Generals.London: Os-
prey, 1978; George, Christopher T. Terror in the
Chesapeake: The War of 1812 in the Bay.Shippens-
burg, PA: White Mane, 2000; Jenkins, Wheeler B. “The
Shots That Saved Baltimore.” Maryland HistoricalROSS, ROBERT