John McCavitt's Page
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- Say a bit about your role, I'm a..
- academic
- Affiliation
- Independent researcher
- What interests do you have in the period?
- I am currently writing a book on the career of General Robert Ross from my home village of Rostrevor, County Down, the man who captured Washington in 1814, burning the White House and the Capitol and other public buildings. His death at North Point near Baltimore was a 'key' factor influencing Francis Scott Key when he wrote the Star Spangled Banner. Many of the troops who Ross led were also Irishmen while many on the American side fighting against him were likewise Irishmen or of Irish descent.
My previous work was on Irish history, specifically on The Flight of the Earls - see www.theflightoftheearls.net This event was a key moment in the development of the Irish military tradition as thousands of Irish exiles served in foreign armies.
Ironically, when the Madisons fled Washington before the advancing British some writers have since called it 'The Flight of the Madisons'.
- Link to your website
- http://www.themanwhocapturedwashington.com
John McCavitt's Blog
Hushoe
I am working on a biography of General Ross' career, not least its links to Irish history. For details of my work see www.themanwhocapturedwashington.com
I'm puzzled by a reference to 'Hushoe' that has arisien. A United Irishmen pamphlet linked the burning of the public buildings in Washington, Waterloo and 'Hushoe' as examples of British 'barbarism'. For the life of me I have never heard of 'Hushoe'. I wonder…
ContinuePosted on April 10, 2011 at 20:36
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