A grave located in the Old Burying Ground in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, of a British military leader from Northern Ireland, who commanded in the War of 1812, has become a bit more popular as of late, especially with tourists from the United States.
British Major General Robert Ross was killed by a sniper during the Battle of Baltimore in September 1814 and his body was preserved in 129 gallons of Jamaican rum on a British ship so he could be returned to Ireland for burial. However, the Battle of New Orleans prevented that journey and he was instead interred in Halifax with full military honors on September 29, 1814.
But it's not his rum-soaked past that's made him a tourist attraction. It's what he did while still alive.
Under the command of Ross, British forces beat the United States Army at the Battle of Bladensburg on August 24, 1814, before walking into Washington, D.C., where Ross ordered his troops to set fire to public buildings, including the White House (then called the Presidential Mansion) and the Capitol Building.
The act, called the Burning of Washington, was considered retaliation for United States forces burning public buildings in York (now Toronto), Canada, earlier in the war.
With the destruction of portions of the White House under the administration of MAGA Republican President Donald Trump, increased tensions between the United States and Canada over tariffs that violate Trump's own trade agreement, and repeated disparaging remarks about the longtime ally by the POTUS, Major General Ross has regained some prominence.
A recent visitor to to his grave reportedly left the late military leader a message and a gift that went viral on social media.
You can see the note here shared by Canada's National Post editor-in-chief Rob Roberts:
The missive read, in all caps:
"General Ross, thank you for your service. You are needed again. R.I.P."
The note was accompanied by a lighter.
The note was unsigned, so it's unclear if it was left by a visitor to Canada or a resident of that country. What is clear is the message—someone thinks it's time to burn Washington again.
Several visitors shared photos of the note online.
Including one that showed a second note and a variety of lighters.
@lostinhistory/Bluesky
The second note read:
"Now there is a house full of crooks & a ballroom. Burn it down. [signed] An American]"
People weren't opposed to the idea of starting with a clean slate in the United States capital.
@alexander001a/Bluesky
When the White House burned in 1814, First Lady Dolly Madison, wife of President James Madison, famously saved Gilbert Stuart's iconic oil Lansdowne portrait of George Washington along with the national seal, important state papers, and government documents.
One wonders what Melania Trump would save.
@RandyRRQuaid/X
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social
