Robert Ross (British Army officer)

Robert Ross
Born	1766 Rostrevor, County Down, Kingdom of Ireland
Died	12 September 1814 (aged 47–48) Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Resting place	Old Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Education	Trinity College Dublin
Military career
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1789–1814
Rank	Major-General
Battles/wars	French Revolutionary War Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland French campaign in Egypt and Syria Napoleonic Wars Battle of Maida Battle of Corunna Walcheren Campaign Peninsular War War of 1812 Battle of Bladensburg Burning of Washington Battle of Baltimore Battle of North Point †

Major-General Robert Ross (1766 – 12 September 1814) was an Irish officer in the British Army who served in the Napoleonic Wars and its theatre in North America in the War of 1812.

Ross joined the British Army in 1789. He served as an officer in several battles during the Napoleonic Wars, including the Battles of Maida and Corunna, gaining promotion to colonel. In 1809, he was sent to serve in the Peninsular War, including the Battles of Vittoria, Roncesvalles, Sorauren, and Orthez. He was wounded in the neck at the Battle of Orthez in France on 27 February 1814.^[1]

Upon returning to duty later that year, Ross was made a major general and sent to North America, as commander of "all British forces on the East Coast". In August 1814, he reached Benedict, Maryland and continued on, leading the professional soldiers who quickly defeated a poorly organized American militia at the Battle of Bladensburg on 24 August; that evening, he led his troops into Washington D.C.^[1]

During his command of the Burning of Washington many important U.S. Government buildings, including the White House and the Capitol were damaged, demoralizing and greatly damaging the American war effort. Ross then led a British invasion north up the Chesapeake Bay towards the city of Baltimore which culminated in the Battle of Baltimore that September. On 12 September, he was shot while commanding troops at North Point, and died while being moved to the rear.