Robert Ross (British Army officer)

Robert Ross
Oil portrait of Major-General Robert Ross
Born	1766 Rostrevor, County Down, Ireland
Died	12 September 1814 (aged 47–48) Baltimore, Maryland, United States
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 †

French Revolutionary War:

Napoleonic Wars:

War of 1812:

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

Ross enlisted in the British Army in 1789. He served as an officer in several battles during the Napoleonic Wars. In 1809, he was sent to serve in the Peninsular War. He was wounded in the neck at the Battle of Orthez in France on February 27, 1814.

Upon returning to duty later that year, Ross was made a major general and sent to North America, where he took command of a British force designated to attack the United States capital of Washington D.C. during the War of 1812. Ross's professional soldiers quickly defeated a poorly organized American militia at the Battle of Bladensburg on August 24, and that evening proceeded to enter Washington. The British Army burned many important U.S. Government buildings, including the White House and the Capitol, 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 September 12, he was shot while commanding troops at North Point, and died while being moved to the rear.