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... one of the last things the British troops who captured Washington did before leaving was put a curse on some of the swampland there...

In the war of 1812 (which is what I assume you're talking about) the British captured Washington (in August of 1814) but were then driven away by a storm (some say a hurricane) and an actual tornado which did more damage to their column of troops than all of the battles fought by the American defenders (reference 1 and 2). The rain also put out all of the fires that they had set, preserving much of the city from certain destruction.

There has long been a debate about the nature of that event, whether it was divine intervention or some force called forth by occult means. Whatever the cause, I believe that that event used up all of the good karma of that little bit of what was once my family's land (yes, indeed it was, as was Georgetown, which my ancestor founded). Since then it has been a sinkhole for good karma, leeching it out of all who spend any time there.

It's obvious we haven't quite paid off the debt owed to the universe for that event.

But we're trying.