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Posted on 08/31/2014 12:25:10 PM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
Moving from the Capitol, British Navy Rear Admiral George Cockburn, Army Major General Robert Ross, and 150 redcoats marched to the White House. Rocca asked Allman what the Britons' impression of the White House would have been as they walked in the door: "I think that it was a pretty good-sized house, but not a palatial one. No Buckingham Palace. No Versailles. That it was, you know, reasonably well decorated."
The biggest surprise? A dinner set for 40. So the British feasted in the White House dining room before burning the mansion down.
Here, too, the walls survived. But little remains of what was once inside -- what does is an American icon.
The East Room, the largest room in the house, and where Teddy Roosevelt's kids used to roller-skate; where Susan Ford had her senior prom; and more importantly, the room with the great full-length portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart.
"This is the one that Dolley Madison rather famously saved before leaving the White House. She had already packed up state papers, the red velvet drapes that she had had put in the Oval Room. Then, kind of as a last-minute thing, she said, 'Oh, we've got to save General Washington.'"
"And she gave the instructions to get it off the wall. It was bolted on. So they had to pretty much cut the frame open and then lift the canvas out on its stretcher."
As Dolley Madison was busy cramming silverware into her purse, White House servants -- the maitre d' and one of the family's slaves -- rescued the painting. "She was trying to save everything she could," said Allman. "She was leaving her personal things."
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
Well, actually, with the Napoleonic Wars over there was no more need for impressed sailors by the Royal Navy, and no more blockade to cause conflict over trade by neutrals. So neither issue was addressed by the Treaty of Ghent.
It is perhaps relevant that the issue of "seizing ships on the high seas" per the Orders in Council had been repealed by the British government just prior to the American Declaration of War. The Americans didn't know about it because of the delay in communications.
It’s not the food that’s bad it’s the lack of exercise Playing video games TV etc does not burn calories !
If the Americans had created a similar incident, it would have meant invading Britain and burning down Buckingham Palace not York.
Encore, encore!
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In 1814? ;-D
And the fact that is the center of your recollection, and of that of most of your countrymen, is the main problem about the War of 1812.
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