the same name major general robert ross who burned the white house. he was a descendant and he wanted to see the scorch marks that i told him were there. they are they're under the front door. and there's a big, stone archway where you can see massive scorch marks from the fires set by the briltish in 1814. and the pastry chef who had his offices close by couldn't stop giggling. he thought, well, here's a man who's come to finish the job. i like to write stories that are epic, true and sad. people ask me why don't you write something funny? i can't. i really like to write epic stories. vietnam was one. and then i wrote the boning of washington, the president escapes, the city in flames, the national anthem comes out of it and you have andrew jackson's victory at new orleans all in the same campaign. and when i have my lit rare supplement in england, the reviewer says they described what happened here as this amusing little incident. he was parading his ignorance because he didn't realize that the british suffered the greatest defeat in the long annals

ross, theas major ed same name the general robert ross who burned the white house. he was a descendent. one can see the scorch marks i told him were there. they are under the front door. there is a big stone archway where you can see massive scorch marks from the fires set by the british in 1814. the pastry chef who has his offices close by could not stop giggling. he thought here is a man who has come to finish the job. [laughter] write stories that are epic, true, and said. youle ask me, why don't write something funny? i really like to write epic stories. vietnam is one. then i wrote "the burning of washington," which is certainly a roller coaster of a story. the cities in flames. the national anthem hums out of it. you have andrew jackson's retreat all in the same campaign. when my book was reviewed by "the times literary supplement in england, the reviewer described as what happened as "this amusing little incident." he was parading his ignorance because he did not realize the british suffered the greatest defeat in the long annals of their valiant -- the valia

his superior, major general robert ross, had second thirds and wanted to return. coburn forced him to proceed. he said we have come so far we have to continue. he had been recognized by none other than admiral horatio nelson because coburn had been a sailor from his preteen years and nelson acknowledged his ability and courage and zeal. he was thought of so highly by the british admiralty that he was chosen to take the great napoleon into exile on the island of st. helena. i got hold of his diary. he said this man, napoleon, sometimes wants to play the sovereign. i won't allow it. that is the fiber of the man who grabbed an american who was innocent. he grabbed him and took him into the white house as a british bandit. he wanted him to represent america. and the man he selected was roger wightman, a bookseller, recently married, and he had become the mayor of washington. he grabbed him. coburn was in a freewheeling moon. he taunted him in the manner of a common sailor. he tweaked the arm of wightman with relish. he said, take a souvenir. wightman looked for someth

in august of 1814, some 4000 troops arrive in the chesapeake under the command of major general robert ross he had been one of wellington's most able tenets -- lieutenants in the financial awards that have been fought in spain and portugal and france. wellington had chosen ross had this expedition to america. 4000 troops, by the scope of things that have been going on in europe, was tiny. you had armies of over 100,000 fighting in europe in recent years. 4000 troops didn't sound like much to some of the royal navy commanders here. george cockburn pushes ahead. his idea is to make use of several different waterways on an attack on washington. if the british forcibly sailed up the potomac, everybody would know that washington was the ultimate target. that one squadron sailed up the potomac river, and threatened the capital and the city of alexandria. going to goce is the other river into southern maryland. advantage of this was it would shield the ultimate british intention. the room -- the move up that river could mean an attack on washington, or an overland attack on baltimore or an attack

ross died in the capitol heights neighborhood. robert lyles spoke with his mother. how was she handling the verdict? >> she is surprisingly up eight. imagine the unthinkable, you lost your child to murder. the police have found the weapon. sounds like a slamdunk, right? elizabeth ross, the mother, learned today the murder trial could be quite complicated. elizabeth ross has waited nearly two years to see this. >> i did not know whether they were going to get off or not. >> she spent a week staring into the eyes of travon bennett, on trial for her son's murder, but trying to scare in the hearts of jurors. >> i wanted the jury to see as well as i could see that he is guilty. >> proving the case was daunting. it was a robbery gone bad. ross reportedly flinched as travon bennett held him up. that one move by the honor student led to his death. for a month, no leads, no suspect, until the police on anothernnett robbery charge. prosecutors need a witness is to put him behind the gun. a case went nowhere until it in made agreed to wear a wire. prosecutors got travon bennet