On 9/28/05, William Robb <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I bet that % and number was higher when we razed yer White House too. > Don't underestimate us. > > William Robb >
Just to clarify, Mr. Robb, the burning of our "White House" was a symbollic victory over a mostly deserted, undefended town of less than 10,000. (The Secretary of War assumed the British forces would turn toward Baltimore.) The "White House" was named before any President ever lived there because a previous owner had painted it white. It was simply his home, and not a center of government. Furthermore, the only worthwhile target in Washington was the naval munitions store, which was destroyed by Americans before the British arrived with their torches. Most history books published in the U.S. fail to mention the fact that Canadians made up a significant chunk of the British forces which burned Washington. That's too bad. This advance guard was soundly defeated a week later when it arrived in Baltimore. -- Scott Loveless http://www.twosixteen.com -- "You have to hold the button down" -Arnold Newman
