British Halifax Canada & White House Burning

#British_HalifaxCanada_WhiteHouse_Burning

The Old Burying Ground in Halifax opened during the founding of my city in 1749 with over 12,000  interred here, but with only around 1200 headstones ( because only the wealthy could afford stone markers, as many were imported from New England)

Before we get to the two main subjects of this writing, paying respects to other notables here on this historic sacred site
A) Erasmus James Philipps; was one of the earliest settlers and the founder of
Freemasonry in Canada
B) Jonathan Belcher; the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia and later Lieutenant Governor (the ceremonial representative for the King or Queen of England)
C) Susan Cunard; the wife of Nova Scotian Samuel Cunard, who of many entrepreneurial businesses founded the Cunard Line for ocean traveling passengers
D) Moses Delesdernier; a Swiss immigrant who was the main mediator between the British and French, who for many years fought over this area

 

Welsford -Parker Monument
This is the only memorial in North America paying homage to those lost during
the Crimean War (1853-1856)
 It was started with the decline of the Ottoman Empire which created a power vacuum that Russia sought to expand its holdings and influence. Then Britain, France and India allied together to preserve their vital trade routes
For Canada several individuals volunteered to enlist with the above armies to fight on the front lines
Major A.F. Welsford and Captain William Parker were the two Haligonians
who died in this conflict

Headstones
All etched by hand from local artisans who with their early work was of a grim motifs of
skulls and crossbones.
Later the stones transitioned toward more gentler humanistic imagery like winged soul effigies,
weeping willows and urns

Main Subject #1
 British Major-General Robert Ross

With the American attacks on Fort York (Toronto today) and also the destruction of Port Dover,  the British military knew they needed to retaliate
Their reasoning was that they hoped by capturing the capital this would be used as a leverage for peace, so the plan moved forward
After their victory over a disorganized US force at the Battle of Bladensburg in August 1814, the troops marched unopposed into Washington
Ross then ordered the systematic burning of all the government and military infrastructure which included the White House, US Capitol, Treasury Building, and the Navy Yard
But strict instructions were enforced to spare all civilian lives and private residences

After a brief occupation in DC, he retreated then launched an attack on Baltimore where he was fatally shot by an American sniper

Transport the Body
To preserve the remains for the journey to his native Ireland, the body was put in a large barrel of Jamaican rum
But due to shifting British military movements plus preparations for the Battle of New Orleans, HMS Tonnant was diverted 
Thus the Major General was laid to rest in Halifax, with full military honors at
The Old Burying Ground 

Major Subject #2
USS Chesapeake & Captain James Lawrence

The Beginnings
In 1807 the British warship HMS Leopard intercepted the Chesapeake off the coast of Virginia
They wanted to board and search the ship for Royal Navy deserters which the Americans refused
Eventually after a few deaths and many wounded US sailors, the British got onto the ship and seized four crew members
President Thomas Jefferson enacted the Embargo Act of 1807 which ultimately became a major catalyst for the War of 1812

Captured
The Chesapeake sailed out of Boston Harbor to engage the blockading British frigate HMS Shannon
After 15 minutes there were heavy casualties on both sides but the English sailors took over the ship
which then they sailed the two vessels to Halifax, while enroute Captain James Lawrence died
of his wounds 
At his funeral service, he was given full military honors with six British Naval Officers serving as pallbearers at The Old Burying Grounds (despite being enemies)

Bodies Returned
The American Government requested his remains, then a group of wealthy US merchants funded a crew to sail into Halifax harbor under a flag of truce
So with the cover of darkness during the night,
 the bodies of the Captain plus his lieutenant Augustus Ludlow were exhumed and he was finally laid to rest at Trinity Church, in Manhattan New York

The Crew
The 320 captured crew members were detained at Melville Island Military Prison in Halifax where many died from their wounds or disease and were buried at nearby Deadmans Island
 (which today serves as a protected US military site)
Because of the upheaval at this prison the British decided to transport the crew members plus other American POWs across the Atlantic to Dartmoor Prison which was known to be very
 bleak and overcrowded

The Irony
The journey over the ocean was in the captured, repaired and then commissioned frigate now called HMS Chesapeake for those prisoners

Aftermath
Upon being freed or paroled back to the United States, a formal Court of Inquiry took place to investigate the humiliating 15 minute loss
So with Captain James Lawrence mortally wounded and also became a national martyr with his last words spoken "do not give up the ship"

The US Navy wanted scapegoats
A) Lieutenant William Sitgreaves Cox; Dismissed from Service
B) William Brown; 100 Lashes
C) James W. Forest; Dismissed from Service
D) Henry P. Fleichman; Reprimanded
E) John Russell; Loss of Wages

In 1991 The Old Burying Ground became the first graveyard in Canada to receive the
 National Historic Site designation
 Plus as you see, it is also registered as a Provincial Heritage Property