HALIFAX—The man who helped burn down the White House, an event apparently top-of-mind for Donald Trump, can be found in downtown Halifax.

British Army Maj.-Gen. Robert Ross, originally from Northern Ireland, is most famous for his role in the Burning of Washington during the War of 1812.

The details might be foggy for Canadians who studied the war in middle school or remember the 200-year anniversary in 2012, but the military conflict was brought up on the world stage this week by U.S. President Donald Trump.

On Wednesday, CNN reported that Trump mentioned the attack during a May 25 conversation with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on his decision to impose tariffs on metals imported from Canada, Mexico and the European Union. According to CNN’s sources, Trump asked Trudeau: “Didn’t you guys burn down the White House?” The CBC has confirmed the CNN report.

John Boileau, Halifax author and historian, would like to set Trump straight.

“It was purely a British operation; any Canadians there just happened to be ones who had joined the British navy or the British army but didn’t even pass through Canada,” Boileau said in an interview Thursday.

“So for President Trump to say, ‘Didn’t you guys burn the White House?’ He doesn’t know his history.”

It wasn’t until the end of the war, which lasted from 1812-14, that the British were really able to “go on the offensive” against the Americans, Boileau said. After the Napoleonic Wars ended, they could shift military power to North America.

The British decided to attack the U.S. in four places as retaliation for the burning of the Upper Canadian settlements York (now Toronto) and Newark (Niagara-on-the-Lake). Ross, in command of the British units who had all come from Europe, sailed up from Chesapeake Bay toward Washington.

“They didn’t even go through Nova Scotia or other British colonies on their way to the States,” Boileau said.

Ross’ group of about 4,400 marched on Washington in mid-August 1814, facing 9,000 Americans — but the Americans were scattered, inexperienced and didn’t know where the Brits were going to attack, Boileau said. The forces met in a town north of Washington; Ross’ force came out the victors, with President James Madison fleeing on horseback.

As they marched on Washington, Ross instructed the troops not to burn public property. Instead, they burned the Library of Congress, Capitol building and treasury. Then the troops went to the president’s mansion, where a victory dinner had been laid out; they “promptly wolfed (it) down” before setting fire to the building.

The story is, “legend or not,” that to cover up the scorch marks from the fire, the Americans painted the mansion with whitewash. Ever since it’s been known as the White House.

The British only occupied Washington for 26 hours before sailing on to Baltimore, Boileau said. In the battle that followed about a month later, Ross was killed by an American sniper.

The British lost that battle, so they got back on their boats. Ross’ body was put into a large cask of “129 gallons of Jamaican rum” to preserve it. He was brought to Halifax, where he was laid to rest in the Old Burying Ground in “quite an elaborate funeral,” Boileau said.

Although Ross had never set foot in the city while alive, Boileau said Halifax was the most important British town in North America at the time and closest to the scene of the action, so it made sense to drop off his body here.

“Just one of those things in history — just by sheer chance he ended up being buried here,” Boileau said.

For Dartmouth resident Katy Jean, Trump’s comment was enough to inspire a tweet saying she planned to visit Ross’ grave sometime soon.

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“I really thought it was common knowledge he was buried there. I’ve always known and have often thought about him when my eyes roll at the present state of our neighbours,” Jean said in a message to StarMetro.

The Old Burying Ground, now a national historic site, was closed to burials in 1844. Although it has since become a tourist destination, plenty of Haligonians walk by the graveyard every day not knowing about Ross or his connection to the Burning of Washington. However, anyone can stop by to read the detailed signs on the graveyard’s fence or walk in to see his tomb.

Boileau said he’s grateful to see history brought up in mainstream news, “even though it started with a grossly inaccurate statement.”

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