| Author |
Message |
    
Christopher T George
Chief Inspector
Username: Chrisg
Post Number: 908
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, September 12, 2004 - 7:53 am: | 
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Hi all--
For those interested stateside, the History Channel will premier "First Invasion: The War of 1812" featuring yours truly as the first historian you will see on screen. Check it out. It is due on at 9:00 pm tonight.
I was unable to attend the premier at the Senator
Theatre here in Baltimore on Wednesday but everyone tells me it is great if a bit one sided, omitting the Canadian viewpoint that the Yanks wanted to take Canada, and other action in the Chesapeake other than the main events at Baltimore and Washington. Reviews have been appearing in the New York Times, Washington
Post and Baltimore Sun, and the NYT today features an insert advertising the show.
All my best
Chris
Christopher T. George
North American Editor
Ripperologist
http://www.ripperologist.info
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Suzi Hanney
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Suzi
Post Number: 1236
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, September 12, 2004 - 8:36 am: |
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Chris!
Sounds good! Sadly it's not on this side of the pond! will keep an eye open tho for future showing!
Cheers
Suzi
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Christopher T George
Chief Inspector
Username: Chrisg
Post Number: 909
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, September 12, 2004 - 9:01 am: |
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Thanks for your interest, Suzi. Yes the documentary might make it to UK screens later. The History Channel website has information on the show at http://www.historychannel.com/1812/. Somehow the page won't open for me. Maybe it will for you.
Chris
Christopher T. George
North American Editor
Ripperologist
http://www.ripperologist.info
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Suzi Hanney
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Suzi
Post Number: 1239
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, September 12, 2004 - 11:18 am: |
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Hi Chris!
Just got onto the site and hubby who's a relentless Napoleonic wargamer loves it too!
Cheers!
Suzi |
Robert Charles Linford
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Robert
Post Number: 2997
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, September 12, 2004 - 12:31 pm: |
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Hi Chris
Looks interesting. I must try to catch it when it's shown over here.
By the way, if the President's house wasn't called the White House until it had been rebuilt, what was it called before?
Robert |
Suzi Hanney
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Suzi
Post Number: 1243
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, September 12, 2004 - 1:35 pm: |
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Hi Robert!
Have just spent an age on the WHITE HOUSE site!!!!(groan)
It appears that in 1798 the old pile was limewashed and hence white...time and tribulation took its toll on the building tho and in 1812 Abijar Bigelow was moved to remark'There is much trouble at the white House'!!!..this fell into common parlance and Theodore Roosevelt made it official in 1901 when he referred to it in a document and it seems to have stuck since!!!!
Bet it was the slightly off white house by now tho!!!
Best (exhausted!!!!)
Suzi |
Robert Charles Linford
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Robert
Post Number: 2998
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, September 12, 2004 - 2:50 pm: |
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Hi Suzi
I liked Nixon's "There must be no whitewash at the White House".
Apparently the British burned down all the public houses (I don't mean pubs) but left the private ones standing, presumably out of respect for private property!
Robert |
Suzi Hanney
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Suzi
Post Number: 1244
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, September 12, 2004 - 4:16 pm: |
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ROBERT! have spent a lot of the night here when I wasnt fighting Bob's corner on the Mjk and Pub Talk bds!!!! hmmmm
White wash ???? Hmmmmmm blanco eh....
!hmmmmmmmm sounds a cover up to me!!!!!!!
X
Suzi
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Suzi Hanney
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Suzi
Post Number: 1246
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, September 12, 2004 - 4:38 pm: |
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Robert!..
Nice to see Private parts left alone I say!...always be aware of the damned Colonials I say!!!
Lawks!!!
x suzi (see you back on p/talk I feel!)
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Christopher T George
Chief Inspector
Username: Chrisg
Post Number: 910
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, September 12, 2004 - 6:40 pm: |
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Hi Robert
As Suzi noted, the term "the White House" was used as early as 1812 so it is a myth that the mansion only got the name "White House" after the British burning of August 24-25, 1814. The alternate and more correct name before the name "White House" became the official name was "the President's Mansion."
All the best
Chris
Christopher T. George
North American Editor
Ripperologist
http://www.ripperologist.info
|
John V. Omlor
Chief Inspector
Username: Omlor
Post Number: 764
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, September 12, 2004 - 6:44 pm: |
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Hi Chris,
Are you sure about that?
I thought the original name was "The Poste House."
--John (running away quickly)  |
Robert Charles Linford
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Robert
Post Number: 3003
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, September 12, 2004 - 7:13 pm: |
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Thanks Chris. John, let's settle for the President's Poste House.
Robert |
Christopher T George
Chief Inspector
Username: Chrisg
Post Number: 911
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, September 12, 2004 - 11:47 pm: |
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Hi, John
Now that I come to think about it, Poste House and President's House have the same initials, P.H. So there may be some significance to that. Not to mention that the first President, George Washington was a well-known Mason, whooh whooh. 
All the best
Chris
Christopher T. George
North American Editor
Ripperologist
http://www.ripperologist.info
|
Suzi Hanney
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Suzi
Post Number: 1253
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Monday, September 13, 2004 - 12:21 pm: |
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Hi all!
God we're getting very 'tied' up in our masonary here!!! white painted or not!!!!!!This building must therefore hereafter be referred to as 'The 'Ouse!' we'll know what we mean!!!!!
Cheers
Suzi
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Howard Brown
Detective Sergeant
Username: Howard
Post Number: 61
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Monday, September 13, 2004 - 9:52 pm: |
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Since John is in this thread, it may be appropriate to mention that a tornado of uncommon ferocity was what blew away the Brits from the Washington [ southern Maryland-northern Virginia ] area...Thats one hell of a "act of God" !
Hope Ivan bypasses you, John.....
(Message edited by howard on September 13, 2004) |
Christopher T George
Chief Inspector
Username: Chrisg
Post Number: 912
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 14, 2004 - 11:54 am: |
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Hi Howard
I think the director and Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley were making too much of the storm, actually. As you will recall, the narrator said the storm was one of the worst hurricanes ever, which I don't think was true, bad yes, but undoubtedly a few grades below recent hurricanes in the last few days. Also when O'Malley saw the hand of God in the storm and made the statement that the British lost more troops in the storm than in the Battle of Bladensburg, the latter statement is certainly a blurring of the facts. He might have been thinking of a well that blew up at Greenleaf's Point (present-day Fort McNair) when explosives the Americans had thrown down the well blew up either from a spark or an errant cigar, perhaps. The British had some 30 killed and 44 hideously wounded in the incident. At Bladensburg, the British suffered 256 casualties, including 56 dead, as I state in my book Terror on the Chesapeake: The War of 1812 on the Bay, page 111 and 102, respectively, where I think the Mayor got his information!
All the best
Chris
Christopher T. George
North American Editor
Ripperologist
http://www.ripperologist.info
|
John V. Omlor
Chief Inspector
Username: Omlor
Post Number: 779
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 14, 2004 - 12:26 pm: |
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Hi Howard,
Thanks. But it looks like Ivan changed his mind and headed west of us, leaving only the edges of his winds and rain here tomorrow and Thursday.
It's nice for us to get the break, but it sucks for those up in the northern edge of the Gulf.
Now, were we talking about things getting blown at the White House?
Never mind. 
--John
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Howard Brown
Detective Sergeant
Username: Howard
Post Number: 63
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 14, 2004 - 7:02 pm: |
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Hey Chris:
Actually,I didn't see the program,but I'll most definitely tape it when it is re-run,possibly this weekend. Congrats to you for appearing in the documentary !!! Thats a heck of an honor !
I did,however,see the 1/2 hour promotion for the documentary and remember the mentioning of the tornado/hurricane being extremely serious. Thats where I got the reference that you cleared up in your post..Thanks and congrats again !
John:
Yeah,I was thinking about you yet again ! I can't imagine how we would deal with 3 major league hurricanes in less than 5 weeks ! Well,its a shame for the Gulf Coasters,but I'm glad you will be spared from this one...
Speaking of something getting "blown' at the White House, that isn't Hurricane Charley,Frances,or Ivan,my man.....
That would require Hurricane Ivor....and right now he's dormant on the Isle of Wight....but you never know. |
Christopher T George
Chief Inspector
Username: Chrisg
Post Number: 916
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 15, 2004 - 10:51 am: |
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Hi, Howard
Thanks for the kudos on my appearance on the History Channel special. I hope you do get a chance to tape the show.
The storm of 25 August 1814 was certainly bad enough to dismast some of the British ships and force aground some Royal Navy ships in the Potomac and Patuxent rivers. A few years back an anchor from HMS Dictator was found in the Patuxent, and that anchor might have been cast off in the same storm.
In Washington, the roof was torn off the Patent Office, which William Thornton, superintendent of patents, had persuaded Admiral Cockburn to spare from the British fire. So despite the apocalyptic pronouncements by Mayor O'Malley, the storm didn't only adversely affect British interests. 
All the best
Chris
Christopher T. George
North American Editor
Ripperologist
http://www.ripperologist.info
|
James Jeffrey Paul
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Monday, November 08, 2004 - 11:06 am: |
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Chris--It was a superb show, and you did a fine job! |
Christopher T George
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Chrisg
Post Number: 1125
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, November 25, 2004 - 2:11 pm: |
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Hi James Jeffrey Paul
Thanks for your kind words.
All the best
Chris
Christopher T. George
North American Editor
Ripperologist
http://www.ripperologist.info
|
David O'Flaherty
Chief Inspector
Username: Oberlin
Post Number: 709
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, January 22, 2005 - 2:18 pm: |
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If you're in the States and have nothing to do on a Saturday night, the History Channel's 1812 program is supposed to repeat tonight 10 Eastern, 9 Central. I caught it the first time around and seem to remember Chris George appearing a fair amount. I agree they made too much out of the storm but the show's worth catching.
Dave |
