Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1871-07-13

THE STAR.SPANGLED BANNER.
How it was Composed and set to Music.


How it was Composed and set to Music
"And you knew Francis Key ?"
knew him! Why, he lived but
few doors above my fathers house
There were once two brothers, job
Ross and Philip Barton Key. Phil
was an officer in the British army dur
ing the Revolutionary war, Will
John was in that of the United States
John lived OH Pipes Creek, near Ia
ncytown, Frederick county Marylan'
where Francis and his sister Anna
Johns only children, We're born
There was an exiled Scotchman. MI
Bruce, said to have been heir to tn
throne of Scotlsnd-who had built
mill on Pipes Creek, and there, II
tho company of tins noble old aristo
crat, Frank spent his very carly boy
hood. The brothers, Philip and John
were large, manly looking fellows
but Frank and Anna were OF mucl
smaller mould. Anna Key was ;
beautiful little girl, with the cheerful
est face, and most pleasant smile ev
CIR saw. When they moved into towl
near my fathers, Frank was hat
grown, and ready to enter as law
student with Roger B. fancy, thel
at the head OF the Frederick bar
Roger was a tall, gaunt fellow, AZ
lean, they used TO say, as Potomac
herring, and as shrewd as the shrewd
est. He married bright little Anna
1t was like the union OF a hawk with
a sky lark; out she lived to be the
wife of the Chief Justice OF the Uni
ted States, and | never heard that
either repented OF their marriage
Mr. fancy was strict Catholic, and
Frank an Episcopaiian, not consider
ed very sharp and Jealous in his pro-
tesson, and much given to dreaming.
He went to Virginia and brought
home wife much larger and taller
than himself, went to housekeeping
on Market Street, and had couple
OF little children when l left home in
1909 to seek my fortune in Lancaster,
Pennsylvania.
"You have heard of Admiral Cock
burn, who commanded the British
fleet The atroclous scorndrcl !.
w ords can never pam, the miserable
coward aud boaster in his true colors
After his depredations along the east
ern Shore OF Maryland, there follow
ed the sacking Of Washington, the
battle of North Point, and the at
tempt of the enemy to take the city
Of Baltimore by water, as they had
failed to do it by land. You know
all about the bombardment Of Fort
September Ii, 1914. l have
gone over it again, in fancy, hundreds
Of times, and III tell you, Frank Key,
patriotic as he was to his hearts core,
could not help composing that poem.
1t was forced out of him. Just think.
He was prisoner on the fleet which
was anchored two miles from For,
M'lIenry, the city's main desense.
lie could watch all the enemy's pre-
and he knew the danger
they toreboded. Through the terrific
,annonaaing Of that midnight fight,
while the sky was lit up with the
fiery courses OF the flying bombs, do
you think he could sleep? AS the
ceased upon the coming
and he looked through the
dim twilight for the flag Of his coon-
try, his heart sick with fear and doubt
could he help the grand outburst Of
that first verse? And then, as through
the mists of the deep the banner
doomed dimly in the morning SUMS
first rays, and he exclaimed
IT'S the. star-Spangled banner! Oh, long
may it wave,
Der the land of the free aud the home of
the braveI
It was prayer and praise all in one;
and there has never been anything
like it since"
Mr.. Hendon stopped to wipe his
sweating face with his red bandana
handkerchief, and take a few rapid
strides across the floor. He had Tor
gotten his cane and the weight OF his
eighty years in this reminescence of
his strong young manhood and if
Admira! Cackbu.n had at that mo-
ment stood before HIM in the flesh.
insolence of his real self,
would have beer the chronlcler of his
fate.
"'Have you heard Francis Keys
poem ? asked one of our mess, com.
ing in one evening, as we lay scatter
ed over the green hill near the cap
tain's marquee. It was rude copy,
and written In a scrawl which Horace
Greeley might have mistaken for his
own. He read it aloud, once, twice,
three times, until the entire division
seemed electrified by its pathetic elo-
qucnce. An idea seized Fred. Dur
ang. Hunting up volume of old
flute music, which was in somebody's
tent, he lmpatiently whistled snatches
OF tune after tune, just as they caught
his quick eye. One called 'Anacreon
in Heaven / have played it often.
Tor it was in my book he found it),
struck his fancy and riveted his at
tention. Note after note fell from
his puckered lips, until with leap
and a shout he exclaimed, Boys, I've
bit III and fitting the tune to the
words, there rang out for the first
time the song Of the 'Star-Spang!ed
Banner How the men shouted and
clapped, for never was there we'd
ding OF poetry to music made under
such inspiring influences Getting a
brief farlough, the brothers sung IL
on the stage OF Holiday Street Thea
trc, soon after. It was caught up in
our camps, and sung around the biv-
,ac tHrac md vyh;c.1aI in tho at rnatH