The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1871-08-05

nifty years before the tune OF Abraham.
The Star.SpangleA Banner.
~ Related b an Ociogessrian.
"And you know Francis Key?"
"Knew himl Why he lived but few doors |
above my fathers house. There were once two |
brothers, John Ross and Phillip Barton Key. |
Phillip was an officer in the B:itish army during
the revolutionary war, while John was in that
of the United States. John lived ON Pipes
creek near Taneytown, Frederick county, Mary.
land, where Francis and his sister Anna, Johns
only children, were born. There was an exiled
Scotchman. Mr.. Bruce-said to have been heir to
the throne Of Scotland-who had built mill on
Pipes creek, and there, in the company of his
noble old aristocrat, Frank spent his very early
boyhood. The brothers, Phillip and John, were
large, manipulating fellows, but Frank and
Anna were Of much smaller mould. Anna Key
was q beautiful little girl, with the cheerfulest
face and most pleasant smile ever saw. When
they moved into town, near my fathers, Frank
was half grown up. and ready to enter as law
student with Roger B. fancy, then at the head
of the Frederick bar. Roger was tall. gsunt
fellow, as lean, they used to say, as Potomac
herring, and as shrewd as the shrewdest He
married bright little Anna: 1t was like the
union of hawk with the skylark; but she lived
to be the wife of chief justice Of the United
States, and never heard that either had repent.
ed of their marriage. Mr.. fancy was q strict
Catholic, and Frank an Episcopalian, not consid.
cred very jealous and sharp in his profession, and
much given to dreaming. He went to Virginia
and brought home a wife much larger and taller
than himself, went to housekeeping on Market
street, and had couple of little children when
loft home in 1909 to seek my fortune in Lam
"You have heard Of Admiral Cockburn, who
commanded the British aestp The atrocious
scoundrell Words can never paint the misera.
BILE coward and bosster in his true colors. After
bis depredations along the eastern shore of
Maryland, there followed the sacking of Wash.
ington, the battle Of North Point, and tho at.
tempt of the enemy to take the oity of Baltimore
by water, Is they had failed to do by land. You
know all about the bombardmcnt of Fort Mo
Henry, September Is, 1914. have gone over it
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 feet, which WAS anchored two
miles from Fort McHenry, the citys main do.
fense He could watch all the enemy's prepare.
tions, and he knew the danger they forebeded
Through the terrific cannonadilg got that midnight
fight, while the sky was lit up with the fiery
courses of the flying bombs, do you think be
coming morning. and he looked through the dim
twilight for the flag of his country, his heart
sick with fear and doubt could be help the grand
outburst OF that first verse? Aud then, as
through the mists of the deep the banner doomed
dimly in the morning suns first rays, and he ex.
claimed:
The Il: :ss q s S s9S
1t WAS prayer and praise all in one, and there
has hoAn ANYTHING like IL aiucav
Mr. Herndon stopped to wipe his sweating
| face with his silk bandana handkerchief, and
take few rapid strides across the floor. He
had forgotten his cane and the weight OF his
eighty years in this remiuiscence of his strong
young manhood and If Admiral Cock burn had
that moment stood before him, in the hesh.and-
blood insolence Of his real self, l would have
been tho chronioler of his fate.
"'Have you heard fiom Francis Keys poem ?
said one Of our mess, coming in one evening, as
we lay scattered over the green hill near the
captains marquee. 1t was a rude copy, and
written in scrswl which Horace Greeley might
have mistaken for his own. He read it aloud
once twice, three timer, until the entire division
seemed electrified by its pathetic elsquence. An
idea seized Fred. Durang. Hunting up Q vol.
ume of old flute music, which was in somebody q
tent, he impstiently whistled snAtches of tune
after tune, Just as they caught his quick eye.
/
it often, for it was in my book that he found It,
struck his fancy and riveted his attention. Note
after note fell from his puckered lips until, with
a leap and shout, he exclaimed. ''BOys, I've hit
it !! and fitting the tune to the words, there rang
out for the first time the song of the Star.Span.
gled Banner. How the men shouted and clap
ped, for never was there wedding of poetry tc
music made under such inspiring influences
Getting brief furlough, the brothers sang it on
the stage Of Holiday street theatre soon after
1t was caught up in the camps, and sang around
our bivouao fires, and whistled in the streets
and when peace WAS declared, and We scattered
to our homes, carried to thousands Of iresdes a,
the most precious relic Of the war Of 1912 Ferd
inand Durang died-I do not know wnere-ane
Frank Keys bones lie in the cemetery at Fredsr
icktown; but guess that song will live as long a
there is an American boy to sing it."-IMrs. NelH
Eyster, IN Ha,per's Magazine for July,
Hadn't Any objection.
The author Of St. Twel'mo, noted for his low
Of practical joke and slight impediment in
his speech, was ION duty" at the fair of tn
American institute, and, finding convenien