The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1879-02-14
"THE STAR sPANCLED BANNER. ("
now IT FOUND ITS TUNE,

SAAG AOtAA1IH VI NAtG y 0ft4ONtCto lAlG AQtAuW-
ing historical reminiscence appropriate
to the anniversary of the attack on Bal.
timore by the British fleet, and the re-
pulse of the expedition Of Fort McHen-
ry, which occurred Sept. Is, 1919. The
patriotic national song, "The Star
SpaDgled Banner" by Francis s. Key,
has inlmortalized the event, and the cir
cumstances under which it was written
and set to music, given below, and some
of which has never before been pub.
lished, will be read with interest
Thousands have sung the grand old
chorus of the American Marsellaise
this Centennial year, and tho young
and untried hearts have throbbed
almost to bursting with the patriotic
fever inspired by the words of Francis
Keys immortal poem who knew but
little of the vivid scenes during which
it had its birth, and still less of the
wedding of the tune to its soul stirring
words. Among the boarded relics Of
my grandfather, an old Maryland gcn.
tleman, is yellow faded letter, writ.
ten upon very coarse Spaper, and in
such scrambling hand that the words
are hardly legible. It bears the date
of September l6, 1912, Fort McHenry,
and reads in part thus:
DEAR MARGERY IL may not be the
first to tell you the news, but it will
bear repeating Cockburn's fleet have
dropped down the bay, and Baltimore
is saved. We have had hot work, aud
the havoc has been dreadful, but all
danger from British invasion is now
over, and pray God forever.
Below are the words Of poem
which Frank Key gave me, and which
he composed during the awful night of
the 18th while prisoner on board of one
of Cockburn's vessels. He had gone on
board protected by flag of truce, TO
effect the release of some friends who
were held captives in it, and was not
allowed TO return. So he Witnessed
which did not-the entire lombard
ment and told me he dashed of the
poem in red hot frenzy of excite
ment 1t will be printed in the Ga
sstte as soon as possible, and deserves
to live as long as the flag. Here fol
lows the copy from the original manu-
script, verbatim, as it now reads to-
day
A citizen of the same old town Of
Fredric, Maryland, sixty miles west of
Baltimore, "a neigbbor and political
friend Of Mr.. Key, it is no wonder that
HLa. aE.As1-aI IL
his company in the fort, should have
taken time TO copy for my grandmother
the remarkable lines whose full signif-
canoe she, as well as he, could 80 thor
oughly appreciate. He, with a thous-
and other men, were garrisoning Fort
McHenry, about two miles from the
center of Baltimore city. The British
fleet were anchored a couple Of miles
from the fort, and beyond the reach of
its guns. Having failed TO take the
city by land, they hoped an attack by
water would be more successful. SO,
as soon as night came, they began their
work. There was just one continuous
shower OF shells which the garrison re-
ceived in silence During the night
several vessels, with fourteen hundred
British troops, supplied with scaling
ladders, entered the Patapsco, pressed
by the fort, never dreaming Of resist
ance from it. Already In imagination
they were plundering the captured city,
when suddenly, as they drew up orlo.
site the six-gun battery, its commander,
Lieutenant Webster, opened upon them
with terrible effect. The forts and ton
gun battery also poured in their fire,
and for two hours q furious cannonad- |
ing was kept up. 1t was a fearful
sight. The heavens were lit with fiery |
tracks of the bombs from the feet, and |
the unceasing booming echoed across |
the water and along the shores of the !
bay like enc uninterrupted peal of
One of the barges was sunk, |
and the rest retreated in the utmost
confusion. In the vessel whose vim.
lows commanded full view of Chesa- |
peake Bay and the fort, stood Francis
Key and his imprisoned friends, watch
ing with profound interest the fate of
that flag, which, through the evenings
twilight, was seen floating from the
ramparts of Fort McHenry. They |
could see the flashing of the guns and |
and the red glare of the flying rockets,
but the fate Of our beloved flag was
wrapped in profound uncertainty. At
length the struggle ceased, but who
were the victers7 AS the gray dawn
objects visible, how eagerly |
heir strained eyes gazed to see what
the tower of the fort. Through |
she "midst of the deep" they could dis
,ern flag, but what were its cOlors
A while longer they waited in breath
ess silence, when suddenly, by the
irst ray of the morning sun, they dis
covered that it bore upon its gorgeous
old the stars and stripes. Then, with
/ throb of joy 80 intense that it was
almost pain, were born the lines:
8 'Tis the Star spangled Banner! Oh long
may it wave,
Der the land Of the free, and the home Of |
the brave"
Meanwhile in the northeast part of
,he city of Baltimore, upon a broad
elevation known as Gallows Hill, lay |
IN encampment of militia comprising |
men from Pennsylvania, Maryland and |
Delaware. Uniformed in blue cloth
coats turned up with red, blue panta-
oens, white vests, shoes overlaid with
cloth CATERS, fur hats and high leather
stocks and the u. s. coat of arms
stamped upon them, they were quite
IS picturesque as our Zouayes of to-
lay, as laying upon the green sward |