The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-07-03
"The Star Spangled Banner"

at Fort McHenry during the attack on
Baltimore. On the 18th of September
1875, then in his seventy ninth year, he
made his last visit to this fort, to look
for the last time, with failing vision,
upon the scene which was so we'll i'm
pressed upon his memory in youth, and
in which the changes of time had made
such vast difference. An interview
held with him by member of the
Suns staff on this occasion was reduced
to writing at the time as an interesting
contribution to our local history.
Cohen said that it was on the 18th of
September that the bombardment COM
menced, and therefore the 18th of Sep
TENDER was his anniversary. He was
then barely eighteen years old, being the
youngest Of three brothers, Jacob l.;
Philip I. and Mendes 1. Cohen. Capt.
Nicholsons company numbered ninety
men ordinarily, but for the active SER
vice had been raised to one hundred and
ten men by volunteers. All the men,
bers were business men and merchants
who had enlisted at the beginning of the
way, though they were only under arms
when the city was threatened. Capt.
Nicholson was the judge of the U. S.
district court. AS soon as the British
feet appeared in the upper part of the
Chesapeake Bay the company went to
Fort McHenry and remained until the
enemy had entirely disappeared. Some
days before the bombardment Colonel
Cohen was in Baltimore on leave, and
while thus at his home the alarm was
sounded and the male population rushed
to arms. The alarm was gun fired at
the corner of Baltimore and Calvert
streets One of the bodies of soldiers
assembled at Baltimore and Howard
streets. Arms were distributed to sew
eral regiments at Pratt and Light streets.
Colonel Cohen joined these latter under
what was supposed to be an emergency
of the hour and marched with them to
Holiday-street theatre, where an account
was taken of the force and it's accoutre-
ment. Learning there that no unex-
pected peril had called out the force, the
young soldier remembered that his SER
vice was due to his artillery company at
the fort, and looking around for a sub
stitute, boy of fourteen years of age
offered to take his place in the ranks.
Young Cohen transferred his gun to the
Youth, and then, taking boat, rowed to
Fort McHenry and joined his own COM
pany.
Captain Nicholson's artillery was
posted at what was known as the Star
Fort, in the centre of the works. When
the public buildings at Washington
were burned the light of the contlagra-
ton was plainly seen by Cohen and his
comrades at the fort. The position was
only series of uncovered earthworks,
open to the shells of the bombarding
fleet. The principal magazine was in
the Star Fort. OF Captain Nicholson's
company two were killed during the
bombardment and several wounded, but
none severely. A shell exploded on the
wheel of one of the guns, killing First
Lieutenant Claggett, who was one of
the family so long known as brewers in
Baltimore The other Lieutenants
were Andrew Hopper and Jesse Elchel-
berger First Sergeant GLENN was the
other member of the company killed,
having his side torn by the fragment of
a shell and dying in few moments.
The bombardment commenced at s
o'clock on the morning of September
18th, 1914, and continued twenty-four
hours. The garrison saw the flag Of
truce carried during the bombardment
by the small boat in which Francis Scott
Key visited the British fleet to obtain
Hhe release of his friend DIR. Beanes, of
st. Georges county, who had been made
q prisoner of war, and was on board one
of the ships, where he was detained UNI
til the firing had ceased. On the cessa-
ton of the bombardment Mr. Key was
permitted to leave the cnemy's ships,
and was rowed to the fort, bearing with
him the song of the "Star Spangled
Banner" which he had composed during
the watches of the night Soon after
he landed the rough draft of the verses
as he had just written them down on the
back of a letter while coming ashore in
the rowboat, were handed around, and
some of the garrison made copies of
them Tudoe Nicholson Canta;n of the