The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-09-24
The Star spangled Banner.

1
The Star Spangled Banner.
THE ORIGINAL FLAG OF FORT McHENR,
DURING THE BOMBARDMENT IN 1914.
Baltimore Sun.
| The flag that waved over Fort McHenr,
duri ng the bombardment on the night O
the 18th of September, 1914, and who's
broad stripes and bright stars inspired
Keys song, still exists in a tolerable stat,
of preservation. 1t was preserved by Col
George Armistead, the commandment Of
the fort at the time of the attack on For
McHenry, Baltimore, and bears upon ont
OF its stripes, in his autograph, his name
and the date of the bombardment. 1t has
always been retained in his family, an6
his widow in 1861 bequeathed it to theil
youngest daughter, Georgianna Appleton
who, sometime after the bombardment
was born in Fort Nc Henry under its folds.
Mrs. Appleton died in New York July 25.
1878, and bequeathed the flag to her son.
Mr.. Eben Appleton. of Yonkers, n. Y.
who now holds it as precious relic. 1t
has been frequently displayed at celebra-
lions of the 18th and 18th of September
and was notably used to adorn Washing
tons war-tent, which was raised at Fort
McHenry September IA, 1924, for the re-
ception of General Lafayette. It was
again exhibited along the streets of Balt1-
more during our Sesqui-C Centennial cele-
bration by the late Mr.. VIM. Carter. Up
on this occa sion the late Mrs. Margaret
Sanderson, the wife of Col. Henry S. San
derson, formerly sheriff and collector of
Baltimore, who always prided herself
much on the part she took in constructing
the flag that inspired Key to write our
national anthem, was ind uced by some of
her friends to visit her native city. She
arrived in Baltimore in time to witness
the grand display, but did not participate
in it. While here she gave the following
history of the construction of the flag
Mrs. Mary Pibkersgill, who was well known
in Baltimore during the war of 1872 as an
adept at flag and banner-making, was Sc
cured by Commodore Barney, Gen.
Stricken, Gen. Mcdonald and other prom
inent men to make a new garrison flag for
fort McHenry. A number of young girls
assisted in the work, and Mrs. Sanderson,
who was then between thirteen and four
teen years of age was one of the party
The girls made quite frolic of it, and
their young hearts pulsed wildly for the
safety of their beloved city and the honor
of the volunteers and regulars who were
to defend the work of their delicate fin
gers. Mrs. Sanderson remembered per-
fectly well that her portion of the labor
was to haste the stars on the blue field.
The flag was completed in the grain-room
of Clagget's old brewery, which the pro-
prietor had calamity prepared for the
ladies.
The flag, when completed, was hoisted
on high mast not far from the bastion
facing the Patapsco river, in the ''Star
Fort.o The late Mendez I Cohen, who
was, perhaps, the last survivor of Capt.
Nicholson's company of Fencibles, which
mustered one hundred and ten strong on
the morning of the commandment in the
fort, said he had a distinct recollection
that one whole British bombshell passed
through the flag, and that it was torn by
several pieces of another shell. The flag
was originally about forty feet long, but
the shot Of the enemy, time and marau-
ders have combined to diminish it's length.
until it is now only 80 feet long and
twenty-nine hoist. Its great width is due
to it's having fifteen instead of thirteen
stripes, each near two feet wider It has,
or rather had, fifteen five-pointed stars,
each two feet from point to point, and
in FIVE indented parallel lines,
three stars in each horizontal line. The
union rests in the ninth, which is red
stripe, instead of the eighth, white
stripe, as in our present flag. All the flags
worn by the navy and army during the
war of 1sl2-'14, and in fact, from 1894 to
1878, were so arranged.
Mrs. Pickersgill, who was the leading
spirit in the construction of the flag, was
an exceedingly popular lady. She was
foremost in all charitable movements, and
for many years was president of the ''Hu-
name Impartial Society" Her portrait
still hangs in the reception room of the
aged Women's Home"
Many years after the war with England
the children of Mrs. Sanderson were accus-
toned to call their mother 1.-THE Star Span
gled Banner. ''in compliment to her for hav-
ing had hand in its construction. They
made her flag, which on all patriotic &C.
casions floated over their residence, on
South High Street. The stable in rear
OF the house was decorated with this
domestic ensign on the event of it's being
opened as an amateur theatre under the
patronage of Col. Solomon Hillen, Col. H.
S. Anderson. and others of the leading
men of Old Town. On the rough board
OF this primitive temple Of the muses. the
talent of Edwin Booth, John Wilkes
Booth, John S. Clarke, Nelson Seymour,
the late great New York cork opera favor
lite, with others budded, and in after
years won the admiration of the world in
their full blossom.
During the sesqui-centennia celebration
in Baltimore, in October, 1880, Mrs. San
derson, feeble as she was, came to this
city, and as the old flag was paraded
through the streets in the procession the
old lady sat in a balcony window and shed
tears when she beheld its dingy stars and
stripes and memory compared them with
their brilliant hues, when she, child,
placed the cluster Of stars in their field of
blue. This fine old Maryland lady died in
New York in 1888, aged IS, and her re-
mains. followed by many friends and con-
nections were brought here and are buried
in Greenmount cemetery beside those of
her husband.
Ponds Extract, for Varicose Veins,
Hemorhages or any Pain. Physicians
allopathic, homeopathic and electic-re-
commend it. Ask of them.
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