The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1885-12-26
1T STILL WAVES
"O'er the Hearts of the Free and the
Homes of the Brave"

IsO'er the Hearts of the Free and the
Homes of the Brave"
The flag that waved over Fort Nc
Henry during the bombardment on
the night of the 18th of September,
1884, and whose broad stripes and
bright stars inspired Keys song, still
exists in tolerable state of preserya-
ton. 1t was preserved by Colonel
George Armistead, the commandant OF
the fort at the time of the attack on
Fort McHenry, Baltimore. and bears
upon one of its stripes, in his auto
graph. his name and the date OF the
bombardment. 1t has always been re-
tanned in his family, and his widow in
1861 bequeathed it to their youngest
daughter, Georglana Appleton, who,
some time after the bombardment, was
born in Fort McHenry under its folds,
Mrs. Appleton died in New York, July
%, 1873, and bequeathed the flag to her
son. Mr.. Eben Appleton, of Yonkers,
N. Y, who now holds it as a precious
relic. 1t has been frequently displayed
at celebrations of the 18th and 14th Of
September, and was notably used to
! adorns Washington's war-tent which
| was raised at Fort McHenry September
| IA, 1924, for the reception of General
LAFAYETTE. It was again exhibited
along the streets of Baltimore during
our SSSesqui-C Centennial celebration by
the late William Carter.
Upon this occasion the late Mrs.
Margaret Sanderson, the wife OF
Colonel Henry S. Sanderson, formerly
Sheriff and Collector of Baltimore,
who always prided herself on the part
she took in constructing the flag
that inspired Key to write our Nationa
anthem, was induced by some of hei
friends to visit her native city. Sht
arrived in Baltimore in time to witness
the grand display, but did not partici
pate in it. While here she gave thu
following history of the construction
of the flag: Mrs. Mary Pickersgill, VIII
was well known in Baltimore during
the war of 1912 as an adept at flag ant
i banner making, was secured by Com
modore Barney, General Stricken
General Mcdonald and other prominen
men to make a new garrison flag TO
{ Fort McHenry. A number of youn
: girls assisted in the work, and Mrs
: Sanderson, who was then betwee
thirteen and fourteen years of age, wa
: one of the party. The girls mad
q quite frolic of it, and their youn
e hearts pulsed wildly for the safety
$ their beloved city and the honor of tf
$ volunteers and regulars who were
a defend the work of their delica
IS fingers. Mrs. Sanderson remembere
e perfectly well that her portion OF Il
q labor was to haste the stars on the BIZ
i field.
b The flag, when completed, WI
If hoisted on o high mast not far fro
}. the bastion facing the Patapsco Rive
le in the "Star Fort The late Mend
|. Cohen, who was, perhaps, the la
" survivor of Captain Nicholson's Coz
n pany of Fencibles, which mustered OF
Q. hundred and ten strong on the NOR
d ing of the commandment in the fol
le said he had distinct recollection tn
r. one whole British bombshell pass
OF through the flag, and that it was to
by several pieces of another shell. L
-, flag was originally about forty f.
- long, but the shot of the enemy, til
q and marauders have combined to I
60 minish its length, until now it is or
in thirty-feet long and twenty hoi
~. Its great width is due to its having
4, II teen instead of thirteen stripes, ca
&c near two feet wide 1t has, or ratf
~ had, fifteen five-pointed stars, each t
10. feet from point to point, and arrang
"a in five indented parallel lines, tn
ar stars in each horizontal line.
no union rests in the ninth, which is
"a stripe, instead of the eighth, a VIII
- stri1oe ne in orr present flag. Ali