Bridgeton pioneer., 1885-09-24
A FLAG THAT STILL WAVES.

The flag that waved over Fort Nc
Henry during the bombardment on the
night of the 18th of September, 1914,
and whose broad stripes and bright
stars inspired Keys song, still exists in
a tolerable state of preservation. 1t
was preserved by Colonel George Arm
istead, the commandant of the fort at
the time of the attack on Fort Nc
Henry, Baltimore, and bears upon one
of its stripes, in his autograph, his
name and the date of the lombard
ment. 1t has always been retained in
his family, and his widow, in 1861, be-
queathedit to their youngest daughter,
Georgiana Appleton, who, some time
after the bombardment, was born in
Fort McHenry under it's folds. Mrs.
Appleton died in New York, July 25,
1878, and bequeathed the flag to her
son, Mr. Eben Appleton, of Yonkers,
New York, who now holds it as a pre-
cious relic. 1t has been frequently dis
played at celebrations of the 18th and
18th of September, and was notably
used to adorn Washington's war tent,
which was raised at Fort McHenry
September IA, 1924, for the reception of
General Lafayette. 1t was again ex-
during our Sesqui-Centennial celebra-
ton by the late William Carter.
Upon this occasion the late Mrs.
Magaret Sanderson, the wife .of Col
Henry S. Sanderson, formerly Sheriff
and Collector of Baltimore, who always
prided herself much on the part she
took in constructing the flag that in
spired Key to write our national an
them, was induced by some of her
friends to visit her native city She
arrived in Baltimore in time to witness
the grand display, but did not partici-
pate in it. While here she gave the
following history of the construction
of the flag: Mrs. Mary Pickersgill, who
was we'll known in Baltimore during
the war of 1912 as an adept at flag and
banner making, was secured by Com
modore Barney, General Stricken, Gen
eral Mcdonald and other prominent
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, 13
and IA years of age. was one of the
party. The girls made quite a frolic of
it, and their young hearts pulsed wildly
for the safety of their beloved city and
the honor of the volunteers and regu-
lars who were to defend the work of
their delicate fingers. Mrs. Sanderson
remembered perfectly well that her
portion of the labor was to baste the
stars on the blue field.
The flag, when completed, was
hoisted on high mast not far from
the bastion facing the Patapsco river,
in the Star Fort The late Mendez
L. Cohen, who was, perhaps, the last
survivor of Captain Nicholson's Com
pany of Fencibles, which mustered 110
strong on the morning of the lombard
ment 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 marauders have
combined to diminish its length, until
it is now only thirty-two feet long and
twenty-nine hoist. Its great width is
due to its having fifteen instead of
thirteen stripes, each near two feet
wide. 1t has, or rather had. fifteen
five-pointed stars, each two feet from
point to point and arranged in five in
dented parallel lines, three stars in
each horizontal line. The union rests
in the ninth, which is red stripe, in
stead of the eighth, which is a white
stripe, as in our present flag All the
flags worn by the navy and army dur
ing the war of 1924, and, in fact,
from 1894 to 1918, We're so arranged
Baltimore San.