The Arizona sentinel., 1886-07-10
OUR WAR BALLAD.
How Francis Scott Key Wrote
 The Star r-Spangled Banner"

''The Star-Spangled Banner"
 The tragic death of Mrs. George H. Pendleton, wife of the American Minis ter at Berlin, and daughter of Francis Scott Key, author of 1.-The Star-Spangled Banner" addsto thestory of thatfam ous national war song, and to a movement to erect a monument to its author, a fresh and vivid, if menacholy interest. The origin of the song, though partially related in family letter of Chief Jus tice Fancy, Mrs. Pendleton's distinguish ed uncle, and in paper read several years ago before the Pennsylvania His torial Society by Colonel John L.. Warner, has not heretofore been fully told. Forty years ago and more, the writer lived in the historic house from which Key was captured just before he wrote the ballad that has immortalized his name. This and other circumstances give me peculiar advantages for learn ing much of the author and his work. The house was the residence of Dr. William Beanes. an opulent planter at Upper Marlboro, Md, about sixteen miles from Washington. Here Madison and Fancy, Hopkinson and Key, Mar shall and Webster often enjoyed the princely hospitality of the doctor, find ing relief from the work and worry of State affairs in this rural retreat. The immediate inspiration of the ''Star-Spangled Banner" was the high-strung feelings produced all over the country by the war of 1912. Strangely enough, Key was an ardent Federalist and the war was strenuously opposed by his party from the first. That Key was more bard than politician, is conclusively shown by the remark of 8 contemporary that his ballad was worth 10000 men to the Democrats the war party. Of his quality as an ar tist ''The Star-Spangled Banner is all- sufficient testimony. In selecting the solemn, soul-swelling melody of ''Anac- reon in Heaven" and fitting to it his patriotic verse, he evinced musical taste, cultivation and judgment of the rarest sort. Not inaptly has his genius been likened to that of Mozart. At Dr. Beanes dinner-table Joseph Hopkinson, the author of ' Hail Columbia, " then at the height of his popularity, first met Francis Scott Key, when the latter was rising young barrister of George town; and it was at the Beanes planta- tien that an adventure occurred which, through romantic chain of circum- stances led up to the composition of 1.-The Star-Spangled Banner" MT. Key was born at Frederick, Md.,-Aug. 1, l7T9, and died at Baltimore, Jan. II, 1843. He was educated at St. Johns College, Annapolis, -practiced law at Frederick, then went to live at George town and finally became District-Attor- ney- of Washington, A good lawyer, brilliantwit and man of poetic genius, it is yet true that a comparatively tri- fling circumstance, his presence at the bombardment of Fort McHenry. afford- ed the single opportunity of his life to render his name famous for all time. A volume of his poems was published at Baltimore about thirty years ago, and some mention of him is to be found in McCarty's National Songs and in more recent publications; but bis one great song overshadowed all else in his career.
 In the summer of 1874 the tide of war brought Admiral Cockburn to the Re publican capital, and the torch was ruthlessly applied by the British under Cockburn and Ross When the British army reached Marlboro in the march on Washington, Cockburn. Ross and their staff officers made their headquarters at Dr. Beanes' residence The best that the house afforded was laid before them. Pleased with his reception, General Ross placed guards around the grounds andouthouses to prevent depredations by the troops The subsequent move ments of Ross and Cockburn are written in the full blaze of history. and never were the English arms stained with fouler disgrace than by these two leaders. The so-called American army of some six thousand farmers and me chanics, hastily rallied to the capital by General Winder, with $50, regular sol diers and 700 sailors and marines under the gallant Commodore Barney, made show of resistance when the British reached Bladensburg. But what hope was there for raw levies against veterans who had seen service under Wellington? The capitol, Presidents house, public buildings, house built by General Washington on Capitol Hill, the. navy yard, arsenal, public stores and news paper offices were all set on fire and burned to the ground by these soldiers of George the Third. Then came the counter-panic and the adventure above alluded to. A hurricane passed over the city one afternoon and so demoral- ned the red-coats that they fled terror stricken from the smouldering ruins of Washington. Gleig. in his "Narra- tive tells of this absurd flight of Ross and Coekburn before the imaginary spectres of the skies. The conquerors wel- conquered by a gust of wind, ana in their swift race back to the Patuxent, the doughty host furnished another illustration of the truism that there is but step from the sub- lime to the ridiculous.
 Dr. Beanes was sitting in his parlor