The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-09-03

New YORK, September MANY an Amer
ican is there whose mind contains con-
fused and uncertain idea as to the origin and
circumstances attending the composition Of
the stanzas beginning
o. say, can you see by the dawn's early light,
What SO proudly we hailed at the twilights last
cleaning?
The average American citizen may recall
the name of somebody named Key and pride
himself on the kowledge that that gentleman
wrote the popular national lyric entitled,
"The Star Spangled Banner" And that
will sum up all his definite knowledge on the
subject of our national song. The present
struggle between Mr.. Eben Appleton Of this
city and the committee representing the
Maryland Exposition Association of Balti-
more, which is to celebrate the 10th anniver-
sary Of the battle of North Point and Fort
McHenry, is bound to bring out afresh all
composition of the verses.
Mr.. Appleton has in his possession, tat
tered and torn, reduced by shot and shell
and wear and tear from its original dimen-
slSns the famous starospanged; banner Isr
muss mnsse pGGaa of Francis aas seott Key. ge
The flag floated over Fort McHenry dur
ing the famous bombardment by the British
on the night of September IA, 1914. Mr..
Key was held prisoner on the British bat
from 1t he beheld the furious rain Of shot
and shell amid the glare of rockets. The
verses were begun that night and were COM
pleted in time for publication in the Balti-
more American Of September 2l, 1914.
The historic flag was made by Mrs. Mary
Pettengill, one Of Baltimore's patriotic
women, and was by her presented to Lieu
tenant-C0l0nel George Armistead, who was
In command of Fort McHenry, with 1000
men under him.. On his death it went to
his widow, who bequeathed it to her daugh-
ter, Mrs. William Stuart Hamilton, who was
born at the fort years afteIward. From her
the flag passed to tho hands of Colonel Ap~
pieton, a grandson of Colonel Armistead.
The flag contained when made 400 yards of
bunting and was forty feet long and twenty
nine wide, but 1t was considerably trimmed
down by the bombardment of some 1900 to
1900 bombs, which fell over the fort, so that
it is now about thirty feet square. 1t has
thirteen red and white stripes, with only
thirteen stars in the azure field. A few years
ago Rear Admiral Preble, United States
Navy, had the flag taken to the navy yard,
and in order to prevent 1t from falling to
pieces had it heavily backed with canvss,
making its weight some fifty pounds. In its
present condition, therefore. it is unwieldy.
and Colonel Appleton declares that if it
were flung to the breeze it would be rendered
absolutely yalueless in very short time.
The relic hunter has also mutilated the flag,
while on one occasion it was injured by fire.
The flag has played prominent part on
many public occasions. 1t was loaned on
his visit to this country; also at the Centen-
NAL Exposition in Philadelphia, at the Bal
timore celebration in 1880 and at the Wash
ingt0n centennial In this city. Colonel Ap-
pleton now thinks that the famous national
relic has become too old and too valuable to
ha ac nj oil III a hoo fn
declined to loan it to Baltimore ON the ami
versary Of the bombardment. The commit
tee, consisting of Colonel Andrew Green
tree. Colonel A. j. Pritchard and Francis p.
Stevens Of Baltimore, are making an heroic
ton to allow the flag which inspired Francis
Scott Key to wave once more over the old
fort which is Baltimore's historic pride.