Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1890-08-09
SOUTHERN STANDARD MEANWHILE TENNESSEE
Star Spangled Banner.

The Star Spangled Banner was
written by Francis Scott Key, in 1914,
at the time Of the bombardment Of.
Fort McHenery. Mr.. Key was a
well-known lawyer of Baltimore, a
brother-in-law of Chief Justice r. B.
fancy of the Supreme Court of the
United States By authority of Presi-
dent Madison, Mr.. Key had gone to
the British fleet under flag of truce,
to secure the release of his friend, DIR.
Beanes, who had been captured by
the enemy and was detained on
board the flagship Surprise, COM
manded by Sir Thomas Cochrane,
son of Admiral Cochrane, on the
charge of violating his parole. The
negotiation was successful; but the
British, being about two make a
combined attack by sea and land on
Baltimore, detained Key, lest he
should carry intelligence of their
preparations to his countrymen. Be
ing a, noncombatant, he was not
madea prisoner of war, but was sim
ply detained on shipboard a few
days. He then with his friend wit
messed the bonhardment of Fort Nc
Henry, the key OF Baltimore, anX-
iously watching his country's flag all
day floating over the fort, catching
occasional glimpses of it through the
night, by explosion Of shells and
rockets, and delightedly saw it when
the morning dawned, still waving
over its patriotic defenders. The
song, in fact, isa description Of the
scene and his feelings on the Occas-
ion.
In the enthusiasm of the hour, Mr..
Key seized pencil and, sitting on
deck with the flag floating over the
fort before him, wrote on the back of
an envelope the song whose words
will never die so long as the Ameri-
can heart thrills with the love of
country. He finished it on his way
to the shore, and wrote it cut just as
it now stands, mt the hotel in Balti.
more. The next morning he took
it to Judge Nicholson of the Court of
Appeals, whose wife was a sister of
Mrs. Key, and asked him how he
liked it. The judge, who had com,
manded volunteer company of ar
tillery in the engagement, praised it
enthusiastically. 1t was then placed
in the hands of II printer, and was
printed on single sheet OF paper
and distributed in every part Of the
city. 1t was hailed with enthusiasm,
and it was soon regarded as Ameri,
cas- favorite anthem.
The flag that inspired the Star.
Spangled Banner was made by q
daughter Of Rebecca Young, who
made the first flag Of the Revolution
under Gen. WashingtOn'S directions
She was selected by Commodore
Barry and General Stricken, family
connections, to make the banner
which she did, being an exceedingly
patriotic woman. The length orig
inally was forty feet, and it had {
width of twenty-nine feet, and con-
tanned four hundred yards of bunting
1t had fifteen stripes instead of thir
teen, each stripe being two feet wide
The flag was so large that Mrs. Mary
Pickersgill was obliged to obtain per
mission from Clagitts' brewery il
Baltimore, which was near her house
to spread ii out in their malt-hOuse
and she worked many nights unit
twelve o'clock, to complete it in thu
given time. 1t is now in the posses
sion Of Mr.. Eben Appleton, OF No. Z
East Fifty-fourth Street, New York
whose grandfather, Colonel Georg
Armistead, was the gallant defende
of the fort during the bombardment
New England Magazine.