The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1894-08-03

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ilea that it had been defeated, and or
the afternoon of the following day DR.
Beans and his friends celebrated a sup
posed victory. Had they stayed IN The
noble old mansion that the worthy but
irascible doctor inhabited near Marl
borough, "The Star -Spangled Banner
would never have been written. Tempt.
ed by the balminess Of a warm Septem'
Der afternoon, however, the party ad-
journed to the spring near the house
where, the negro servant having car
red out the proper utensils, the cool
water was tempered with those ingred-
tents which mlngle their congenial es-
sences to make up that still seductive
drink, Maryland punch. 1t warns
the heart, but If used too freely it makes
man hot-tempered, disputa'ious, and
belligerent. Amid the patriotic iolity,
therefore, when three Bri ish soldiers,
belated, dusty, and thirsty, came to the
spring Oh their way to the retreating
army, their boastlng met with an in
credulous denial, which soon led to
their summary arr, st as chicken steal
ers and public enemies. Confined in
the insecure Marlborough Jail, one of
them speedily escaped, and reac he'd a
scouting-party of British cavalry,
which, by order of Cockburn, returned
to Upper Marlborough, reused DR..
Beanes out of his bed at midnight,
and conveyed h i'm to the British SHIPS
at Benedict's.
AS soon as Key heard Of the arrest
of DR.. Beanes, one of his most intimate
friends, he hurried, under the protec-
lion of flag of truce, TO the British
fleet at the mouth of the Patuxent to
arrange for his release. John S. SKIN
ner of Baltimore, then commissioner
for exchange Of prisoners, accompan-
led him with his cartel ship.
When Key and Skinner reached the
British fleet it was already on Its way
up the Chesapeake Bay to the attack
on Baltimore. Its destination was too
evident for Cockburn to allow Key to
depart and give the alarm. He was in
formed 10 the admlral's grimmest man.
ner, that while he would not hang DR..
Beans Il. the yard arm, as he had threat
ened, vet he would have to k ep every
man on board a c'ose prisoner until
certain circumstances occurred which
would render their release advisable.
When the ships arrived at their desti
nation he assured them that it would
be only matter of Il few hours before
they would be free.
From the admiral S Aag-ship the Sur
prise upon which he wa3 theE detain-
ed, Key saw some Of the finest soldiers
of the British army, under General
Ross, disembark at North Point, to the
southeast Of the city of Ball- l-'imore.
Then on Tuesday morning, September
13, 1914, the fleet moved across the
broad Patapsco, and ranged themselves
in semicircle two and half miles
from the small brick an / earth fort
which lay low down on a jutting pro-
lection of land guarding the water ap-
proaches to Baltimore on that side.
Cockburn's boats TO Key that the re-
ductlon of the city would be "a matter
of few hours did not look lmprob-
able. 1t was garrisoned by small
force of regulars under General Armi
stead, assisted by some volunteer artll
lerists under Judge Nicholson. 1t was
armed with forty-two Founders, and
some cannon of smaller caliber, but all
totally ineffective to reach the British
ships in their chosen position. In ad-
ditlon, small earth battery at Laza-
retto-which, it will be seen, did good
service-guardeI the important ap-
proach to the city by the north branch
of the P;,tapsco; while Fort Coventry
protected the south branch. These bat
teries were armed only with eighteen
and twentyfour Founders.
From seven on the morning of Tues
day until after midnigh. of Wednesday
the fleet bombarded Fort McHenry at
long range; occasionally the gunners
in the fort fired useless shot at the
ships. But at midnight word was
brought to Cockburn that the land at
tack on the North Point road to the
east of the city had failed. Therefore,
unless the fleet cou'd take Fort Nc
Henry on the west, retreat was newt
able.
| Taking advantage of the darkness, a
lltIle alleI IIliuhlShI oiA'ech III i'Iioii
frigates, with bomb ketches and barges
moved up within close range. At one
o'clock they suddenly opened a tremen-
, dous and destructive fire upon the fort.
Five hundred bombs fell within the
ramparts; many more burst over them
The crisis of the fight came when, in
the darkness, rocket ship and five
barges attempted to pass up the north
channel to the city. They were not
preceived until the British, thinking
| thems lives safe and the ruse success
/ full, gave derisive cheer at the fort
under whose guns they had passed. IN
avoiding Fort McHenry, however, they
had fallen under the guns of the for
at Lazaretto, on the opposite side o