The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-10
cutFr TO FRANCIS SCOTT KEY.
uuoR OF THE STAR sPANGLED
BANNER HONORED.

mt stands in Mt. Olivet Gem
..r, NJ Frederick-Shaft UnveiI-
Great Grand Daughter of the
,.or-ormtiOn Delivered by Hon.
-r, WattersOn-SIilitary ana
civic organizations From All
,,-,s of the state Take Part in the
parade.
7-.,s.-te>. Nd. Aug. 9.-Francis Scott
- t.s author of The Star Spangled
--..o.r" was honored in this city to-day
,,4 dedication of a handsome monu-
..,.rf erected TO his memory.
7t. preliminary ceremonies included
,.,r,j. an which military and civic organi-
s. -otors from all parts of the state took
, and which was witnessed by thou>
7. of residents and visitors. Buildings
limo the march were gaily decorated with
- national colors and festooned with
FL banuus.
N-ben the procession reached the foot of
,h.. monument the order of the exercises
MS proceeded with.
Tais included prayer, vocal and instru-
mental music. an Grafton by the Hon.
Henry Watterson of Kentucky, an ad-
5r-1s by Mrs Donald Mclean of New
York an ode by Folger McKenzy of Bal
tmore.
covering The monument was then drawn
Nv Miss Julia McHenry Howard, grand
daughter Of Francis Scott Key.
Following is an extract from Mr.. Wat
a tersons Grafton:
s. The Star-spangled Banner owed very
utte 30 chance. 1t was the emanation of
81 a patriotic fervor as sincere and natural
as it was simple and noble 1t sprang
from one Of those glorious Inspirations
which. coming to an author unbidden,
seizes al once upon the hearts and minds
OF men The occasion seemed to have been
created for the very purpose. The man
and the hour We're met, and the song
came; and truly was song never yet born
amid such scenes. We explore the pages
of folklore we read the story of popular
music an vain, TO find the like. Even the
authorship of the English national anthem
81 is in dispute. The "MarseiAaise' did in
deed owe its being TO the passions OF war
d and burst forth in profuse strains of mel
ody above the clang of arms; but II was
attended by those theatrical accessories
Which preside over and minister to Latin
emotion and seem indispensable to it's de-
velopments, and it is believed to have de-
rived as much of its enthusiasm from the
wine cup as from the drum-beat. Keys
song was the very child of battle. 1t was
rocked by cannon in the cradle of the
deep. Its swaddliug clothes were the Stars
ana Stripes its birth proclaimed. It's COM
ing was heralded by shot and SHELF, and,
from its baptism of fire, a nation of free
men clasled it to its bosom. 1t was 10
be theucefOrth and forever freedom 5
Gloria in ENcelsis.
The circumstances which ushered it into
the world hardly less than the words OF
of
ton. 1t was during the darkest days OF
our second war of independence. An Eng
lsh army had invaded and occupied the
seat of the national government and had
burned the capitol of the nation. An
English squadron was in undisputed pos
session of the Chesapeake bay There be-
ing nothing of interest, or value left with
in the vicinity of Washington to detain
them, the British were massing their land
and naval forces for other conquests, and,
as their ships sailed down the Potomac,
DR.. William Beanes, a prominent citizen
of Maryland who had been arrested at
his home an Upper Marlboro, charged with
some ofense, real or fancied, was carried
OIL a prisoner.
II was to secure the liberation of this
gentleman, his neghbor and friend, that
Francis Scott Key obtained leave of the
President TO so TO the British admiral I'M
der flag of truce. He was conveyed by
the cartel boat used for the exchange of
prisoners and accompanied by the flag
ofhcer OF the government They proceeded
\ down the bay from Baltimore and found
\ the British fleet at the mouth of the Po-
1 tomac
AIR. Key was courteously received by
Il Admiral COchrane; but he was not en-
couraged as to the success of his mission
until letters from the English officers
wounded at Blandensburg and left in the
cafe OF the Americans were delivered to
tAe friends on the fleet to whom they had
oeeh written. These bore such testimony
70 me kindness with which they had been
treated that it was finally agreed that DR.
Beahes should be released; but. as an adj
vance upon Baltimore was about to be
mace, II was required that the party of
Ahle rcans should remain under guard on
hoard their own vessel until these opera
IONS We're concluded. Thus it was that
me night of the 14th of September, 1914
Ney witnessed the bombardment of Fort
mi,cHenry which his song was to render
ilusrious
lie did not quit the deck the long night
through With his single companion. the
mas oHlcer he watched every shell from
,re moment it was fired until it fell
listening with GREATNESS interest to hear
il an explosion followed" Whilst the
<tau1ohading continued they needed no
turner assurance that their countrymen
naa MOI capitulated. But" ] quote the
~ NAltNl JUSTICE ldney, repeating
,Ne account given him by Key immediate |
~ AFTER lit suddenly ceased some time
o5l9re day; and, as they had no commu-
ui'alon with any of the enemy's ships |
u-fy dld not know whether the fort had |
surrendered, or the attack upon it had
use' abandoned. They paced the deck
r'e residue Of the night in painful sus-
~ USE watching with intense anxiety for |
leturh of day, and looking every few !
tlIl1tes az their watches to see how long
5i'l must wait for it; and, as soon as it |
a"Us9 and before it was light enough to |
,Jeets al a distance their glasses |
turned to the fort, uncertain wheth- |
g. laey should see there the Stars and |
or the flag of the enemy" Bless |
y,o .sg' that its prayers were not in |
s.' sIorous vigil! that it gave us the |
oar srangled Banner!
''rlls the night The conception Of the |
w PECAN to form itself in Keys mind. |
~ ''' me early glow of the morning, when |
iohs agony of suspense had been |
.'HSu INTO the raDtUra of avultotio, bie !