The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-14
MEMORIAL TO FRANCIS SCOTT KEY.
Corner stone VIII he Laid Over His
Grave in Frederick, Nd, To-day.

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Corner Stone WIZ he Laid Over His
Grave in Frederick, Md, To-day.
To-day in Mount Olivet cemetery at
Frederick City Md, will be laid the cor
ner stone of a shaft to mark the tomb of
the patriot and poet, Francis Scott Key
In the Old cemetery on the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad, near the place of his birth
and within view of the Catoctin noun
lain, lies buried in lowly grave, the au-
thor of the grandest hymn sung in the
hearts and threats of a nation envied by
the whole world.
1t was written in just such time as
this, when the nation was at battle with
a foreign foe and the love for the Stars
and Stripes inspired patriotic music in
the souls Of men,
Associated with the song is the lombard
ment OF Fort McHenry, Baltimore, by the
British, on Sept. 10, 1914. and the song and
fort are handed down in history together
The circumstances under when the
Star Spangled Banner was written is
forever interesting. They are reviewed
by Frank Fl. Kelly in the June number of
the Book of the Royal Blue. Francis Scott
Key was the son of John Ross Key, a
Revolutionary officer, and was born near
Double Pipe Creek, Frederick county
Maryland on Aug g. 1880. He was edu-
Gated at Annapolis, where he studied law
and afterward practiced at Frederick
City, Md. (where he was admitted to the
BARI until 1901, when he removed to the
District of Columbia. There he served as
district attorney under Gen. Andrew
Jackson. 1t has NOT been definitely re-
corded by his historians whether he lived
in Baltimore at the time of the lombard
F1o5r Teff he ,s4v
he, accompanied by one John S. Skinner
had been commissioned to visit the cartel
ship Minden of the British fleet to OBJ
tain the release of several prisoners
among them DIR. Beanes, of Upper MARI
boro, Md, who had been arrested and
taken prisoner to the fleet for his sympa-
thies with the American cause. Key inter-
coded in his behalf and was successful in
obtaining the release of the prisoners
When about to take leave they were in
formed that they would be detained until
the attack on Baltimore was over. They
were transferred to the frigate Surprise
taken up the Patapsco and sent on board
their own vessel, being permitted TO take
Dr. Beanes with them, but all were kept
under guard to prevent them from land
ing and giving any information in
There they remained during the
night of Sept 1S, when the battle between
the ships and fort was at it's hight The
anxiety of the prisoners was intense. as
they strained their eyes for glinpses of
the starry banner which occasionally an
peared through the flashes of fire from the
bursting shells and the batteries of the
fort. The bombardment ceased some time
before daylight, and as the prisoners had
no communication with the enemies ships
they did not know whether the fort had
surrendered or the attack upon it had been
abandoned.
1t was during this season of intense anxi-
ETY. that Key who was a man of great
emotional temperament, conceived the
song which has made him immortal I'M
patiently he paced the deck and watched
for the dawn, when In the dim light of the
September morn, he caught the first
glimpse of the flag, for which he had so
anXiOusly waited. Withdrawing a letter
from his pocket, he penciled upon the back
OF it the opening lines of the poem and
some few memoranda of his thoughts He
completed the poem in the small boat
which conveyed him to shore The next
morning he showed the verses to Judge
Nicholson, who was greatly pleased with
them, and who took them at once to the
office of the Baltimore American.
The Star Spangled Banner was set to
music to the tune of "Anacreon in
Heaven" by Ferdinand Durang an actor
Charles, in a tavern adjoining the Holli-
day Street Theater in Baltimore. He next
sang it from the stage of the theater,
where it Immediately took the popular
fancy, and attained a national reputation.
The laying of the corner stone of the
monument to-day win be on the One Hun
dred and Twenty-first anniversary of the
Stars and Stripes.
In connection with this sketch of the ma
tioual song a sketch Of Fort McHenry Is
interesting.
The original Notifications were begun in
1776, and remained until 1898 under the ex-
elusive control of the state of Maryland,
but in consequence of the apprehension en-
tertained at the time of another conflict
with Great Britain they were put at the
disposal of the Federal government by the
Maryland legislature In 1893 a popular
subscription was taken up in the city of
Baltimore and with money thus raised and
a $4,000 appropriation by the government,
a fort of brick was erected and conse-
quently called Fort McIIenry in honor of
James McHenry, who was first Secretary
of War under President Washington.
The little peninsula on which the fort
stands Is at the entrance to the harbor of
Baltimore, In the southeastern part of the
city, with the waters Of the beautiful Pa
tapsco washing its shores to the north,
cast and south, with the city 10 the west.
On the same peninsula, not more tnan a
quarter of a mile to the west, are the great
elevators, terminals ana ocean docks of the
Baltimore and Chic Railroad. These are
the greatest railway ocean terminals In
the world. Between the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad interests and the fort is the Co
lumbar Iron works, where many of our
present war vessels of lighter tonnage have
been constructed; among them Is the gun
boat Petrol; the cruisers Detroit and
Montgomery; submarine boat Plunger and
torpedo boats Porter. Mckee, Winslow and
Foote, from which many revelations In
modern warfare is expected.
Fort Mciienry to-day is a recruiting sta
ton for the United States army and Is
the scene of much activity. 1t has been
equipped with a modern battery and while
perhaps, il may never again see occasion
to be used as a means Of defense, it is
ready to hold its own in defense of the aay
that made it famous.
-@-~--S
Capt. GridIey's Body TO he Cremated.
Washington. June AT the suggestion
of Mrs. Grijley, widow of Capt Gridley.
laCe commander Of the cruiser Olympia
with Admiral fDeWevie fleet the ooifug ego-