Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-03-14
THE STAR
SPANGLED BANNER.
Flag which Flew over Fort McTTenry
in 1912 Now Hidden in New York.
(From the Now York Smnl

Mrs. George Livingston Baker Of
Westorvelt avenue, New Brighton, Staten
Island, is authority for the statement that
the Star Spanged Banner which flew over
Fort McHenry during its bombardment
in the War OF 1912 and inspired Francis
Scott Key TO the composition of the ma
tional ode Is now In this city. Mrs.
Baker is the granddaughter of Col.
George Armistead. The flag, she says,
is the property of Eben Appleton of this
city, her brother and has been deposited
by him in the safe deposit vaults of a
Broadway trust company Mrs. Baker
refused to give any more definite address
for her brother or the name OF tho trust
company. Her brother had been annoy
ed so much on account of his owership
of the flag, she said, that he wished his
address and place of deposit of the flag
kept private
Mrs. Baker and her brother are mem
bers of the Appleton family of Boston
and this city. Some Of the New York
Appletons, among them Col Daniel APP
pleton of the Seventh Regiment and w.
w. Appleton of 26 East Eighteth street,
were unable to throw any light on the
whereabouts Of the proprietor of the fan,
but all knew of him. Mrs. Baker said
yesterday:
THE flag came into the possession of
my brother in this way: 1t was original
! ly the property of tho government, of
course. After the fort had been Sue
cessfully defended against the British in
the fight which prompted Francis Scott
Key to write the national ode. the gov
crnment presented the flag to Col. Arml-
stead in recognition of his conduct of tno
defence. He died soon after Three
months after his death his widow gavc
birth to a little girl, to whom the flag
| descended. She married William Stuart
Appleton Of the Boston family, who then
camo to Baltimore. her home. to live.
My brother, Eben, and l are the only
surviving children. on my mothers
death the flag was left to Ehen and "a
me all the pictures and data concern
ing It.
THE flag itself is in a fine state ?f
preservation. The edges are not frayed
although the flag is pretty dingy and
faded. There are number of bullet
holes in some of the stripes and Other
rents that look as if they were made by
the fragments Of shells in the bombard
mcnt. 1t IS n large flag, of the slz,
usually flown now over army posts
has l3 stripes, as | remember DON
remember how many starts there ar,
In the field, but the arrangement o
them, as recollcCt. IS about as they ar,
arranged in the present day flag.
1T is my brothers intention to leav
the flag on his death to either one of tn
national museums in Washington o
the Massachusetts Historical Museum a
Boston. 1t was .s idca-for as a south
erner he is devoted 70 his State-to leav
it to Maryland or one of its historical
museums. But some years ago a mum
Der of men who were getting up a hors
race in Pmlico, Md, thought they woul
like to have the flag at the race. The
wrote my brother to this effect. Whe
, he replied expressing his surprise the
they should ask for the flag for such
: lrinng use they boarded train an
came to my brothers house at tin,
| most nconvenent They had bee
drinking. and the upshot of their vs
: to ask the loan of the flag was that the
went away angry. and my brother wa
so enrascd al their lack of respect fo
the relic that he vowed the flag Shout
! never go to Maryland.
1 1T is for the same reason. his annoy
: ance through being the owner of tn
mas 'i"' Hc has H'd"c ~ Il rune Hot !
8 talk to any one about it and to kee
: his address to himself. He lives in Ne
: York, but he and his wife are no.
r travelling. | have all the interestin
t facts in my possession. ! intend soon
t write a little booklet, using these an
0 the pictures not only of this flag, but
= the two other great flags of the cour
k try.
= II mean by that the famous John Pal
e Jones flag and the one other whose nan
$ and origin ! just now cannot recollec
I The Jones nag is the first that was eve
= saluted as the American flag on the Sc;
d That was while Jones was flying it, r
|. also put this flag at the masthead of Y
Bonhomme Richard in the famous bait
with the Scraps"