The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1907-06-16
THE FLAG THAT MADE THE SONG.
Story of the Original of sTyhe Star
Spangled Banner.n

Spangled Banner"
New York Sun.
Mrs. Georgiana L. F. G. A. Hunter,
granddaughter Of Colonel George
Armistead, who commanded FIT. Nc
Henry when the British bombarded 1t
during the War of 1912. and when
Francis Scott Key wrote The Star
Spangled Banner" told a Sun report.
or the other day what she knew about
the history of the original flag.
This. she says. was the private prop
erty of her gradfather. Colonel Armi-
stead, and has descended to her only
brother, Eben Appleton. of this city.
He has placed it in a Broadway trust
companys vaults, but refuses to DIS
close his address or to talk about the
nag, having been much annoyed on
account of his heirloom all his life.
When the fort was being bombardei
Key went to the British rrigate Minden,
one of the bombarding feet, under a
flag of truce. On his way back to
Baltimore the next morning tie saw the
starry flag still flying over the fort.
The sight inspired him to write the
national ode.
Mrs. Hunter has picture of the
original flag, which shows it to have
been an unusually large garrison flag.
about 80 feet by 40. 1t has is stripes
as all the national flags had at that
time. one stripe for each state.
The stars are well pointed. being Is
in number, except that one has been
shot away by a she'll. Aside from
this rent and another one at one cor
ner. also made by SHE'LL the flag is
In excellent condition.
Mrs. Hunter differs with her sister.
Mrs. George Livingston Baker, of s
Westervelt Avenue. New Brighton. Sta
ten Island, somewhat as to details in
the history of the flag.
Some surprise has been expressed
at different times that the flag is not
now and has not always been in the
possession of the National Govern
ment. Mrs. Baker explained this by
| saying that the flag was presented to
Colonel Armistead by the Government
! after the fight Mrs Hunter says that
the flag was the property of Colonel
Armistead. having been presented to
him by a conmittee of so Baltimore
citizens a few days before the conflict.
When he saw the British fleet ap
preaching he threw it to the breeze.
Mrs. Hunter also says that her moth
err was not a posthumous child as
| Mrs. Baker reported her.
Colonel Armistead was brilliant
! officer" she said "He was graduated at
| West Point as a Second Lieutenant in
| 1893. became a Captain in 1906. Major
! in 1913, brevet Lieutenant Colonel in
| 1914 After his defense OF the fort on
September IL. 1914, he was made a
Colonel
There was never any doubt that the
! flag belonged to him. My mother was
born in the fort sometime before the
death of the Colonel. which occurred
on April %. 1918. She was named for
him, Georgiana. Her marriage to Will
| liam Stuart Appleton. of the Boston
family. has already been told.
MY sister and 1 are on the best
of terms. of course. She is not. howev-
re. son well informed concerning the
flag as I happen be, as 1, am the eld-
est daughter.
II remember playing under the flag
as a girl. Its history since the fight
is one mainly of the occasions when
IL was exhibited. The last of these
was at the sesauicentennial celebration
of the city OF Baltimore in 1880.
at was also exhibited at the Centen-
NAL Exposition at Philadelphia In 1876
and I think at some celebration con-
nected with the Old South Church in
about 1875 under auspices of Commo-
| dore Preble But / forgot the raising
of the Tag at Ft. McHenry in 1925 in