The Washington herald., 1909-07-18

If the statement accredited 70 the
great Gladstone. that National war
songs are molders OF a nations char
aeter, be true. then to Francis Scott
Key, the immortal author Of THE
Star Spangled Banner the Ameri-
can people are under a debt Of graft
tude that grows greater with the
passing years
The Star Spangled Banner was
written by Key on the night Of Sep
tember Is. 1914. while he and hts
comrades. on board the cartel ship
Minden. were watching the storming
Of Baltimore by Admiral Cockrane.
Key had been sent. with John S.
skinner, Of Baltimore, to Admiral
Cockrane TO request the release OF
DR.. Beanes. Of Upper Marlboro. who
had been captured at Washington.
The British admiral consented to
release DR.. Beanes. but would not
let the Americans leave the harbor.
rs ne intended 10 attack Baltimore
and did not want the information TO
reach the city ahead Of him. The
Minden was anchored within sight
Of Fort McHenry. From its decks
the three friends watched the bonn
bardment It ceased before dawn.
but il was impossible for the anx-
ious Americans 20 see whether or
rot the fort had fallen. They await
ed daylight with painful silence and
suspense. In the dim light of the
morning they saw. through their
glasses, the Star Spangled Banner
yet waving in triumph over the fort.
and soon learned of the defeat OF
the British. When the feet was
ready 70 sail. Key and his friends
were released and returned TO BaIti-
more.
It was during the bombardmeut.
while pacing the deck between mid
night and dawn, that Key composed
the popular song. the first stanza Of
which expressed the feeling Of thou
sands Of eye-witnesses TO the scene.
The rude substance OF the song was
written on the back Of a letter. on
the night after his return to Balti-
more, Key wrote it out in full and
read il 10 his uncle. Judge Nichol-
son. one OF the defenders Of the fort.
The judge was so much pleased that
he had II printed by Capt BENJAMIN
Edes. Samuel Sands set the type
and distributed the first copies on
September 21. 1914 Later it was
sung by Charles Durang at a res
taurant next door to the Holiday
street Theater, Baltimore. TO an as
sembiage Of patriotic defenders OF
the city. and after that first hearing,
it was nightly sung at the theater
and everywhere in public and pri-
vate
The flag Of Fort McHenry. which
inspired the immortal lines OF The
Star Spangled Banner," was made
by Mrs. Mary Pickersgiii. whose
mother, Rebeeea Young. made a flag
carried by the cOlonists in the war
of the Revolution. Its original di-
mensions were 40 feet by %. but the
shells from the English fleet and the
destructiveness Of time. reduced its
length to 80 feet It is stiu in a
fair state Of preservation, and IS
owned by Mr. Eben Appleton. of
Nonkers. n. Y. whose grandfather,
Col George Armstead. was one of
the heroic defenders Of McHenry in
1914
Following the civil war an addi-
tional verse was added in the South.
but II never became popular. 1t ran
as follows:
And wars clamors Ger with her
mantle hath peace
once again. in its folds. the nation
enshrOuded:
Let no fratricide hand. unified
e'er be
The glory to dim which now Is en-
clouded:
Not as North or as South in the fu-
ture we'll stand.
But as brothers united throughout
our broad land;
And the star Spangled Banner for
ever shall wave
Ger the land Of the free and the
home Of the brave
There have been other verses writ
Copyright 1903 II