Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-11-25
The Battles Of Pittsburgh and
North Point.
Celebration in 1914 Contemplated
baltimore Already Plnnning-sim-
ilinrity Between the Two
Battles.
(From the Plattsburgh Star)


the matter Of fitting obser-
vance of the date which bears with such
Significance on the history OF our country.
Already the Maryland Society Of the War
of 1912 is making plans for honoring Sep
TENDER IL. 1914. the day Of the North Point
battle and the bonhardment Of Fort Nc
Henry, a movement for a national cele-
bra ton having been launched this week |
in Baltimore al a meeting Of the society.
1t Is proposed to hold a 1ve-doy celebra-
ton and n part of the observance will be
the unveiling OF proposed national me-
mortal to Franci. Scott Key. author OF
the Star Spaneled Banner
Regarding the two engagements MI.
George Henry Beckwith OF Baltimore
who was formerly a resident OF PATS
bureh and one Of our best known law
yers writes:
II nm deeply impressed with the re-
morkable similarity between the engage
ment at PlattsburSh on the llth or SEP
TENDER and that at Baltimore the next
day The events Of these two memoir
able days Of tho war Of 1879 the pa''iouc
participants in them. and the places OF
desperate struggle and glorious victory
read almost as nearly alike as DO the al
ferent versions OF the life, doinss anu
savings OF our Saviour.
AT pIattsturCh. Cumberland Head and
Cumberland bay. here the ChesapeaRe Day
and North Point: the Saranac river running
red with British blood" here ''alapsco
river stained with the same blood. 1here
the boys of the old academy leaving thelr
studies and arming with anything 'ha'
would shoot down an enemy; here Baiti-
more boys right from school seiHing any
sort of weapon and hurrylng to join the
small army Of defense there Sir George
Provost with over 11.ooo veterans 'resh
from victorious battles on the Peninsuiar
under Wellington, here nearly as many
under Cen. Ross. who also enjoyed the
honor and were flushed by their Victories
under the Iron Duke There was the
Pritish f1otilla, rounding Cumberland Head
the morning Of the 18th here on the Same
day seventy war vessels. many or them
sent over on purpose to attack the shores
| Of hated Maryland. lay at anchor AT
/ North Point.
"G- the land and naval battle at Platts-
buryh Won are too familiar for me TO
veorv Won with any of it's details. yet
will venture TO refresh your memory as
10 those OF the great day in Baltimore
which II is proposed to celebrate.
.Weshington had been taken ana its
nuhlic buildings burned by the British on
the eleventh of September. Later on that
day the British ships entered the Chesa-
| make Rav and anchored Oft North folnt'
Early morning OF the twelfth saw Gen
Ross land with some 5000 men. while AL
n,iral Cockburn formed his ships IN me
| to bernhard the city, which they ca''ec
"The Nest OF Pirates because she sen,
out over the sea more privateers, over fo7
think. armed by brave and patriotic oriceT'
and men to destroy British merchantmen
than any other city in the United states
and which had captured many vessels ana
prisoners and brought millions OF collars
/, nri,es home. one going near tn en-
trance Of the British channel and taking
over million dollars in single prize
"Barelv 5000 Americans. many of them
mere boys under Gen, Stricken met them
After some skirmish-fshting. the Ameri'
c,r. fell hack and kept falling back. just
as did the militia under Gen Mooers
(Cen Mooers was the great-grand-fatne'
} AZ Mr.. Beckwith) and a few regulars uh'
! der Lieutenant QIater Cen "ood) lei
: hack along the BeekmantoWn roao
. Cen. Roses was mortally wounded AT Nor''
Point and Col. Wellington fell az culver
: Hill. =,
The advancing bTlNtsi' wv $500
, sverv available point by volleys o.
musketry. which were hotly returned ~
them until the two armies were complete
II. erve,oped in smoke when part o
one Of the American wings broke II
confusion. the enemy made every enor
! "a snatch victory from this breech In on
. ranks. hut they were quickly checked b!
the American artillery whose guns wer
loaded with grape canister old locks AM
< nieces of broken muskets. The American
retreated in good order, and the Britis
had received enough not to press the'
advance further. Thus ended the Ian
s battle at North Point
q Gust as completely failed the BRUSH
/ plnn to lombard and storm Fort Mcfienr
and the city for some time AFTER mia
= niaht. they discovered that the channe
= had been blocked by sunken vessels an
a was too shallow for any hut their smalies
n ships to reach the city
i Nevertheless. for twenty-four hour
Il after their ships threw cannon ball an
= bombs into Fort McHenry, whose gun
could not reach them
I'm the rear OF this fort was y redout
(Fort Covington. Think. Betwec
these Wac a battery of six guns con
manded by John A. Webster. 1t wa
raining hard when ! 200 men in schoon
S and small boats with mufflcd oars. wit
cannon, muskets and scaling ladder
v approa ched to storm the fort In the real
ONLY $50 men on shore stood sleeplessl
II nv their guns. For over two hou - tn
battle ragged fercely when the eneiI,Y wa
driven off.
When the thick clouds OF smoke whic
| completely hid from Wow the old fort ha
e. disappeared, at the very first glance
dawn Francis Scott Key, who was detair
e ed on one of the ercmy's ships where Il
had gone on the eleventh to arrange III
s exchange Of prisoners, and who ffol
the ships deck had watched all night Ion
" for the flag, saw 1t still floating ir III
breeze, bidding defiance to enemies ant
n welcome to lovers OF liberty. Then b
fore leaving the ship. on an envelor
taken from his pocket he commenced an
rarity wrote the inspiring national hymn
the Star Spangled Banner. He hnshe
y It while being rowed to the wharf II
made a plain copy which he showed to
relative. Qormer Chief Judge Penny {
e. tho United States Supreme Court.
Think who urged him to have it printed
" and thus it was preserved to the public.
Those veterans of many battles Ar
1t victories in Europe did indeed defeat tt
great NAPOLEON, but were themselves d,