The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-07-25

II Iie statement accredited to the great
Gladstone. that National war songs are
mOldeTs of a nations character" be true
then to Francis Scott Key, the immortal
author of The Star Spangled Banner
the American people are under a debt
OF gratitude that grows greater with the
passing years.
THE Sar Spangled Banner was writ
ten by hey on thu night of September 49,
1914, While he and his comrades, on board
the cartel ship Minden, were watching
the storming Of Baltimore by Admiral
COckrane. Key had been sent with John
). Skinner Of Baltimore to Admiral Cock
Tane to request the elease Of Dr. Beanes
Of Upper Marlboro, who had been cap
tured at Washington.
The British admiral consented TO re-
lease Dr BeaneS, but would not let the
Americans leave the harbor. as he in
tended TO 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
uec1s inc tnree friends watched the bonn
bafdInenJ- II ceased before dawn but il
was impossible for the anxious Americans
TO see whether or not the fort had fallen
They awaited daylight with painful 81
the morning they saw, through their
glasses, the star-spangled banner VET
waving in triumph over the fort ana
soon learned Of the defeat of the British
w zen the fleet was ready to sail Kew
ana his FRIENDS were released and re-
turned to Baltimore.
1t was during the bombardment. whiIa
pacing the deck between midnight and
dawn, that Key composed the popular
song the first stanza Of which Expressed
the feeling Of thousands of eve 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
II TO his uncle, Judge Nicholson one Of
the defenders of the fort. The Judge was
so much pleased that he had it printed
min
sands set the type and distributed the
tlrst copies on September D. 1914 Later
II was sung by Charles Durang at a res
taurant next door to the HolIida,, strea+
theatre, Baltimore, to an assembIape ~
patriotic defenders Of the city, and aftor
that first hearing. it was nightly sung
az the theatre and everywhere in public
The flag of Fort McHenry. which IN
spired the immortal lines Of "Tbe Star
Spanglad Banner was made bv Mrs
Mary Pickersgiu. whose mother. Rebecca
~ ung- made flag carried by the Colon
lists in the war of the Revolufior Tts
original dimensions were 10 feet nv %
put the shells from the English fleet and
the qestrucuveneSs of time. reduced its
length to % feet. 1t is still in a fair state
Of preservation. and is owned nv NJ
EDen Appleton Of Yonkers. N Y. whose
grandfather, Colonel George Armstead
was wa, one OF the heroic defenders of Nc
Following the civil war an additional
verse was added in the south. but it never
became popular It ran as follows:
And wars olamOrs Ger. with her mantle
hath peace
Once again; in its folds, the nation en-
shTOuded: III
Let no fratricide hand. uplffted e'er he
The glory to dim which now is en-
ClOuded;
Not as north or as south in tho s,,.
We'll stand.
But as brothers united throughout our
broad land; Jul
and the star Spangled Banner forever
shall wave.
Ger the land of the free and the home of
the brave. VI