Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1914-09-12

damage, while the fort suffered
greatly. Yet the garrison held out
and refused to surrender. Exasper-
ated at the unexpected resistance of
Armistead and his troops, the British
determined to close in upon the
Notifications and reduce them to
ashes" under cover of the darkness.
In small boats carrying several hum
dred picked men they attempted to
steal past the Notifications and at
tack the garrison in the rear. but
being discovered by the forts de-
tenders, terrific and CALLING fire
was opened upon them, causing ter
rible destruction. About midnight
there was a lull, during which the
British Admiral learned that a land
attack earlier in the day had failed
and that Ross had been killed. Then
the fleet in desperation moved
nearer and redoubled its fire and the
little fort bravely answered back
gun for gun. For three DAYS Key
and his companions were held pris-
oners and watched with the greatest
concern the landing of thousands of
soldiers and marines at North Point.
fort. Through the long hours of
September 10 Key paced the deck,
watching the battle with strained
eyes. The day was calm and still.
with no wind to lift the flag that
dropped around the staff over Fort
McHenry. At eventide a breeze un-
furled it's folds, and as it floated out
a shell struck it and tore out one of
its fifteen stars. Night fell and
Keys exhausted companions went
below to seek such rest as might
visit them, but there was no sleep
in the heart of the poet. Through
the long hours of darkness he was
waiting for the dawn to bring tri-
umph or despair. Then the darkness
passed away, and "by the dawn's
early light" the anxious Key strained
his eyes toward the fort to see if
"the flag was still there" 1t was
there and the British fleet with
drew and Baltimore was saved.
With thrill of joy and triumph
Key took from his pocket an old
letter and on one of it's blank pages
penciled the opening lines of the
song. In the boat which took him
back to Baltimore he finished the
poem and in his hotel made a copy
for the press. The next day the
verses were put into type by Samuel
Sands, an apprentice in the office OF
the Baltimore American. That
evening it was sung to the tune of a
then popular melody, "Anacreon in
Heaven" at the Holiday Street Thea
ter, Baltimore.
The next day the air was heard
upon every street of Baltimore and
from every boy who had been gifted
with voice or a whistle, and the
Star Spangled Banner was soon
waving unsteady over the domain as
VIGOROUSLY as it floated from the
ramparts Of Fort McHenry. Shortly
thereafter it had reached New
Orleans, where it was played by a
United States military band.
Key died in 1S43 while visiting
his daughter in Baltimore. His grave
is in 0livet cemetery in the old, his
toric city of Frederick, Md. over il
stands marble column supporting
a statue of Key, his poets face
Illuminated by the art of the
sculptor, his arms outstretched, his
left hand bearing a scroll inscribed
with the lines of the Star SpangleC
Banner, while on the pedestal sits
Liberty holding the flag for which
those immortal lines were written
A large National flag, which is never
taken down except to replace 1t with
a new one, is kept floating over the
grave.