The daily progressive-miner. [volume] (Ketchikan, Alaska) 1915-1919, 1918-09-14
TODAY IS BIRTHDAY
OF STAR SPANGlED
BANNER, ANTHEM

Z :
+ try was at war with Great Britain
This war was called THE War OF
1872"
During the summer of 1914 the Brit
ish won victory over the Americans
at Bladensburg and then marched up
on the city of Washington, where they
| burned the capitol. the Presidents
residence and many government of.
fees. and took many Americans as
prisoners. among them Doctor Beanes,
well-known physician.
Francis Scott Key, young lawyer
from Georgetown. was a friend of
Doctcr beanes, and he was determ.
/ ned 10 set his friend free if it were
possible to do it. So. with an Ameri-
can officer. he boarded a small Amer
, lean boat, and flying flag of truce,
he sailed down Chesapeake Bay TO
meet the British feet
Admiral Coc1lrane received them on
board his flagship and heard their
story. Why should Doctor Beanes
be carried away as a prisoner" asked
Key He is not a soldier and has
done no harm to the English" Key
pleaded so earnestly for his friend
that at last the admiral consented
to let Doctor Beanes go.
However. you cannot go back to-
night" said Admiral Cochrane, "for
We are to attack Baltimore. and you
and your friends will have to remain
IN your own boat under guard until
tomorrow morning" He was afraid
hat these Americans would tell his
plans.
When the British arrived near the
city they tried to take It by firing
from the water; but on height, over
looking the bay, stood Fort McHen-
~, and all night long, as the British
poured forth their shot and she'll, the
p.ucky Americans in the fort sent
answering -yolleys.
The three friends paced the deck
Of their beat anxiously watching.
The last thing they saw, as the dark
ness came on. was their American
flag, with its stars and stripes, flying
over the fort. Sometimes the bombs
bursting in air made such vivid
glare that the lien could see the flag;
then a, would be in darkness amid
The dreadful roar OF the lombard.
ment.
Toward morning-the 14th of Sep
TENDER. 1914-the firing suddenly
ceased and the men did not know
whether the British had given up the
attack or the fort had surrendered;
they could hardly wait until daybreak.
At last the sky began to grow gray
and, looking toward the fort, they saw
flag flying. but the morning mist and
the clouds OF smoke made it diff cult
to see. and as the wind blew it to and
fro they could not make out whether
it was the English flag of the Amer
lean flag. Then a rosy light came
across the eastern sky and they saw
their beloved Stars and Stripes and
knew that their city was saved from
the enemy.
Francis Key was SO happy that, seiz-
ing an old letter, he scrubbed on the
back OF it poem which expressed
his feeling as he watched the flag
through that long 'sperilous fight"
When the British commander let
Key and his friends go back to Balti-
more, Key wrote the woids and gave
them to friend; the friend found
some fitting music and the song was
printed, and sung in the streets, in
the theatres, at last, all over the coun-
try.
The Government decided that 1.-THE
Star Spangled Banner should be our
national song and that whenever it
vas played the soldiers and sailors
should stand at attention and give the
military salute; and whenever or
wherever we hear it, we should stand
at once and show our loyalty to our
flag an dour country.
Now our flag Is placed by the side
of the British flag and the flags of the
Allied countries. as we are all fight |
ing for the freedom Of the world. and |
We fee! especially the truth of the |
words OF the last verse Of this song, |
which everyone should sing at this |