The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1922-06-15

Fort MCHenry being the crucial or decisive ac-
ton The first encounter, wholly on land, was On
the afternoon Of the 18th The British storned
the American earthwOrkS. but were checked 10y
fire of shot slugs. scrap iron AMI nails. The lines
of both armies Swayed back and forth, with vic
tory smiling first on one side and then on the
other The British lost 600 that day, the Ameri-
cans $50.
Al dusk a great storm broke ana the fighting
halted. At daybreuk the rain ceased and the BAT
tie began anew. the British commander. Brooke,
who had succeeded Ross ordering his men for
ward to avenge the setbackS of the day before
The lept was all commotion. FOR an officer from
Colonel Brooke's staff had urgently requested Adj
mral Cochrane to open the bomhardmPnt Of Fort
McTIenry which if successful would seal the fare
of the city. Soon the ships weighed anchor and
sailing up the Patapsco, got into battle formation
90 miles off the fort. The decks stripped
the bomb and rocket vessels opened their fire. and
1G ships hurled bombs. rockets and solid shot into
the ramparts The garrison Of the furt-l,OO0 vol
unteers and regulars-was under Col. George
Armstead. Armistead unmasked his batteries and
directed brisk fire. but the range of his guns and
mOrtars fell short of the ships This was diSheart
enng. and his anxiety was not lessened when
24-pOuuder in the southeast baSton demOl-
ished by an exploding bomb, MORALLY wOunding an
officer and several of the cannoneers.
Observing the confusion In the fort Admiral
Cochrane signaed three Of his bomb vessels. and
they moved closer to the rampartS To hasten the
victory. ArmStead seized his opportunity, and
dered well-directed fire. and his wide-mOuthed
cannon wrought havoc on the decks Of the three.
one of them, the Erebus, being disabled.
In the shadow Of the British fleet that day and
night rode the American vessel lInden flying a
flag of truce and used by American agents in the
exchange of prisoners. While the bOmbardment
ragged. none watched with more anxiety than Fran
els Scott Key. He had gone to the British fleet
In Ia, IN pf old
DR.. William BeaneS. Il physician seized on charges
of taking up arms against British stragglers. Key
obtained his release but on the eve Of the opera
tons both were transferred to the Minden. which
was detained under Il guard of marines until the
British plans should be carried out
From the decks of the cartel ship Key and his
companions watched every belch of the cannon
Midnight came and 1,250 men. equipped with
scaling ladders dropped from the fleet into barges
with the intention of surprising from the rear.
How the hearts of the patriots beat as. helpless
TO give the alarm, they this strategy under
way with every prospect OF success. In ATTEMPT
ing to effect a landing, however the expedtiOnary
force struck lights and these lights cost ii q pos
sibe victory. The defenders promptly set fire to
a haystaCk and, its glow revealed the barges
Fort McIIenry and the redOubts shook with the
savos of the guns. The sx-g gun battery under
Sailing Master Webster, which the British had
planned to take by storm, was served that mid
night cOoly and quickly by little group of can
nOneers, whose valOr was sustained by the thought
of home and country and to whom Colonel Arrn-
stead afterward said he was persuaded the coun-
try much indebted for the final repulse of the
enemy" Many of the landing. party were killed
and others wounded; two boats were sunk and
the survivors made back TO the fleet The de-
tenders lost killed and n wounded The mas
ter stroke had been delivered and had faes
1,SO0 shells had been thrown into the fortfications
but no white flag flew from the great staff
Sunset had cast leaden gloom upon the shirts
of the defenders but dawn found their homes high
and the invader beaten Off That night with tho
fate of the city and perhaps the existence of the
Union hanging by thread. Key paced the deck Of
the Minden. and each shell that sped screaming
from the ships was stab at his heart a cbaI
lenge to all he held dear. When the first blush NJ
morning tinged the sky Key gazed toward the hat
Elements and with straning eyes beheId the Stars
ana stripes Scared but still defiantIy floating
The cann0ading had ceased; the trOops many Of
them wounded, mad been conveyed to the sbins
and the fleet was setting its sails. The joy of Key
was unrestrained, and from his soul there CANA
the Star-Spangled Banner"