The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-04-13
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC j. HASKIN. Director,
washington, ID. G.
THE ORIGINAL STAR SPANGLED
RAINIER.

ably the most interesting flag in the
world to Americans is on exhibition
in the National Museum in this city
the original star SpangIed Banner" "
the bit of bunting which inspired
Francis Scott Key to pen the immor-
tai lines now popularity accepted as
the national anthem of the United
States.
The old battle flag. ripped and
frayed, is being carefully preserved
for the eyes Of Americans OF TO-DAY
and generations to come An emblem
of the many struggles thru which this
young country had to go, any visitor
to Washington who fails to go TO see
this inspiring flag, now over hun
dred years old, is making regrettable
mistake
The way in which Key happened
to write the hymn is interesting I'm
der flag of truce, young Key VISITED
the British fleet lying off Baltimore
to discuss certain features of law at
fecting a proposed exchange of prison
ers. The American emissary went
aboard the "Minden." flagship of the
British Admiral Cockburn.
As it happened. the British battle
plans called for a bombardment OF
Baltimore, the time for the opening
gun set for shortly after the time
Francis Key came aboard the vessel:
For obvious reasons, the British naval
commander decided that 1t would be
better to keep Key aboard the Min
dem during the engagement, virtually
a prisoner.
According to the British plan. the
bombardment began at sunrise on
September Is. 1914, and lasted until
o'clock in the morning of the fol-
lowing day. During the time this was
going on the ardently patriotic young
Kew was forced to watch his own
compatriots under fire in Fort NC
Henry and Baltimore
All thru the night Key naturally
was unable to tell which way the for
tunes of war veered. The night was
a rainy, dark one. and the flashes of
guns from the ships and shore bat
teries were no indication of whether
the British attackers or the American
defenders were getting the worst of
the engagement.
Keys Vigil Rewarded.
But with the long awaited and
prayed for dawn, Key, in the uncer-
tain light: saw the stars and stripes
still floating proudly over Fort Nc
Henry. and knew that his comrades
were indicated.
The experience of waiting thru the
long. wet night for the news of the
outcome of the bombardment. and the
rush of joy when his eyes saw. across
the stretch of water in the first faint
light of early morning, the American
flag still waving over the fort, were
the inspiration for the poem which
school child thruout the land.
Soon after the cessation of the bonn
bardment, Key was conducted ashore,
again under a flag of truce. and imme-
diately, while the glow of inspiration
was still fresh in his mind, penned
the immortal words of "The Star
Spangled Banner" At the very time
that Key was putting them on paper
Admiral Cockburn ordered anchors
aweigh, and the British fleet headed
n be
Baltimore. as fast as possible
Key sent a copy of his poem to
printer in Baltimore, Captain Benja-
min Edes- Captain Edes was in
structed TO have the poem printed and
copies distributed about the streets to
the citizens of Baltimore. One Ferdi-
nand Durang, a young man, first sang
the song when it was just off the
press. The tune put to it was that of
''Anacreon in Heaven"
Captain Edes, who had won con-
siderable reputation as a soldier, took
one of the first copies off the press,
and dashed with it in his hand to a
little tavern kept by a Mrs. Berling.
tains Warner and Long, Major Frai-
ley, young Durang, and other friends
of his.
First of all Captain Edes read the
printed poem aloud. his friends cheer
ing Justify at the end of each verse.
who enjoyed considerable local repu-
tation as a singer, be called upon.
Durang, who was possessed of none
OF that false modesty which afflicts
lists, mounted a chair and put his
heart into singing THE Star Spangled
Banner" for the first time. After he
had sung 1t once, everybody in the
little tavern sang the song under his
leadership. This singing was kept up
for several hours, so great was the
enthusiasm and patriotic fervor NOV
ing the people of Baltimore because
of the recent repulse of the enemy
fleet of British ships.
Song Sung in Theater.
The little tavern owned by Mrs.
Berling, which was the setting for this
historical scene, was right next door
to the Holiday Street theater. When
the theater opened for the season, the
song was made a part of every per-
ing the anthem just before the be-
ginning of the performance, as was
the custom in all American theaters
during the World war, the song was
ly orchestral, the entire company of
actors leading all of the audience in
shouting the immortal words to the
very heavens. One Paddy McFar-
land was the leading man of the the
atrical company then playing at the
Holiday Street theater, and he it was
who led the singing.
The tattered old flag now in the
National Museum here was carefully
preserved, chiefly because il was the
inspiration of the famous anthem.
Probably il would have been kept
somewhere as a treasured reminder
of the repulse of the British at Balti-
more, but the whole nation took an
interest in this battle-scarred bit of
bunting because of its association with
Keys inspired patriotic poem.
Despite the fact that the old flas
was mounted on net and carefully
mended, it still reveals the signs of
age and wear, and plainly shows that
it has been thru strenuous times.
oil ~ ~ ~