The Republican., 1938-09-15

. UDOH d SIIOIlS lOI y CIGCIOb ~ OiAS PAS
lection of the river, and constructed
a chain of field redoubts which covered
his right and commanded the entire
ascent
"Along the line of the hill were like
wise feches and other projecting
works, from which a crossfire might
be kept up; and there were mounted
throughout this commanding position
no less than one hundred pieces of
cannon"
Gleig then notes that since the ter
rain in front of the retrenchments was
open pasturage, there was no cover
for the British troops. In additiop. he
says, it was raining torrents so that
the men were put to some effort to
keep their firearms dry. He ends his
comment on their situation with this
succinct sentence: "This was the re-
verse of an agreeable bivouac to the
whole army"
Colonel Brook established communi-
cation with the fleet command in an
effort to have them attack the fort
from the river. This was impossible,
Gleig says, because the river was too
shallow to permit the vessels to ap-
proach near enough to bring the fort
within range of their guns.
Upon receiving this information,
Colonel Brook held a council of war,
and it was decided to return to the
ships as speedily as possible. They set
out at midnight in the rain and dark
ness before the American forces knew
that they had retreated. When the
Americans found out that the British
had fled, they set out after them, but
managed only to pick up few
stragglers.
After the British troops began to
move forward, Admiral Cochrane took
some of the ships Che doesn't say how
many and sailed up the river toward
Baltimore with the intention Of sup
plementing the land attack.
Admiral Cochrane's account of the
bombardment of Fort McHenry and
his retreat is very cursory. He simply
says that the entrance by sea was
"entirely obscured by barrier of YES
sells sunk at the entrance to the har-
bor" The account in Niles Register,
however, is much more vivid:
"The attack on Fort McHenry was
terribly grand and magnificent. The
enemy vessels formed a great half
in front of the works but out of reach
of our guns and also those of the bat
terry at the Lazaretto, on the opposite
side of the great cove or basin, around
the head of which the city is built
"At o'clock on Tuesday morning,
six bomb and some rocket vessels COM
menced the attack, keeping such re-
spectful distance as to make the fort
rather target than an opponent;
Though Major Armistead, the gallant
commander, and his brave garrison
fired occasionally to let the enemy
know the place was not given up.
-Four or five bombs were frequently
i in the air at a time, and making a
double explosion, with the noise of the
foolish rockets and the frings of the
fort, Lazaretto and our barges, Gre
ated a horrible clatter. Thus it lasted
till about 8 o'clock in the afternoon,
when the enemy, growing more cour-
ageous, dropped nearer the fort, and
gave the garrison and batteries a lit
tie of the chance they wanted.
"The balls now flew like hailstones,
! and the Britons slipped their cables,
hoisted their sails and were off in a
moment, but not without damage
When they got out of harms way,
they renewed the 'magnanimous' at
tack, throwing their bombs with an
activity excited by their modification
So they went on until about l o'clock
in the morning, our batteries now and
then firing a signal gun.
"At this time, aided by the darkness
of the night and screened by flame
they had kindled, one or two rocket
or bomb vessels and many barges,
manned with 1900 men, passed Fort
McHenry, ard proceeded up the Pa
tapsco. -.
The weak-sighted mortals now
thought the deed was done-they gave
three cheers and began to throw their
missive weapons.
"But alas! Their cheering was quick
ly turned to groaning, and the cries
of their wounded and drowning people
soon reached the shore; for Fort Nc
Henry and Covington with the City
Battery and the Lazaretto and barges,
vomited an iron flame upon them in
heated balls, and a storm of heavy
bullets flew upon them from the great
semi-circle of large guns and gallant