Greenbelt cooperator. (Greenbelt, Md.) 1937-1954, 1940-07-03
Pride and Prejudice
AND A SONG MAS BORN
BY Anne Arundel

AND SONG MAS BORN
By Anne Arundel
In 1915 Mrs. Rebecca Lloyd Shipper of Annapolis
was idly exploring the pigeonholes of fsmily desk
which she had Inherited. turned the pages of an
old yellow letter and there the first draft of
the "Star Spangled Banners, tucked away by Francis
Scott KEYS sd ster-in-1aN in 1917 and forgotten.
Imagine the thrill of discovery. Today this docu-
ment is in the Walters Art Gallery in Baltimore.
The heirs Of the poet resisted the temptation of
thousands of dollars, &. Herpont Morgan offered
$4,000 for it) in order to insure that such
portant paper remain In Mary and--a striking in
stance OF mselfishness and recognition that such
historical nomentoS should be available to the
people and not locked away in private collection.
Francis Scott Key not Annapolitan, al
though he had many associations with the town. His
father, Robert Key, the architect who completed
"Bladen's Folly" which is the present Mcdowell Hall
of St. Joints College in Annapolis Doubtless there
Is no more famous the roll Of alumni Of this
insh tuition than that of his who was graduated
In 1876. During his student days he lived in the
old Scott Mansion still standing Shipwright Street
today and inhabited by the Catholic isterhood Of
Notre Dame.
The Scott mansion built by the famous archi-
tect, William auckland, for DR.. Upton Scott who re-
signed from the English Army In order to ACCOMPANY
his friend, Governor Sharpe to the Colony in l7s2
It is the least distinguished among the colo
NAL dwellings, still in existence. Unlike all other
examples it had no wings but Haunted two chimeys
proudly at each end of the building. small bui Id
ing at the left of the large house may have been the
office of the physician. Today the house presents
very depressing appearance with its brick color
tin. Shutters of recent period dt sftgure the
windows. Although there is little foundation for
the story there claims that this the
house celebrated in the novel, "R1chard Carve1".
Francis Scott Key the granddaughter Of the o.
ginal IT is interesting to note the iffer-
ence in politics. beliefs within the Family. Dr..
Scott, as Fngl1 sfman, would not join the
Colonists in their Lion. Yet In the decade Of
1870, so soon after the cessation of the Revolution
airy War; his nephew, destined to write the national
anthem for this new country lived happily in his
ST. Houid
US with inspiration.
Another romantic Link that the poet Key had with
Annapolis forged when he married girl resident
OF the town. The marriage was a great cia1 event
and held in the drawing room Of the Chase Home.
during the of 1872 while he was temporarily de-
tanned aboard British ship, which engaged in
Smelling an American fort. Key had gone aboard the
Warshdp, the Mnden, under flag Of truce, to
range the release of prominent patriot, DR.. Bean.
The ship anchored in the Patapsco River harbor,
in position to carry out attack RcHenry.
This the nd year of the and the Bri tish
were attempting to gain control of Baltimore. Short
1y after Key received board hosti1ittes CON-
menced and he had to endure long hours Of anxiety
and fear until dawn treasured him that sour Flag
still there's. Whimsical hi storians have, after much
research, found very practical sources for some Of
the phrases Of the poem. When Dr.. Been had been
sliced by a British officer and carried off as q
tages he had been given time, to gather up his
wig and his ctacles He suffered very badly with
out his glasses. It Is to picture him standing
beside Key the deck vainly trying to through
the haze of battle smoke in the early morning and
saying nzdously, "oh, say you seer" Hmor adds
sestfu1 sauce to life and history but most Of Us
can realize of the frightful anxiety these two
citizens felt they waited the Of the bat
tie throughout the dark hours Of the night.
If we can not sing the tune we'll, must not
blame Key. He had scrubbed the words the pages
Of letter which he had found in his pocket. once
back on Land he showed the to his brother-in-
Law, Judge Hopper Nicholson. The Judge had been
ond In Command Of the forces at Fort McHenry during
the bombardment that had inspired the poem. So
there may have been personal fear for the safety
IF his friend and relative by marriage In addition
to his patriotic devotion, which colored Key's
thoughts during his vigil.
The words so moved the soldier-Judge that he
wanted to publish the poem at once. He sent his
fe to the printer and arranged for handbills
1aWked around the streets Of the town. The Judge
3elected the popular drinking song. (Which makes