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Battle of Baltimore and Fort McHenry
By James Emery Vigh of profbruno.com
The War of 1812. On August 24, 1814 British forces entered the then abandoned Washington and burned the Capitol, the White House, and other buildings to the ground. The British then began to set their sites on Baltimore. On September 13, HMS Minden set sail from Baltimore Harbor under a flag of truce authorized by U.S. President James Madison. On board was American Prisoner Exchange Agent Colonel John Stuart Skinner and Francis Scott Key. They were on a mission of mercy -- to obtain an exchange of prisoners. One of these prisoners was Dr. William Beanes, the elderly and popular town physician of Upper Marlboro who was also a friend of Key's. Beanes was captured in his home and was accused of aiding in the arrest of British soldiers. Key and Skinner boarded the British flagship HMS Tonnant on September 7 and spoke with Major General Robert Ross, and Vice-Admiral Alexander Cochrane. The negotiations were done over dinner. At first Ross and Cochrane refused to release Beanes but relented when Key showed them letters from wounded British prisoners who praised Beanes for his kind treatment. But this was not the only conversation that occurred at that evening dinner. In the presence of the Americans, Ross and Cochrane began discussing their plans to take Baltimore and Fort McHenry, the point defense for Baltimore Harbor. Naturally, they could not let the Americans leave just yet. They were invited to be "guests" aboard ship until matters were concluded. On September 12, a 5,000 man force under Ross landed about five miles from the city and engaged an American force under the command of Major General Samuel Smith. This attack was repulsed and Ross (who had also ordered the burning of Washington) was killed in the battle. The British then fell back to await the results of the other part of the plan -- the bombardment of Fort McHenry. Fort McHenry with its garrison of 1,000 was commanded by Major George Armistead. (Armistead was the uncle of Lewis Armistead, a Confederate general who was killed at Gettysburg during the upcoming Civil War.) They awaited the British naval bombardment. Their defense was augmented by a line of sunken merchant vessels at the mouth of Baltimore Harbor. This would thwart the passage of British ships. The attack began on September 13 when a fleet of 19 British ships engaged the guns of the fort. They soon withdrew out of range of the fort's powerful cannon. Once safely out of range, the British began launching Congreve rockets and mortar shells at the fort. For the next 25 hours between 1,500 and 1,800 cannon balls were launched at the fort with little result. After nightfall, Cochrane ordered a force of troops to land just west of the fort by small boats. Even though it was dark, and the weather foul (it was raining), the force was spotted by Armistead's men and were pounded by the fort's guns. This attack failed. That night, during the rain, Key on board the HMS Minden witnessed the bombardment. He was only able tell that the fort was still holding fast by the fort's small "storm flag" that was being lit up by the Congreve rockets. But sometime during the night, the bombardment stopped and Key was unable to tell what had happened. As dawn broke, Key awoke to see that a larger American flag had been raised at the fort. The Americans had held. That day, the inspired Key (still the "guest" of the British) began writing down his thoughts regarding what he had witnessed. He wrote it in the form of a poem on the back of a letter that he had in his pocket. At twilight on September 16, Key and Skinner were released into Baltimore. He completed the poem at the Indian Queen Hotel and titled it "Defense of Fort McHenry". Key then gave the poem to his brother-in-law, Judge Joseph H. Nicholson. Nicholson saw that the poem fit the melody of the popular "The Anacreontic Song" by English composer John Stafford Smith. It was the official song of the Anacreontic Society, a gentlemen's club of amateur musicians in London. Nicholson took the poem to a printer in Baltimore, who then anonymously made "broadside" copies of it. Soon after, Thomas Carr of the Carr Music Store in Baltimore published the poem with the melody from "The Anacreontic Song" under the title "The Star Spangled Banner". Its first public performance came in October, when Baltimore actor Ferdinand Durand sang it at Captain McCauley's Tavern. The song grew steadily in popularity until finally on March 3, 1931 with the enthusiastic urging of John Phillip Sousa, President Herbert Hoover signed a law adapting it as the National Anthem of the United States. |
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Aerial view of Fort McHenry
Fort McHenry
Fort McHenry
Fort McHenry
Fort McHenry
Fort McHenry
Inside Fort McHenry
Major George Armistead
The bombardment of Fort McHenry
Francis Scott Key
The flag that inspired it all. Note the 15 stripes.
The Defense of Fort McHenry. One of two original broadside printings discovered.
The Defense of Fort McHenry original manuscript
Battle of North Point
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Yet another fascinating trip through history. Thanks for sharing.
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
Thank you for your kind comment and for your support.
Regards,
Jim
You've done it again with another remarkable snapshot of history. Great photos.
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
Thanks, June. I appreciate it, as always.
Regards,
Jim
Thank you for sharing these very interesting historical facts, James.
I had the occasion to visit Fort McHenry a few years back, very interesting place. Hard to imagine the struggles back then.
Best wishes.
frederick
Quite interesting, as usual.
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
Thank you Janet. I appreciate it.
Regards,
Jim
Excellent! ***** stars!
Wonderful information.
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