Above: Fells Point waterfront – Baltimore . Below: Fort McHenry – Baltimore. that stands out for its numerous pubs, shops and links to Baltimore’s proud maritime past. Amid this “nest of pirates,” as the British termed the city, stood the star-shaped Fort McHenry [7] . Located on land now preserved as a national monument and historic shrine, the fort held up against a 25-hour naval bombardment — an achievement that contributed to the outcome of the war. The Battle for Baltimore began on a gray and wet morning as the British fleet, positioned in the Patapsco River, unleashed a ferocious barrage on the fort. The 1,000 American defenders behind the ramparts held their ground and manned about 60 cannons that kept the enemy at bay. At one point, 22 Royal Navy barges and an armed schooner attempted to maneuver up the Ferry Branch of the river, but they retreated in the face of six 18-pound cannons manned by about 50 veteran members of Commodore Joshua Barney’s U.S. Chesapeake Flotilla. Francis Scott Key was a 35-year-old attorney who witnessed the main battle’s “rockets’ red glare” and “bombs bursting in air” from a unique vantage point — having just negotiated the release of a prisoner, Dr. William Beanes, Key was detained onboard a truce ship anchored alongside the British fleet. By “dawn’s early light” the next morning, the British fury was spent and the bombardment was called off. The coordinated land and sea attack never materialized — Baltimore was safe. Inside the fort, casualties were relatively light: four killed, 24 wounded. As enemy ships withdrew, a 17-by-25-foot “storm flag” that had been flying at the fort was lowered and replaced by a grand garrison banner measuring 30 feet wide by 42 feet long. This is what inspired Key to put pen to paper. He wrote some lines on the back of an envelope during the bombardment and then completed his work later in a Baltimore hotel room. His rancis Scott Key was a 35-year-old attorney who witnessed the main battle’s “rockets’ red glare” and “bombs bursting in air” from a unique vantage point. Below and opposite page: Fort McHenry – Baltimore. Right: Francis Scott Key. VISIT BALTIMORE 42 | snps.gov/stsp nps.gov/stsp VISIT BALTIMORE ©MIDDLETON EVANS, COURTESY NPS
Star-Spangled Banner Star-Spangled Banner 2018: Page 42
