Fort McHenry Stamp-- Part 4: Twenty-Five-Hour Bombardment

After the British Army met stiff resistance on land, Vice Admiral Alexander Cochrane of the Royal Navy attempted to attack the city by getting past the defenses of Fort McHenry, which was manned by 1,000 troops under the command of Major George Armistead.

For some 25 hours beginning on the morning of September 13, Cochrane's squadron fired more than 1,500 rounds of shells and rockets at the fort, while his ships remained safely out of range of the fort's guns.

--Brock-Perry