This Month in the War of 1812: A Big Month for the Star-Spangled Banner

SEPTEMBER 10, 1813

**  The Battle of Lake Erie

SEPTEMBER 11, 1814

**  Battle of Lake Champlain, New York

SEPTEMBER 12,1814

**  Battle of North Point, Maryland

SEPTEMBER 13, 1814

**  Bombardment of Fort McHenry, Baltimore, Maryland

SEPTEMBER 14, 1814

**  The flag was still there.

--Brock-Perry

About That Controversial Third Verse of the 'Star-Spangled Banner'

From the June 12, 2022, Twisted Sifter.

You've heard the "Star-Spangled Banner" countless times in your life.  It was written in 1814 by Francis Scott Key as a poem after he witnessed the U.S. flag flying high and proud over Baltimore's Fort McHenry after a long night of bombardment in the War of 1812.

But, we only hear the first of three verses and some folks today have a real problem with one part of the third verse.  Who was Key talking about when he wrote:  "Their blood has washed out their foul footstep's pollution.  No refuge could save the hireling and slave from terror of flight  or the gloom of the grave."?

According to the Library of Congress, Key could have been talking about how the British recruited escaped slaves to fight Americans in the war and Key could have seen them as enemies just like British soldiers.

It should be noted that Key was a lawyer and later in life helped slaves fight for their freedom.  (He also owned slaves.)

--Brock-Perry

4th of July: Part of It Is About The Flags

And,, I have plenty of U.S. flags and items up for today outside the house.

Plus, I have a 34-star round flag from 1861-1863.

And, since June 16 I have been writing about that most famous of U.S. flags, the one that flew over Fort McHenry that inspired that song.

Happy 242nd birthday, U.S.A..

In the Mood for Patriotism.  --Brock-Perry

George Armistead-- Part 4: A Flag So Large British Would Have Problem Seeing It From a Distance

When he arrived at Fort McHenry, he immediately ordered "a flag so large the British would have no difficulty seeing it from a distance."  This became the "Star-Spangled Banner" made so famous by Francis Scott Key.

During the nearly 25-hour bombardment which began before dawn September 13, 1814, and the morning of September 14, Armistead alone knew that the fort's magazine was not bombproof.  When a shell crashed through the roof of it, but failed to explode, Armistead ordered the powder barrels cleared out.and placed under the rear walls of the fort.

Remarkably, only four of his men were killed when two shells smashed into the fort's southwest bastion.

Some 2,000 shells were fired by the British fleet.

--Brock-Perry

Civil War General Cornelius Gilbert Attwood Received Remnants of the Star-Spangled Banner

On June 22, I wrote about George Preble giving this man pieces of the flag that flew over Fort McHenry.

Cornelius Attwood fought in the Civil War with the 2nd Massachusetts.

I have been writing about him in my Saw the Elephant Civil War blog and you can check him out by going to My Blog List to the right of this and clicking on the Civil War blog.

--Brock-Perry

George Armistead-- Part 1: Commander of Fort McHenry

Well, what about the commander of Fort McHenry, the one who wanted the giant garrison flag which became "The Star-Spangled Banner?"

From Find-A-Grave.

Born 10 April 1780 in Caroline County, Virginia.

Death 25 April 1818 (age 38)  Baltimore County, Maryland

Buried Old St. Pauls Cemetery, Baltimore.

United States Army Officer.  Served as Major and commander of Fort McHenry, Baltimore, Maryland.  He was in command of the Fort in the War of 1812 when the British unsuccessfully attempted to force its capitulation by a naval artillery bombardment.

The attack was witnessed by Francis Scott Key, who immortalized it in the words of "The Star-Spangled Banner."  Major Armistead was the uncle of Civil War Confederate General Lewis Armistead, who is buried next to him.

--Brock-Perry

The Star-Spangled Banner Flag-- Part 7: Eben Appleton and Georgianna Appleton

Eben Appleton donated the flag with the request that it always remain on view for the public.

From Find-A-Grave.

Full Brock-Perryname:  Ebenezer Stuart "Eben" Appleton.

Born 19 August 1845 in Baltimore.  Death 1 June 1925.

Buried at Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York.

Mother Georgeanna Louise Frances Armistead.  Born 1817, Died 25 July 1878.  Buried Old St. paul's Cemetery, Baltimore

Given the Fort McHenry flag by her father, Lt. Col. George Armistead.  The flag was presented to the Massachusetts Historical Society.  (Not sure about this.)

--Brock-Perry

The Star-Spangled Banner Flag-- Part 5: Three More Fragments

From Natural Museum of American History, Smithsonian.

The museum has three fragments of the Star-Spangled Banner that were presented to William Carter bybalt Major Armistead's grandson, Eben Appleton.  Carter was a local historian who carried the flag in a parade during Baltimore's Sesquicentennial Celebration 13 October 1880.

The flag was later being packed for shipment to New York and Appleton cut off three pieces and gave them to Carter.  Later, Carter's daughter gave the pieces to the Maryland Historical Society who later donated them to the Smithsonian.

--Brock-Perry

The Star-Spangled Banner Flag-- Part 4: 25-Hour Bombardment and Gifted to the Smithsonian

The British fleet bombarded Fort McHenry for 25 hours between September 13-14, 1814.  When they were unable to force the fort to surrender, the attack ended and they sailed off.  The flag was still flying.

This so impressed Francis Scott Key that he wrote his famous poem "The Defence of Fort McHenry."  This became the "Star-Spangled Banner" that we know today.

The flag that flew there at the end of the bombardment became a significant artifact, yet remained in the possession of Major Armistead and later, his family.  He was promoted to brevet lieutenant-colonel for his action.

Eben Appleton, his grandson, inherited the flag in 1878.  In 1907, he loaned it to the Smithsonian Institution and in 1912 made it a formal gift.

--Brock-Perry

The Star-Spangled Banner Flag-- Part 1: The Great Garrison Flag

From Wikipedia.

The Star-Spangled Banner Flag is also referred to as the Great Garrison Flag and flew during the naval portion of the Battle of Baltimore.  This is the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write his poem "Defence of Fort McHenry."

This was retitled using words near the end of the first stanza.  It was set to music to the tune of "To Anacreon in Heaven" by John Stafford Smith.

When it became apparent that the British were going to attack Baltimore, the fort's commander, Major George Armistead expressed the desire for a very large flag to fly over the fort.

General John S. Stricker and Commodore Joshua Barney placed an order with a prominent Baltimore flagmaker to make two large flags.

--Brock-Perry

Fabric from "Star-Spangled Banner" Goes to Auction-- Part 3: Pieces Given to Cornelius Attwood for Civil War Service.

These two pieces of the flag were given to General Attwood for his service with the  25th Massachusetts in the Civil War.  There are also other flag fragments from flags associated with him.  The scraps in question from the Fort McHenry flag were probably given to him by his friend George Preble who looked after the flag in the 1870s.

About eight feet of the original Fort McHenry flag is gone and believed to have been given to war heroes,

Cornelius Gilbert Attwood was given the pieces which were taken care of by him and his family ever since.

The auction was May 11.

--Brock-Perry

Fabric from "Star-Spangled Banner" Goes To Auction-- Part 2: Two Pieces

Major George Armistead had commissioned a local Baltimore woman named Mary Pickersgill to make two flags for Fort McHenry.  The largest one was flown the morning after the British bombardment.  This is the one that inspired Francis Scott Key to write his poem.

The majority of the flag (after the pieces of fabric were cut off) was donated to the Smithsonian by Armistead's family.

This two by 3.25-inch white segment of the flag and a red 1.5 by 1.25-inch swatch are being offered for $40,000.

--Brock-Perry

About That Famous "Star-Spangled" Flag-- Part 1: And a Quiz on Your U.S. Flag Knowledge

From the June 13, 2018, Fayetteville (NC) Observer "This scrap of flay inspired the 'Star-Spangled Banner'"

The Airborne & Special Operations Museum at Fort Bragg, located by Fayetteville has a very special fragment of a flag in its "Grand Old Flag" exhibit. It is a small scrap of the famous flag that flew over Fort McHenry and inspired Francis Scott Key to write what today is the "Star-Spangled Banner," our National Anthem.

This article also included a quiz "How much do you know about the American flag?"  It consists of 12 questions, some easy, others really hard.  I got nine correct, even though I had lucky guesses on some of them.  They will even rate you.  I rated "Real Patriot."  Not to brag, BUT....

Type in the name of the article and pick the one by the Fayetteville Observer in your search.

--Brock-Perry

Fort McHenry's Defenders' Day-- Part 2

The sewing on the reproduction 30-by-42-foot "Star-Spangled Banner" began on July 4, 2013, with more than 1,000 volunteers at the Maryland Historical Society.  It required some 150,000 stitches.  (I don't sew, but sure would have liked to do so on this project.)

At 1:30 p.m. it was unveiled in the society's courtyard where the U.S. Army Old Guard Color Guard will fold it and prepare it for its 3.6 mile journey to Fort McHenry.  It weighs 42 pounds.

Re-enactors will be at the Fort McHenry grounds and a grand celebration will be held when the "Star-Spangled Banner" once again waves proudly over the old fort.

--Brock-Perry

Baltimore's One really Big Flag-- Part 2

At 1:30 PM, the flag was unveiled in the Society's courtyard, then the U.S. Army's Old Guard Color Guard folded it and prepared it for the 3.6 mile journey to Fort McHenry. And, this is a heavy flag, weighing in at 42 pounds. The flag was to be raised at Fort McHenry on Saturday.

Bombs Burst In Air. --Brock-Perry

Baltimore's One Really Big Flag-- Part 1

From the September 13, 2013, Baltimore Sun "Fort McHenry captures the glory of Defenders' Day" by Chris Kaltenbach.

In 2012, some 1.5 million people crowded Baltimore's Inner Harbor for the War of 1812 Bicentennial Defenders' Day kickoff. The highlight of the 2013 Defenders' Day weekend will be the hoisting of a replica of that famous Star-Spangled Banner. Fort McHenry and the Maryland Historical Society joined forces for the reproduction.

Sewing on the flag began this past July 4th and more than 1000 volunteers made some 150,000 stitches at the Maryland Historical Society in Baltimore to recreate the famous 30-by-42-foot flag.

And the Rockets Red Glare. --Brock-Perry

Fort McHenry Flag Still Inspires After 200 Years-- Part 2

In 1912, what was left of the flag was presented to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC. After many restorations, including a recent one, it is on permanent dispaly at the National Museum of American History.

ANOTHER HISTORIC FLAG

On Flag Day, June 14th this year, three restored threads of the Fort McHenry flag were sewn into "The National 9-11 Flag," a tattered remnant of that day that was found in the rubble of the World Trade Center buildings. That flag is on tour.

The threads were taken from seven small patches of the flag that are at the Star-Spangled Banner House Museum in Baltimore, Maryland.

"By the Dawn's Early Light..." --Brock-Perry

Fort McHenry Flag Still Inspires After 200 Years-- Part 1

From the September 10, 2012,Voice of America "War of 1812 Flag Still Inspires After 200 Years" by Ted Landphair.

The British fleet bombarded Fort McHenry, guarding Baltimore, Maryland, for 25 straight hours. Running out of ammunition and without taking the fort's surrender, the fleet sailed away.

This was a very fortunate day for the United States after the British capture of Washington, DC, a few weeks earlier. Then, there was that Francis Scott Key putting pen to paper writing about what he had seen.

Fort McHenry was flying the largest battle flag ever made at the time. The fort's commander, Lt. Col. George Armistead (whose son would die fighting for the Confederacy) had ordered it raised as a symbol of defiance. As a result, it was shot full of holes.

Afterwards, Armistead allowed several pieces, including one of the 15 stars to be snipped off and given away as souvenirs.

"Oh Say Can You See..." --Brock-Perry