Suddenly a shot rang out and hit Gen. Ross and knocked him off his horse and he died within sight of the farm house where he so contemptuously announced his plans for supper. Col. Brooke took charge but he was no Gen. Ross, he was a battalion leader not an Army General, good thing for America. (Thank You, Daniel Wells and Henry McComas two sharp shooters in the trees. Today the steert leading into Ft. McHenry is named McComas Street.)  The entire land battle for Baltimore did not last much more than one hot, heavy hour with Wellington’s ‘Invincibles’ and Nelson’s ‘Ruthless Fighters.’ But Col. Brooke decided to hunker down in the pouring down rain and wait for Adm. Cochrane to take out Ft. McHenry and blow Baltimore wide open with cannon fire.

Ft. McHenry stood unchallenged for 38 years but was about to be called into duty and the foe it was to face was formidable indeed; 17 war ships, 5 bomb ships, one rocket ship, 800 cannons, and over 1,800 cannon balls and rockets would be fired at her in 25 hours in a pouring down rain on September 13-14, 1814.  It was 5:30 am and the British weighed anchor and began edging toward Ft. McHenry, heavy torrents of rain swept across the harbor, making it almost impossible to see, and would continue throughout the day and night. By 7:00 am they were within range and opened fire with a steady bombardment all day long and into the night, stopping only for some subversive operations which failed miserably. The bombing continued throughout the night until the breaking of day and then silence, waiting to see the outcome!

At the end of the siege, after 25 hours of brutal pounding of cannon balls and rocket fire, Ft McHenry stood silent in the predawn blackness. The bombardment was over, the torrential rain had stopped, the heaven sent storm had passed, the clouds were breaking and Major Armistead ordered the smaller storm flag 25’x17′ lowered and the larger standard flag 42’x30′ raised. Key, Skinner and Beanes were breathless on board the British ship with anxiety and concern. What happened, what was the outcome of the battle? Who won? as their eyes strained peering through the morning mist, smoke and clouds they caught a glimpse, a glimmer of something. Just a flash, what was it? Was it ‘Old Glory?’ They held their breath, their hearts were pounding, “Did they see it?” Once again Key directed his spy glass toward the fort, leaning out of the ship almost falling in the bay, then all of a sudden there it was, their ‘Red, White and Blue’ their ‘Star Spangled Banner’ proudly waving in triumphant victory over that staunch star fort! Their, ‘Stars and Stripes’ was as big as day and twice as bright waving in the morning sun and breeze and the brighter the sun got the bigger their flag looked. A combination of deep relief and patriotic fervor swept over Key, Skinner and Beanes as Key pulled an old letter from his pocket and began to express his emotions in verse right then and there:

“O! say can you see by the dawn’s early light; What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight; O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming? And the Rocket’s red glare, the Bombs bursting in air; Gave proof through the night that our Flag was still there. O! say does that star-spangled Banner yet wave; O’er, the Land of the free, and the home of the brave?”

The flag was 42’x30′ and all 15 stars were 26″ point to point, and each stripe was 24″ wide, eight red and seven white ones. It took over 400 yards of first quality ‘English’ wool bunting to make our flag. Gen. Samuel Smith wanted a flag, so large that the British would have no trouble seeing it from a far distance while at sea. That particular ‘Star Spangled Banner’ hangs today, in honored glory in the Smithsonian as one of America’s most important historical relics, a treasured symbol of ‘Liberty, Freedom and Democracy.’ The first stanza of Francis Scott Key’s lyrics that morning asks a question and his second stanza answers it:

“On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep; Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes. What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep; As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses? Now it catches the gleam of the mornings first beam; In full glory reflected new shines in the stream. Tis the star spangled banner, O! long may it wave; O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.”

In his third stanza the bombardment has failed and the British can do nothing but sail away because their mission was a complete failure. During WWI this third stanza was dropped from our National Anthem due to Great Britain being our staunchest allies and it was never brought back again. How sad, and it is never sung any more sadder still because it was part of our history and heritage. You won’t find it in any song books or church hymnals unless they predate the first world war:

“And where is that band who so vauntingly swore; That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion. A home and a country they shall leave us no more; Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps pollution. No refuge could save the hireling and slave; From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave. And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave; O’er the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.”

The fourth stanza is a pious hope for the future. However, what Francis Scott Key did not know was that over 1.5 million more ‘American Soldiers’ were going to lay down their lives for Liberty, Freedom and Democracy:

“O! thus be it ever when freemen shall stand; Between their lov’d home and war’s desolation. Blest with vic’try and peace may the Heav’n rescued land; Praise the Power that has made and preserv’d us a nation! Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just; And this be our motto, “In God is our Trust.” And the star-spangled Banner in triumph shall wave; O’er the Land of the Free, and the Home of the Brave.”                                          ‘Between The Lines’