During the War of 1812, Key, accompanied by the British Prisoner Exchange Agent Colonel John Stuart Skinner, dined aboard the British ship HMS Tonnant, as the guests of three British officers: Vice Admiral Alexander Cochrane, Rear Admiral George Cockburn, and Major General Robert Ross. Skinner and Key were there to negotiate the release of prisoners, one of whom was Dr. William Beanes, a resident of Upper Marlboro, Maryland who had been arrested after putting rowdy stragglers under citizens arrest. Skinner, Key, and Beanes were not allowed to return to their own sloop because they had become familiar with the strength and position of the British units and with the British intent to attack Baltimore. As a result of this, Key was unable to do anything but watch the bombarding of the American forces at Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore on the night of September 13–14, 1814. Fort McHenry looking towards the position of the British ships (with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in the distance on the upper left) At dawn, Key was able to see an American flag still waving and reported this to the prisoners below deck. On the way back to Baltimore, he was inspired to write a poem describing his experience, Defence of Fort MHenry, which he published in the Patriot on September 20, 1814. He intended to fit it to the rhythms of composer John Stafford Smiths To Anacreon in Heaven, a popular tune Key had already used as a setting for his 1805 song When the Warrior Returns, celebrating U.S. heroes of the First Barbary War. (Key used the star spangled flag imagery in the earlier song.) It has become better known as The Star-Spangled Banner. Under this name, the song was adopted as the American national anthem, first by an Executive Order from President Woodrow Wilson in 1916 (which had little effect beyond requiring military bands to play it) and then by a Congressional resolution in 1931, signed by President Herbert Hoover.
Posted on: Sat, 16 Aug 2014 02:18:27 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015