BGuthrie Photos: MD -- Fort McHenry Natl Monument -- Pictures From Outside Fort

MD -- Fort McHenry Natl Monument -- Pictures From Outside Fort:

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Copyrights: All pictures were taken by amateur photographer Bruce Guthrie (me!) who retains copyright on them. Free for non-commercial use with attribution. See the [Creative Commons] definition of what this means. "Photos (c) Bruce Guthrie" is fine for attribution. (Commercial use folks including AI scrapers can of course contact me.) Feel free to use in publications and pages with attribution but you don't have permission to sell the photos themselves. A free copy of any printed publication using any photographs is requested. Descriptive text, if any, is from a mixture of sources, quite frequently from signs at the location or from official web sites; copyrights, if any, are retained by their original owners.

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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. FTMCHO_131027_004.JPG: A Pivotal Battle British ships launched an attack on Fort McHenry early on September 13, 1814. The fort defended the water approach to the city of Baltimore. The future of the city and possibly the United States depended on the outcome. After the American defeat at Bladensburg, and the British capture and partial burning of Washington, D.C. a loss here would be devastating. Francis Scott Key witnessed the 25-hour bombardment. At "dawn's early light" on September 14th, the shelling stopped; the British attack had failed. As the enemy fleet withdrew down the Patapsco River, the defenders hoisted a huge 30x42-foot American flag. The sight of the flag inspired Key to write the words that would become America's national anthem. "And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave, O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave." -- Third stanza "The Star Spangled Banner"
2. FTMCHO_131027_014.JPG: War in the Chesapeake: During the War of 1812, the young United States was embroiled in conflict with Great Britain. From 1812 to 1815, Americans fought to protect their rights and economic independence. They faced superior enemy forces on the homefront and the high seas. The strategically important Chesapeake Bay region felt the brunt of the war, choked by shipping blockades and raved by enemy raids. The events in this region were crucial to the outcome of the war. Though there was no clear victor at the end of the war, the United States protected its democracy and emerged with heightened stature on the world stage.
3. FTMCHO_131027_030.JPG: Welcome! You are Now "On Post" Fort McHenry, like military bases today, comprised many buildings. If you were here in 1814, you would be standing on the edge of the outer drill field. Behind it stood too buildings: a gun shed, where small field cannons were stored, and a stable for officers' horses (foundations outlined in brick). A brick tavern sat just outside the entrance gate near those structures. In 1814, two main roads led from the fort. One went to the city, and the other to the government dock. The scene above depicts an autumn day in 1814. the British have long since departed but the garrison remains on alert.
4. FTMCHO_131027_061.JPG: O'er the Ramparts We Watch! Which Flag Flies Today? The forts walls are called ramparts. An American flag flies over Fort McHenry twenty four hours a day by Presidential Proclamation. The size of the flag varies. On clear days with the right amount of wind, a full-size replica of the Star-Spangled Banner measuring 30 X 42 feet with fifteen stars and stripes waves. The fort also flies smaller versions of this flag. On rainy days and at night, a small, modern 50-star American flag is flown. In 1948, a proclamation issued by President Harry S. Truman stated that "as a perpetual symbol of our patriotism, the flag of the United States shall hereafter be displayed at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine at all times during the day and night, except when weather is inclement." At night, the flag is illuminated by lights powered by solar panels.
5. FTMCHO_131027_072.JPG: A Vast Hospital Once Stood Here: "Our work was here and no less heroic than the ones who went over..." -- Emily Raine Williams, Army Nurse Corps "General Hospital No. 2 has been built entirely around the original fort..." -- Captain Maurice A. Hockman, Constructing Quartermaster, 1918 During World War I, the US Army built over 100 buildings around the star fort. One of the largest military hospitals in the country, it housed 3,000 wounded soldiers from the battlefields of France. Over 1,000 staff worked in this facility. From 1917 until 1923, the fort also served as a surgical center. Medical staff made great advances in neurosurgery and reconstructive surgery. General Hospital No. 2 was one of the country's first schools to reintegrate disabled soldiers into civilian life by offering special classes in typing, knitting, metal work, automobile repair and other trades.
6. FTMCHO_131027_091.JPG: The Guns that Won the Battle The gun deck in front of you is a partial representation of the forts 1814 Water Battery. Made up of 26 cannons in two tiers, the Water Battery comprised the fort's primary means of defense. The Cannons that stood here fired shot weighing 18 and 36 pounds almost a mile and a half. Heated cannonballs known as "hot shot" proved especially devastating to wooden ships. During most of the battle the British kept their distance to avoid the return fire of the fort.As a result, most of their bombs and rockets missed the target. By dawn's early light on September 14, the British withdrew, unwilling to come within range of the fort's guns. French 36 Pounder Naval Gun Weight 10,000 pounds Velocity 1,600 feet per second Charge 12 pounds of black powder Penetration of oak at 400 yards 42 inches Crew 21 Maximum effective range 1.5 miles
7. FTMCHO_131027_108.JPG: Army "Sailors," Navy "Soldiers" "Not a man shrunk from conflict" Major George Armistead, Commander Fort McHenry September 1814 The defenders who manned the heavy cannons in front of you represented a unique combination of soldiers and sailors. One unit, the U.S. Sea Fencibles, included civilian sailors. Wearing the clothing of their trade, they were issued muskets, drilled as soldiers and considered part of the U.S. Army. The United States Chesapeake Flotilla served as part of the U.S. Navy. Most of these men were sailors and included free African-Americans. During the summer of 1814 they fought several engagements in the Chesapeake Bay and ultimately on land where they staged a rear-guard action in an unsuccessful defense of the nation's capital. Those who served here contributed to the victory. Near this location British bombs killed Charles Messenger of the U.S. Chesapeake Flotilla and wounded Charles Bhare and Robert Green of the U.S. Sea Fencibles.
8. FTMCHO_131027_127.JPG: A Star Spangled Centennial The Francis Scott Key Tablet above was dedicated as part of the National Star Spangled Banner Centennial celebration in 1914. Designed by Hans Schuler, the bronze shield depicts and American flag and myrtle (symbolic of love and immortality) surrounding a portrait of Francis Scott Key. The city of Baltimore adopted Schuler's design as the official logo of the centennial celebration. This Week-long commemoration boasted visiting warships, regatta races, parades, fireworks, a general illumination of Baltimore city with electric lighting, and the dedication of Fort McHenry as a City Park. The Fort reverted to the U.S. Army in 1917 and was transferred to the National Park Service in 1933. After emigrating from Germany to the United States, Hans Schuler lived in Baltimore. One of the foremost sculptors of his time, he became known as "The Monument Maker." Schuler's legacy lives on today in The Schuler School of Fine Arts located at his former studio in Baltimore City.
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AAA "Gem": AAA considers this location to be a "must see" point of interest. To see pictures of other areas that AAA considers to be Gems, click here.
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2013 photos: Equipment this year: I mostly used my Fuji XS-1 camera but, depending on the event, I also used a Nikon D7000 and Nikon D600. Trips this year: three Civil War Trust conferences (Memphis, TN, Jackson, MS [to which I added a week to to visit sites in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Tennessee], and Richmond, VA), and my 8th consecutive San Diego Comic-Con trip (including sites in Nevada and California). Ego Strokes: Aviva Kempner used my photo of her as her author photo in Larry Ruttman's "American Jews & America's Game: Voices of a Growing Legacy in Baseball" book. Number of photos taken this year: just over 570,000.
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