Existing comment:
"the Bombs bursting in air..." the Carcasses red glare!
The carcass was a hollow shell filled with flammable ingredients. Had the British defeated Fort McHenry and reached the city, these weapons would have incinerated the wooden buildings in Baltimore. This is one of four carcasses fired at the fort from the British bomb vessel Volcano during the bombardment. Nearly 1500 mortar bombs hurled at the fort were even more damaging. They killed four and wounded 24 defenders. |