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Taking a Stand at Baltimore
Birthplace of the Star-Spangled Banner
The War of 1812, often forgotten, gave Americans two enduring symbols of national unity: the Star-Spangled Banner flag and our National Anthem. Both were born here in Baltimore during a defiant three-day stand by citizens and soldiers. Here is their story...
Just two anxious weeks later, the Battle for Baltimore began. For three days, September 12-14, 1814, the fate of America's third largest city, hung in the balance. On land, seasons British Troops were repulsed. Their general Robert Ross, was killed. At sea the Royal Navy's ferocious 25-hour bombardment failed.
On August 26, 1814, panicky reports flooded into Baltimore The nation's capital was burning. The British, having harassed Marylanders over he past 18 months, were on the move. Militia from Pennsylvania, Virginia and the surrounding countryside began pouring into town. Baltimore dug in.
Baltimore was saved. Francis Scott Key captured the moment in words that quickly spread across the young nation as a patriotic song. Baltimore's defiant stand, along with news of American victory at Plattsburg, New York, and the ongoing disruption of their shipping by privateers, nudged Britain toward peace.
"Rejoice, ye people of America! Inhabitants of Philadelphia, New York and Boston rejoice! Baltimore had nobly fought your battles..."
-- The Yankee, a Boston newspaper, September 1814
A Privateering Life:
One in five sailors during the War of 1812 was African American. George Roberts (shown here in old age) served as a gunner aboard two privateer vessels, Sarah Ann and Chasseur. Some 130 letters of marque vessels sailed out of Fell's Point, at least 55 of them armed. These privateers captured from 556 enemy vessels, nearly half of the national total.
By Land and Sea:
Britain's two-pronged invasion began on September 11, 1814, with the arrival of the Royal Navy on the Patapsco River. Five thousand troops landed at North Point to begin their march on Baltimore. Bomb ships, frigates and rocket ships approached For McHenry and other harbor defenses. The royal noose tightened.
Turbulent Citizens of Baltimore:
Despite significant victories on the Great Lakes, America's Navy was dwarfed by the British. As they did during the Revolutionary War, the Americans created a "private navy." Citizen sailors, armed with "letters of marque" allowed them to seize enemy vessels, plagued British shipping.
Among the best known privateers was Thomas Boyle, captain of the Chasseur, a pilot schooner built here in Fell's Point. Boyle's success was matched by his audacity, as seen by the 1814 proclamation delivered to Lloyd's of London, announcing his personal blockade of British shipping.
Bombs Bursting in Air:
British ships fired some 1,800 bombs, mortars and rockets at Fort McHenry over a 25-hour period, killing four and wounding 24. But Major George Armistead's garrison of 1,000 soldiers prevailed, hoisting their star-spangled flag at 9am on September 14, 1814 as the Royal Navy withdrew.
Preparing for a Frontal Assault:
With the British stalled at North Point, defenders feverishly finished digging entrenchments on the east side of town. The workforce included many immigrants and African Americans, both free and enslaved. Their mile-long earthworks, centered on Hampstead Hill, were manned by 15,000 troops. On September 13, the British marched within a mile, and then, cautiously, waited for the bombardment to open the door to Baltimore.
Engaging the Enemy:
British troops, many of them veterans of the Napoleonic wars, expected little resistence on their march to Baltimore. But at North Point they met 3,200 Maryland militia under Brigadier General John Stricker. The invaders prevailed but not before suffering heavy casualties -- none more damaging than the death of their commander, Major General Robert Ross.
From Ensign to Icon: The Star-Spangled Banner Flag
At 9am, on September 14, 1814, soldiers at Fort McHenry replaced their rain-soaked battle flag with a 30 by 42 foot garrison flag. British sailors, in the midst of withdrawing after their bombardment failed, took note. So did Francis Scott Key, a Maryland-born lawyer and amateur poet who nervously watched the barrage from a truce ship.
Both flags were the handi-work of Baltimore's Mary Pickersgill, who was assisted by her daughter, two nieces, mother, and an African American indentured servant named Grace Wisher. Ordered in 1813 by the fort's commander, Major George Armistead, the 15-star garrison flag was pieced together in seven weeks from from [sic] cotton and dyed English wool bunting.
A Flag Making Family:
Mary Pickersgill learned her craft from her mother, Rebecca Young. The Philadelphia native moved to Baltimore in 1807, following her husband's death. She supported her household by designing and sewing signal flags, and silk standards for merchants and the military.
Must-See American Icon:
The Star-Spangled banner, one of the National Museum of American History's most sought-after objects, is seen by more than four million people a year. |