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Show FORT FOR CITIZEN SOLDIERS HISTORIC M'HENRY TO BE USED I BY MARYLAND MILITIA. National Guard Secure Lease of Place Which Is to Be Deserted by the Federal Forces Next April. It is so often tho privilege of cltl-ten cltl-ten soldiers to' comn Into possession of a fort nnd parado grounds which fairly thrill and pulunto with historic memories of Mynlt and demotion to tbo country's Hag ami l'"- nation's safety and honor, but such Is tho case with tho national gilaid of tho s tato of .Maryland, which has through tho efforts of thu cltlens of Haiti-moro Haiti-moro and Adjt. (Ion. Clinton L. Hlggs, of tho mllltla organization, necured a fivo-year lenso of l-itrt Mcllonry after It Is nbnmlnwd by lite war department de-partment on Aptll 1, iyi". Thus will the old fort mado fmiioim In the song of the "Star-Spangled llanner," of Francis Scott Key, bo preset ved, and tho stars and stripes will contlnuo to float from tho old rnmpnrtr. as thoy did on that mcmnrablu Soptembor morning of 1811, when tho rising sun, piercing tho smoko ot buttle during tho bombardment of tho fort by tho British, disclosed thorn to tho delighted delight-ed vlow of Key, Imprisoned on ono of tho British warships, and Inspired him to wrlto "Tho Stnr-Spangled llan ner. Tho land of which Fort McHcnry Is a part was taken up In 1CG1 under tho nnmo ot Whctstono Point, under patent by Charles Gorsuch, a mem-bor mem-bor of tho Society of Friends. Its Importanco as a military fort was early recognized, and In 1770 It had boon strengthened by tho construction construc-tion of n water battery, then lm-prognablo, lm-prognablo, honey-combed by magazines maga-zines and secret underground passageways. pas-sageways. This battel y still stands Intact, facing the water approaches ot tho city from tho south. Tho following fol-lowing year, In preparation of a visit from tho British, a boom was constructed between Whctstono Point and tho Lazaretto, and a great chain suspended by 21 Hiiukeii bay vessels was stretched across tho cntranco to tho harbor. Tho fort romalncd under un-der tho control of tho stnto until 1793, when It wns turned over to tho national na-tional government, and named In honor of Col. Jumes McHcnry, of Maryland, who wns secretary of war In Washington's cabinet. In 1794, with funds raised by public subscription, a great fivo star fort of brick, corned and earth was erected, erect-ed, whoso dungeons In tho civil war becamo the pilson of somo of tho most prominent citizens ot Haltlmoro whoso loyalty to tho union was huh-pectod huh-pectod and whose activities wero feared, For more than 130 jears the stal wart rnmparts of the fort have kept a tireless vigil, lu times of penro they have glcumcd lesplendent In their cloak or green. In times of war they havo frowned dellance nt the foe. The old fort Is not ho close to Hal-tlmoip Hal-tlmoip that an Invading force, safely safe-ly out of reach of lt guns, might easily eas-ily bombard Haltlmoro at will. New forta moio HUltnbly located and with modern equipments have been constructed con-structed to eoiio with the great war- 11 CibL' tj 9hIB 1 r Entrance to Old Fort McHenry. ships ot tho day, nnd the usefulness of tho old fort, even ns an Inner defense. de-fense. haB nassed awnv absolutely. Hut It will llvo lu history, linked with tho national song. On September 13, 18U, nftor the sacking ot Washington, tho Hrltlsh fleet camo up the bay, having on board tho troops under tho vctoran Gen. Ross. It was tho tatter's boast that ho would eat his supper "In Haltlmoro Hal-tlmoro or hell." Ho never got to Baltimore, having been killed at North Point, whcie ho landed In tho early part of tho battle. Francis Scott Key, h distinguished sou nt Maryland, had on the evening before tho bombatdment gonu on the Amerlcnn enrtel ship Mind en tinder n flng of truco to effect tho rclenso ol somo captured friends. Ho and Ills vcsbcI wero detained In order thnt ho might not take back Information of tho lively preparations ho witnessed witness-ed for tho bombardment. Tho Mind-en Mind-en was anchored In sight of tbo fort. Whllo tho bombardment raged In tho night nnd early morning, ho began be-gan to compose tho lusplilng lines. |