Show where star spangled banner was born it Is doubtful it ever america had known a darker dawn than the morning of september 11 1814 washington had been captured captured and burned by the british our small navy lind had been driven to port by superior numbers our army in maryland luid had been defeated and on that morning a british fleet salted sailed into the patapsco river headed for baltimore which the enemy hoped to captus cap tue tute the only obstruction to this scheme was a little fort three miles below L baltimore i nt at whetstone point on the patapsco fort Mel mchenry lenry was its name A small fortification had been built there in 1775 and a more pretentious tent ious lous structure erected on the site in 1704 1764 the only defensive force it could muster was a body of untrained troops who would be called upon to defend their post against british vot veterans fresh front from the continental continent ni wa wars rs Welling tons and net nel sons marines winnerd at trafalgar and the lie nile so the outlook was as gloomy enough for if fort mchenry fell baltimore fell and the whole I 1 country lay at the alie mercy of the invaders early on the mornin tr of september 12 the battle begun began with nn an attempt by the british to st 4 nill ill the earthworks earthworms earth works which had been hastily thrown up to old aid in the defense of I 1 baltimore that attack was repulsed toy by a storm of shot slugs scrap iron and nails from the american mini which killed or wounded ded more liar flidr GW COO british the 1 I lie next morn mornine Inu th tl fleet adv advanced aneed to homb bombard nril fori mr M henry all day long the lie battle raged but the lie den danderis deris of the fort dundei col george armistead held their own among the ninny ni a nv who watched tin thi lm progress ogress of the battle was vas brind l scott key who wh had gone fone to ati the ill bilt it ish fleet to obtain the rolease rp leise of i n friend a civilian arrested by bv the bih ish on a charge of orang on thorn them all tiny long and far into the ight he fie followed the fortu rip of the ti biting forces with painful intensity lie ile lid did not belleve believe that fort could possibly hold out then n nt at the dawns early light key looked toward the lie fort and through the dmn e aind nilst mist of morn int ing he fie saw that our flag was still there with it 11 nert overflowing ill jy it ha sat gat down annl an 1 wrote the yord word oi 01 tile lio song which it littlon tins has evoi evel been a athe ster span riner KB w a I 1 S |