Show lq ta r ati I 1 L 91 1 71 at A gt 61 Y AI EP IM base of kell morn orial monument at 4 by elmo el MO SCOTT WATSON 1114 other day a group of people gathered in the crypt capt of the mag washington cathedral in our national capital unil anti unveiled a bronze tablet which was waa presented by the district of columbia chapter of the united states daughters of 1812 the principal speaker on oll that occasion was maj francis scott keysmith key smith great grandson of francis scott key thus thua there was erected another memorial to honor the namo name of the roan man who gave to the american flag whose birthday we celebrate celo brato on juno june 14 tho the name of the star ae pl blanner 11 anner and who gave to amerla america its national anthem there are three other imposing memorials which w lali perpetuate the name of francis scott key hey one of thein Is the monument which stands yer tits his grave in NIL mt olivet cemetery in fried fred crick md aid on it la Is a tablet inscribed written by francis scott key dorn born august 0 ISO 1780 died january 11 1813 1843 and there follows the lines of tho the star spangled hanner banner another Is the huge two million dollar brands scott ney key bridga across the tha Ilo potomac tomae river which connects con necta the cities of and what was once oil georgetown now known as aa west washington tho the georgetown end of tills this bridge la Is on the site of keys old homo home in that city while the bridge was waa under construction a bill came up in congress for an appropriation for the maintenance or of tho the georgetown bridge across the potomac river a tiame name which had been elvon its predecessor thero there in 1820 through tho the efforts of patriotic societies who declared that the nation should honor the american poet patriot francis scott key instead of king ot or england Rland since once georgetown la Is named for or the british monarch the name of tho the bridge wits changed and under tta its present name it Is 13 a perpetual reminder of the connection of 0 tho the author of our national anthem with the history of our national capital Cn pital perhaps the most imposing ot of all the tha key memorials la Is the one which was dedicated by president harding in 1022 at fort Blell enry akar 1 where occurred tho the incident which gave to francis scott key tits his enduring endur lne fame topped by tho the symbolic statue of 0 a musician playing tt a lyre which la Is said bald to be ba tho the largest single cast bronze statue la in existence tills monument has on its storm stone baso bases a friezes frieze hearing bearing a bas portrait of key surrounded by other symbolic figures and bearing these thesa words worda francis rancis scott ney key dorn 1780 died 1813 to francis scott key author of the star spangled danner anti and to the soldiers rind sailors who took part in of north point and tho the defense ot of fort mchenry in tho the war of oc 1812 1 the story of how francis scott key camo came to walto wrIt eThe the star spangled dannor danner and thus give it a new numo name to our hag flag Is familiar to nil all americans hut but not many of them linow much about the man himself key hey was waa lorn born on an ati estate in frederick county maryland known as terra term iturra august 0 1710 ono one of oc ils sisters anna arnold key was married to brooke taney tacey a prominent maryland lawyer who later became secretary of the treasury but wore more famous as aa chief justice of the united a fact which may have had something to do with keys turning to the study of law lav soon after ills hla graduation from st johns college at annapolis key was married to mary and began the practice of law in fit frederick hut but in 1801 lie he moved to georgetown in the district of columbia where lie ho formed a partnership with hla hia uncle philip harton barton key most ot of ills his ufa life was spent tn in georgetown where his home from 1803 1903 to ta 1828 was nt at NI street but a short distance from the foot of the key bridge it was waa in this houser house that he ha was waa lying hying when ho he wrote the tha star spangled ilan nee and it was waa this house which a patriotic organization the francis scott noy memorial association of which admiral dewey dewcy was president tried unsuccessfully to save from de destruction here were born keys eleven children stir six boys and ive five girls key was a lawyer of high reputation in georgetown and rated as aa a leading citizen of the community so it was only natural perhaps that lie should bo be appealed to to secure the release of dr william Wil linta glennes of upper marlboro md wilf hijii been bc en arrested by I 1 11 toss oss the british general na as koss retired to the british fleet in chesapeake bay after tho the burning of washington in a letter to hla his mother under date georgetown ad september ISI 1811 I key wrote 1 I am going in tho the morning to baltimore to proceed in a lag to gen floss old doat dennes of marlboro to la taken prisoner by the enemy who wha threaten to carry him film off some of hla his friends hayo haye urgil il me to eplly for a flag to go an and try to procure ills his release I 1 hop hoir to 13 n house sn where original spangle are made kea monument at ck return in about 8 or 10 days though it Is uncertain as I 1 do riot not know where to find tho the fleet then followed keys historic vigil which ended by the dawns early light when lie he saw that our flag was still thero there and his inspiration tor for tho the poem which made him forever famous it Is riot not commonly known perhaps that ney key was also tho the author of another notable song lie ile was an episcopalian a vestryman for st johns church in georgetown and ho he wrote for the church hymnal it a hymn bearing the title lord with glowing heart I 1 praise thee lie ile also wrote numerous sonnets but it Is said that tits his wife showed such indifference to his poetic gifts that sho she frequently used the papers upon which ho he wrote them for curl papers although tits his principal fame rests upon one song key had a distinguished public career as the result of tits his legal profession during the administrations of presidents jackson and van duren binen bin en lie ho was three times appointed united states district attorney and held that position at the time of tits his death it if wo we remember francis scott key as the man who gave us the name nama of the star spangled danner banner for our hag flag we should also remember with film tho the woman who made the flag which inspired its his famous poem she was mrs birs mary blary young VIckers pickersgill gIll who was living in baltimore in 1314 1814 when the news came that a british fleet was on its way to attack this nest of hornets at the lead head of chesapeake bay na as the british called it because baltimore manned government vessels and Dalt baltimore imore privateers had been harassing british shipping more than had the vessels of tiny any other Abic rican city whilo while preparations were under way to strengthen fort mcinenry Mel lenry Balti mores principal defense it was discovered that the fort had no suitable flag to run up to the top of its flagpole flags were not sold in stores in those days when one was wonted wanted it was necessary to employ some woman to make it upon hearing inquiries as aa to who in baltimore could make a flag commodore barney and gen con john stricker men whom everybody knew and respected stepped forward they announced that there was a woman in their city who wag beyond doubts doubt the best flag maker tn in all america hav ing inherited the art from her mother who tad bad made flags during the Il revolutionary evolutionary war who Is this woman inquired those present her name Is mary young pickersgill gill further conversation developed he fact that she was related to both commodore darney barney and general stricker these two off licen were deputized to call upon mary and see what could bo be done soon all was hustle anti and bustle in the pick home all household duties were suspend ed until the great flag was completed direct evidence of the making of the flag is handed banded down to us by caroline daughter of mary blary who says the lag flag bein being g so very large my mother was obliged to obtain permission to spread tt it out in a neighboring malt house bouse opposite the mansion of charles carroll of carrollton signer of the declaration of independence pen dence who was still living I 1 remember seeing my mother down on her knees pla placing c I 1 g the n stars in position and sewing them fast and then after the completion of the flag she super intended the topping or heading of it that Is having it fastened in the most secure manner to prevent its being torn away by balls the wisdom of her precautions was shown during the engagement many shots piercing it but bat it still remained firm on the staff colonel armistead who commanded ft FL me mc Henry declared after the battle that no one but mary pickersgill gill should mend tt it the flag I 1 think contained yards of bunting and my mother worked many nights until twelve to complete it in the given time so it was this flag of mary which flew over fort mchenry mcinenry on that eventful september day which inspired Frat franicis icis scott key lind and which la Is the original star spangled banner long preserved by colonel Armist eads grandson eben appleton which now Is exhibited in the national museum in washington doctor walcott the late secretary of the smithsonian institution declared the old flag to be the most valued treasure wo we possess at the request of the star spangled banner centennial commission in 1914 it was carefully backed with irish linen and it la Is now good tor for another hundred years or more mary pickersgill came from famous revolutionary stock abne one of her uncles was col benjamin flower commissary general of the revolutionary lutio nary stores in philadelphia lie was a friend and associate of general washington ner her mother YVe rebecca becca flower young according to good authority made tho the first flag of the revolution devolution under general direction the first flar flap of the revolution was no doubt the grand union flag under which washington took command of the american army at cambridge mass january 1 1770 1776 it bore tho the thirteen red and white stripes signifying the thirteen united colonies and in tho the upper lefthand left hand corner the british union the red vertical cross of st george of england and the white diagonal cross of st andrew of scotland this was wag to signify that the colonies were still loyal to england and it her oppression ceased they would not separate from her six weeks later in february 1770 Ite rebecca becca young gave birth toa to a daughter destined to be the maker of the original star spangled banner I 1 congress had taken steps as early as october 1775 to establish a regular american navy commodore hopkins was appointed commander in chief and john paul jones the senior of the five first lieutenants declared he hot hoisted s ted tho the flag of america on board hta his alfred when hopkins came on board the first time it wag ever displayed on a regular man of war this flag had however already appeared in baltimore which was a noted shipbuilding place this had been sent by hopkins to joshua barney second officer on the 10 gun sloop the hornet whether rebecca young was the maker of tho the first flags of the now new united states navy we cannot now tell but as caroline pickersgill her granddaughter emphatically stated later on my grandmother rebecca young made the firs first il flag of the revolution under general direction and for this reason my mother was selected by commodore barney and general stricker to make the star spangled banner it would seem there could be little doubt on that score not only Is the original nit star spangled banner preserved but the house in which tt it was planned and made Is also still standing thanks to an organization of patriotic men and women known as the star spangled danner banner flag house association money la is being raised by popular subscription to preserve the historic home in which mrs mary young toung pickersgill lived from 1770 2770 to 1837 as a shrine to which americans american may make their patriotic pilgrimages 8 by western no paper awl |