Show ive ta ev e V jq J P 73 ter Z alk A 0 1 V t z n I 1 I 1 A R x N v bridde D C rr N base of betl memorial Memo monument 4 by ELMO SCOTT WATSON other u ay a gro ip of people gathered in the capt of tie mag ent washington cathedral in our national capital and unveiled a bronze t tablet which was ras presented by the D strict of columbia chap ter of the united states daughters of 1812 the principal er on that occa sonN on as maj francis Francl scott key smith great grandson of fran cis scott ke thus there ras as erect ed another memorial to I 1 onor tl e name of the man who inho gave gane to the amerian flag whose birthday we celebrate on june dune 14 the name of the star spangled banner and who gave to america its national anthem there are three other imposing memorials which perpetuate the name of francis scott key one of them is the monument which stands over his grave in mt lit olivet cemetery in fred er ck bid md on it Is a tablet inscribed written by francis scott kea ke born august 8 9 1780 D ed january 11 1843 and there follows the lines line of the star spangled banner another is the huge two million dollar francis scott key bridge across the potomac river wh ch connects ta tie e titles cities of washington and what NN was as once ol 01 oil I 1 georgetown now known as west washing t n the georgetown end of this bridge Is on the site of key keys s old home in that city while the bridge was as under construction a bill came up in congress for an appropriation for the maintenance of the georgetown bridge across tte tle potomac river a name which had been given its predecessor there in n 1820 through the efforts of patriotic societies who declared that the atlon ration should honor tl e american poet patriot francis scott key instead of king iong george of england since georgetown is named for the british monarch the name of the bridge was as changed and under its present name it Is a perpetual reminder of the connection of the an tl ti or of our national anthem iv ith the history of our national capital perhaps the most imposing of all the key memorials Is the one which was dedicated by I 1 resident harding in 1922 at fort McI mcinenry fenry near baltimore where here occurred the incident which gave to francis scott key hey his enduring fame topped by the symbolic statue of a cian playing a lyre which Is said to be the largest single cast bronze statue in existence this monument has on its stone base a frieze bearing a has bas relief portrait of key hey surrounded by other symbolic f figures agures and bear ng these words francis scott key hey born 1780 died 1843 to francis scott key auti anti or of the star spangled banner and to the soldiers and sailors who took part in the battle of north point and the defense of fort mchenry in the IN war ar of 1812 the story of how francis scott key rey came to write the star spangled banner and thus give a new name to our flag Is familiar to all americans but not many of them know much about the man himself key hey was born on an estate in frederick county maryland known as terra aubra august 9 1780 one of his s anna arnold key was married to roger brooke taney a prominent maryland lawber who later became secretary of the treasury but more fa as chief justice of the un ted states a tact fact which may have had cometh ng to do with keys key s turning to the study of law soon after his graduation from st john s college at annapolis key was married to mary tayloe lloyd and began the practice of law in frederick but in 1801 he moved to georgetown in the district of columbia where he formed a partnership with his uncle phil p barton key most of his life was spent in georgetown where hia his home from 1808 to 1828 m was as at M street but a short d stance from the foot of the key bridge it was in th s house that he was living when he wrote the star spangled ban ner der and it was this house which a patriotic organization the francis scott key rey memorial association of which alch admiral dewey was prest dent tried unsuccessfully to save from destrie tion here were born key s eleven children six boys and five girls key ley was a lawyer of high reputation to in georgetown and rated as a leading citizen of the community so it was only natural perhaps that he should be appealed to to secure the release of dr william beanes of upper marlboro md who had been arrested by ross the british gen eral as ross retired to the british fleet in chesapeake bay after the burning of washing ton in a letter to his mother under date georgetown ad september 1814 key wrote 1 I am going in the morning to baltimore to proceed in a flag to gen ross old doat beanes of marlboro is taken talen prisoner by the enemy who ho threaten to carry him off some of his friends have urged me to apply for a flag to go and try to procure his release I 1 hope to 3 IM f IL house in baltimore where original banner was oriade A A leq monument at frederick md return in about 8 or 10 dais though it is tain as I 1 do not know where to find the fleet then follon followed ed hey keys s historic vigil which ended by the dawn dawns s early light when he saw that our flag was still there and his inspiration for the poem which made him forever famous it Is not commonly known perhaps that key was vas also the author of another notable song he lie was an episcopal an a vestryman for st john s church in georgetown and he wrote for the church hymnal a hymn bearing the title lord with glowing heart I 1 praise thee 1 he also wrote numerous sonnets but it Is said that his wife showed such ind fforence to his poetic gifts that she frequently used the papers upon which he wrote them for curl papers I 1 although his principal fame rests upon one song key hey had a distinguished public career as the result of his legal profession during the administrations of presidents jaci jacl son and nan V an buren he was three times appointed united states district attorney and held that pos tion at the time of his death if we remember francis scott key is the man who gave us the name of the star span aled banner for our flag we should also remember with him the woman who ivilo made the flag which inspired bis his famous poem she was ras mrs mary loung pickersgill who was ras living in baltimore in 1814 when the news came that a british fleet was on its way vay to attack this nest of hornets at the head of chesapeake bay as the british called it because baltimore manned government vessels and baltimore privateers had been harassing british shipping mote than had the vessels of any other american city while preparations were lunder way vay to strengthen fort mchenry baltimore s principal defense it vi v as d sc that the tort 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 wanted it was vms necessary to cm ern ploy some woman to make male it upon hearing in quines as to who in baltimore could make a sag flag commodore barney and gen john S men whom everybody knew and respected stepped forward they announced blat there was vas a woman in their cita who was beyond doubt the best flag maker IR in all america hav ing inherited the art from her mother who had bad made flags during the revolutionary war ivar who is this woman roman inquired those present her name Is mary toung young pickersgill fur ther conversation developed the tact fact that she was ras related to both commodore barney and general stricter stricker these two officers were deau sized to call upon mary and see what could be done soon all was hustle and bustle in the pick ereg 11 home all household duties were suspend ed until the great flag was completed direct evidence of the making of the flag is handed down to us by carolne carol ne daughter of mary who says the flag being so very large my mother was as obliged to obtain permission to spread it 0 out tit in a neighboring malt house opposite the mansion of charles carroll of carrollton signer of the declaration of inde pen dence CC who nho N as still living I 1 remember seeing my mother down on her knees placing the stars in position and sewing them fast and then after the completion of the flag she suler 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 tho the wisdom of her precautions was shown during the engagement many shots piercing it but it still remained firm on the staff colonel armistead who commanded ft rt me lie henry declared after the battle that no one but mary pickersgill should mend it the flag I 1 think contained bards of bunting and my mother worked vi many nights until twelve 0 clock to complete it in the given time so it was th s flag of mary pickersgill s which flew over fort mcinenry on that eventful sep day which inspired francis scott key hey and which Is the original star spangled ban ner der long preserved by colonel armistead s grandson arben appleton which now Is exhibit ed in the national museum in washington doc doe tor walcott VV alcott the late secretary of the smithson lan fan institution declared the old flag to be the most valued treasure we possess at the request of the star spangled banner centennial commission in 1914 1014 it was carefully backed with ith irish linen and it is now good for another hundred years or more mary pickersgill Picker gill came from famous revola stock one of her uncles was col ben jamin flower commissary general of the revo lutio nary stores in philadelphia he ile was ras a friend and associate of general washington her mother rebecca flower loung according to good authority made the first flag of the I 1 ev alution under general washington s direction the first flag of the revolution was no doubt the grand union flag under which washington took command of the american army at cam bridge mass january 1 1776 it bore the thir teen red and wh te to stripes s unifying the thir teen united colonies and in the upper left hand corner the british union the red vertical cross of st george of england and the white ding onal cross of st andrew of scotland this was to s unify that the colonies were still loyal to england and it if her oppression ceased they vi would not separate from her six weeks later in february 1776 rebecca young gave birth to a daughter destined to be the maker of the original star spangled ban ner der I 1 congress had taken steps as early as october 1775 to establish a regular american navy commodore hopkins II was appointed commander in chief and john paul jones the senior of the five first lieutenants declared he hoisted the flag of america on board his flagship alfred when hopkins II came on board the first time it was ever d splayed on a regular man of war tl TI Is flag had however already appeared in baltimore which was a noted shipbuilding place this had been sent by hopkins to joshua bar ney second officer on the 10 gun sloop the hornet IN whether hether rebecca young was the maker of the first flags of the new united states navy we ue cannot now tell but as caroline pickersgill her granddaughter emphatically stated later on my grandmother rebecca young made the first flag of the revolution under general NN washing ashIng ton tons s 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 star spangled ban ner der preserved but the house in which it was planned and made Is also still standing thanks to an organization of patriotic men and women known as the star spangled banner flag house association money Is being raised by popular subscription to preserve the historic home in which mrs mary loung pickersgill lived from 1778 1776 to 1857 as a shrine to which americans may make their patriotic pilgrimages by western newspaper union r |