By pointing out to them each year The misery of that war, That calls us here to-day, Our rarest flowers to display And strew upon their graves, 'Tis mete that we should teach our sons, To choose the right and shun the wrong, And honor those who fell; Who bore their grief and suffering well Our nation to sustain, And all its laws maintain, And from oppression to refrain And live in peace with all. And when our race on earth is done, And strew them o'er our crumbling clay, Battle of North Point and Bombardment of Fort McHenry. HE author noticed an inquiry quite recently, in newspaper columns, asking who is the author of the the Star Spangled Banner, and for the benefit of those (if this book happens to fall into the hands of that class), I will insert the following account of the Battle of North Point and the Bombardment of Fort McHenry, in September 1814, which is from M'Sherry's History of Maryland: Having triumphantly despoiled the capitol of the Union, Gen. Ross turned his eyes upon the flourshing and wealthy city of Baltimore. Anticipating his design, the governor had ordered the militia of the state to hold themselves in readiness, and large bodies were marched to the city for its defense, about seven hundred regulars, several volunteer and militia companies from Pennsylvania and Virginia, increased their strength to about fifteen thousand men. They were commanded by Gen. Samuel Smith, who had distinguished himself in the Revolution by his gallant defense of Fort Mifflin. One division of the army was confided to Gen. Winder, the other to Gen. Stricker. As soon as it was announced that the British were approaching the city, the militia irritated by the the disaster of Baldensburg, and the sacking of Washington, flocked in from all quarters in such numbers that neither arms, ammunition nor provisions could be supplied them, and the services of many were necessarily declined. As it was expected that the enemy would land and attack the town from the east, heavy batteries were erected on the high 82 BATTLE OF NORTH POINT. grounds in that direction, and an entrenchment thrown up, in which the main body of the militia were posted. On the water-side the city was defended by Fort McHenry, garrisoned by a thousand men, under Maj. Armistead. Two small batteries were erected on the south side, while the channel was obstructed by a number of sunken vessels. On the 11th of September, 1814, the British fleet, numbering fifty sail, entered the mouth of the Patapsco, and on the twelfth a force of five thousand men was landed at North Point, fourteen miles from Baltimore. Gen. Stricker was ordered forward with three thousand two hundred men to oppose their progress. His force was composed of the fifth regiment, under Col. Sterrit; the sixth, Col. McDonald; the twenty-seventh, Lieut.-Col. Long; the thirtyninth, Col. Fowler; the fifty-first, Col. Amey; one hundred and fifty riflemen, under Capt. Dyer; one hundred and forty cavalry, under Liet.-Col. Biays; and the union artillery with six field pieces. In the regiments of this brigade were incorporated Spangler's York, Metzgar's Hanover, Dixon's Marietta and Quantril's Hagerstown, uniformed volunteers. He took a position about eight miles from the city, his right resting on Bear Creek and his left covered by a marsh; the fifth and twenty-seventh regiments formed the first line; the fifty-first was posted three hundred yards in the rear of the fifth, and the thirty-ninth in the rear of the twentyseventh; the sixth was held in reserve. The artillery, six four-pounders, was planted in the center on the main road, and a corps of riflemen pushed in advance as skirmishers. The rifles soon fell in with the van of the enemy, and a sharp skirmish ensued, in which the British Commander-in-chief, Gen. Ross, was killed. Col. Brook, the second in command, still continued to advance, and at half-past three, the action commenced. with the main body by a heavy cannonade. |