A protective work on
Fell's Point.
Baltimore, about one-half its present dimensions.
In anticipation of a visit from the
British marauding squadrons in 1814, the people of
Baltimore sunk some vessels in the narrow channel between the fort and Lazzaretto Point, which prevented the passage of an enemy's ships.
Fort McHenry was garrisoned by about 1,000 men, volunteers and regulars, commanded by
Maj. George Armistead (q. v.). To the right of it, guarding the shores of the
Patapsco, and to prevent troops landing in the rear, were two redoubts—
Fort Covington and
Babcock's Battery.
In the rear of these, upon high ground, was an unfinished circular redoubt for seven guns, and on Lazzaretto Point, opposite
Fort McHenry, was a small battery.
This and
Fort Covington were
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in charge of officers of
Barney's flotilla.
Such were
Fort McHenry and its supporters on the morning of Sept. 12, when the British fleet, under
Admiral Cochrane, consisting of sixteen heavy vessels, five of them bomb-ships, had made full preparations for the bombardment of the fort.
At sunrise, Sept. 13, the bomb-vessels opened a heavy fire on the fort and its dependencies at a distance of 2 miles, and kept up a well-directed bombardment until 3 P. M.
Armistead immediately opened the batteries of
Fort McHenry upon the assailants; but after a while he found that his missiles fell short of his antagonist and were harmless.
The garrison was composed of two companies of sea fencibles, under
Captains Bunbury and
Addison; two companies of volunteers from the city of
Baltimore, under the command of
Captains Berry and
Pennington; a company of United States artillery, under
Captain Evans; a company of volunteer artillerists, led by
Judge Joseph H. Nicholson; a detachment of
Barney's flotilla, under
Lieutenant Redman, and detachments of regulars, 600 strong, furnished by
General Winder, and under the command of
Lieutenant-Colonel Stewart and
Major Lane.
The garrison
was exposed to a tremendous shower of shells for several hours, without the power to inflict injury in turn, or even to check the fury of the assault; yet they endured the trial with cool courage and great fortitude.
At length a bomb-shell dismounted a 24-pounder in the fort, killing a lieutenant and wounding several of the men.
Admiral Cochrane, observing the confusion in the fort caused by this event, and hoping to profit by it, ordered three of his bomb-vessels to move up nearer the fort, in order to increase the effectiveness of their guns.
Armistead was delighted, and immediately ordered a general cannonade and bombardment from every part of the fort; and so severe was his punishment of the venturesome intruders that within half an hour they fell back to their old anchorage.
A rocket vessel (
Erebus) was so badly damaged that the
British were compelled to send a division of small boats to tow her out of reach of
Armistead's guns.
The garrison gave three cheers, and the firing ceased.
After the British vessels had resumed their former stations, they opened a more furious bombardment than before, and kept it up until after midnight, when it was discovered that a considerable force (1,200 picked men in barges) had been sent up the
Patapsco in the gloom to attack
Fort McHenry in the rear.
They were repulsed, and the bombardment from the vessels ceased.
At 7 A. M., on the 14th, the hostile shipping and land forces menacing the city withdrew, and
Baltimore was saved.
In this attack on the fort the
British did not lose a man; and the
Americans had only four men killed and twenty-four wounded, chiefly by the exploding of the shell that dismounted the 24-pounder.
During the bombardment
Francis S. Key (q. v.) was held in custody in a vessel of the fleet, and was inspired by the event to compose
The Star-Spangled banner.
Armistead and his brave band received the grateful bene-
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dictions of the people of
Baltimore and of the whole country.
The citizens of
Baltimore presented
Armistead with a costly service of silver, the principal piece —a vase—in the form of a bomb-shell.
Governor-General Prevost, of
Canada, was so certain of an easy victory at
Baltimore that he ordered rejoicings at
Montreal on account of the capture of
Washington to be postponed until after the capture of
Baltimore should be reported.
