This banner, the largest battle flag in existence, measures 36 by 29 feet. It was made by Mrs. Mary Young Pickersgill and her two nieces for exactly $405.90. The material was cut at Mrs. Pickersgill's home, "No. 60 Albemarle Street, Old Town" (Pratt and Albemarle Streets, Baltimore), and carried to a nearby brewery, where it was sewed together in anticipation of the British attack on the fort..
During the bombardment it was pierced by a number of shots. Recently the flag was restored at the National Museum, Washington, D. C., where it is considered one of the most precious possessions of that institution.
National star-spangled banner centennial, Baltimore, Maryland, September 6 to 13, 1914
National star-spangled banner centennial commission, Frank Albert O'Connell, William F. Coyle Munder-Thomsen Press, 1914 - History - 278 pages. Original from the New York Public Library. Digitized: Feb 12, 2008. imverted V shape to our left? It is an “A” sewn onto the flag by Louisa Armistead, widow of the commander of Ft. McHenry
Francis Scott Key, a Washington lawyer had come to Baltimore to negotiate the release of Dr. William Beanes, a civilian prisoner of war, witnessed the bombardment from a nearby truce ship.
When Key saw the flag emerge intact in the dawn of September 14, he was so moved that he began to compose the poem "The Defence of Fort McHenry" which would later be renamed "The Star-Spangled Banner" and become America's national anthem.
This Image (or other media file) is in the public domain because its copyright has expired. This applies to the United States, where Works published prior to 1923 are copyright protected for a maximum of 75 years. See Circular 1 "COPYRIGHT BASICS" PDF from the U.S. Copyright Office. Works published before 1923, (in this case 1914) are now in the public domain.
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Two years into the war of 1812
The White House was seized and burned
The President was safe thus there was hope still
And for striking back, hard we turned
Some soldiers were cut off and captured
In a small town the British retaliated
As from his bed a doctor was seized
The fighting, thus, escalated
Our government seeking to free
This elderly doctor and friend
Sent of two, (one Francis Scott Key)
To offer a prisoner exchange in the end
A flag of truce was waved
They entered the British ship
And the exchange was made
Though, not yet, were they allowed to trip
The battle that night was fierce
With combatants, each other pursuing
It would take sunshine to pierce
Through the smoke from the battle ensuing
Fort McHenry had little defense
Its large flag would tell it all
Through the night, nervous and tense
In the morning, how it stood tall!
Overcome by the sight, with much emotion
Key wrote most of the words to a song
As a patriot, expressing devotion
To our God, who had kept the land strong
He continued to write
As soon as they arrived ashore
A relative helped him find the tune that night
Then it was handbilled throughout Baltimore
Now as our national anthym
It is sung as our flag is raised
As chests filled with pride often tears brim
With the words so powerfully praised
And as each raises their eyes
Unto the flag freely waving
Let us too, look up to the skies
And give thanks to God for our saving
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