The Star-Spangled Banner
- Pages
- about 9
- Category
- History
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 10 min at 250 wpm
From the opening
On August 18, 1814, Admiral Cockburn, having returned with his fleet
from the West Indies, sent to Secretary Monroe at Washington, the
following threat:
SIR: Having been called upon by the Governor-General of the Canadas to
aid him in carrying into effect measures of retaliation against the
inhabitants of United States for the wanton destruction committed by
their army in Upper Canada, it has become imperiously my duty, in
conformity with the Governor-General's application, to issue to the
naval forces under my command an order to destroy and lay waste such
towns and districts upon the coast as may be found assailable.
His fleet was then in the Patuxent River, emptying into the Chesapeake
Bay. The towns immediately "assailable," therefore, were Baltimore,
Washington, and Annapolis.
Landing at Benedict's, on the Patuxent, the land forces, enervated by a
long sea-voyage, marched the first day to Nottingham, the second to
Upper Marlborough. At the latter place, a town of some importance,
certain British officers were entertained by Dr. Beanes, the principal
physician of that neighborhood; and a man well-known throughout
southern Maryland. His character as a host was forced upon him, but
his services as a physician were freely given, and formed afterward the
main plea for his lenient treatment while a prisoner.
As the British army reached Upper Marlborough, General Winder was
concentrating his troops at Bladensburg. The duty of assigning the
regiments to their several positions as they arrived on the field was
performed by Francis Scott Key, a young aide-de-camp to General Smith.
Key was a practising lawyer in Washington who had a liking for the
military profession. He was on duty during the hot and dusty days
which ended in the defeat of the American army.
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