After reading several letters written by wounded British soldiers about the fine treatment they received at the hands of Dr. Beanes, General Ross agreed to release the physician. Because information concerning the pending battle was overheard the British detained the three Americans on board the HMS Tonnant.

Admiral Alexander Forrester Inglis Cochrane began the 25 hour bombardment of Fort McHenry at 6:30 AM September 13, 1814. The British navy stayed over 3 miles away from the fort out of canon range and used rockets that burst into flames upon impact and mortars firing 10 and 13 inch bombshells that exploded overhead sending fiery shrapnel down on its intended victims.

Because of the rain Fort McHenry flew the storm flag until just about sunrise. The rain had stopped so the garrison flag was ordered to be raised.

The three Americans aboard the Tonnant anxiously waited for morning to see if the flag had been struck or if it was still flying indicating that the fort was indeed still in the fray.

As morning drew on the shelling diminished. Admiral Cochrane had realized he was not going to succeed with the distant tactics and he knew he would only lose the battle if he tried to fight closer in to the fort. So the attack was broken off.

As the sun came up Key, Skinner, and Beanes could see the garrison flag. It brought such a joy to Mr. Key to see the flag that he started to pen the first few words of a poem which he later finished at the Indian Queen Hotel in Baltimore where he had taken a room.

Mr. Key showed the poem to his brother-in-law who lived in the area. His brother-in-law in turn gave it to the newspaper "the Baltimore Patriot." On September 20, 1814, just six days after the battle, "the Patriot" published the poem. It became popular and people began to sing it to the tune of a popular drinking song, "To Anacreon in Heaven."

1916 President Woodrow Wilson ordered the Star Spangled Banner should become the National Anthem and played by the US military at services. Congress did not officially vote it in as the National Anthem until 1931 and it was signed into law by President Herbert Hoover on March 3, 1931.

Major Armistead was given the honorary title of Lieutenant Colonel for his leadership in defending the fort. He was also awarded the garrison flag. Starting a few weeks after the battle when a soldier's widow requested and was granted a piece of the flag to bury with her husband over the succeeding years pieces of the flag were cut off and awarded to several who made similar requests. At an unknown time someone removed one of the fifteen stars by cutting it out of the blue field thus the 30 by 42 foot 15 star flag, over time, was reduced to the present 30 by 32 foot flag with 14 stars remaining.

She is tattered and torn. Her age has reduced her to a frail remnant of what she once was. The flag pole will never again hold high her magnificent beauty nor will a breeze caress her and cause her to sway but she is still proud as she sees her descendants, now supporting fifty stars, stand high as they pass by in a parade, wave from a pole, carried by her military, or held in the hand of a child and she can say, "Yes Francis I do 'yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave'."

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