Because of this, naval support would be required to dislodge the American forces. Fort McHenry would have to be eliminated. Early on the morning of September 13, the British warships began their bombardment.
These ships fired exploding mortar shells at high angles into the fort. Initially, the British fleet exchanged fire with the fort's cannons, but soon withdrew out of range. For the next twenty-seven hours, the warships hammered the fort. Over 1, cannonballs, shells, and rockets were fired at the fort, but only inflicted light damage thanks to fortification efforts before the battle. During the night, Cochrane ordered a landing party to slip past the fort and try to draw troops from the force opposing Brooke.
These troops were able to draw fire from the fort, but did not draw troops away from Baltimore. On the morning of September 14, the American defenders lowered their battered storm flag and raised the large, thirty by forty-two foot, garrison flag. This flag, ordered a year earlier by Maj. Armistead from local flagmaker Mary Pickersgill, was raised every morning at reveille, but earned a special significance on the morning of the 14th.
Lawyer Francis Scott Key , aboard a British warship for a prisoner negotiation during the bombardment, feared that the fort had succumbed to the bombardment. Yet, when Key saw the large flag flying over the fort, there could be no mistake; the fort held.
The British withdrew their troops and set sail for New Orleans. Advancing ashore, Brooke, who believed they had defeated city's defenders the day before, was stunned when his men found 12, Americans behind substantial earthworks east of the city. Under orders not to attack unless with a high chance of success, he began probing Smith's lines but was unable to find a weakness.
As a result, he was forced to hold his position and await the outcome of Cochrane's assault on the harbor. Early in the afternoon, Rear Admiral George Cockburn, thinking the fort had been badly damaged, moved the bombardment force closer increase the effectiveness of their fire. As the ships closed, they came under intense fire from Armistead's guns and were compelled to draw back to their original positions.
In effort to break the stalemate, the British attempted to move around the fort after dark. Embarking 1, men in small boats, they rowed up the Middle Branch. Mistakenly thinking they were safe, this assault force fired signal rockets which gave away their position. As a result, they quickly came under an intense crossfire from Forts Covington and Babcock. Taking heavy losses, the British withdrew.
By dawn, with the rain subsiding, the British had fired between 1, and 1, rounds at the fort with little impact. The greatest moment of danger had come when a shell struck the fort's unprotected magazine but had failed to explode. Realizing the potential for disaster, Armistead had the fort's gunpowder supply distributed to safer locations. As the sun began to rise, he ordered the fort's small storm flag lowered and replaced with the standard garrison flag measuring 42 feet by 30 feet.
Sewn by local seamstress Mary Pickersgill , the flag was clearly visible to all of the ships in the river. The sight of the flag and the ineffectiveness of the hour bombardment convinced Cochrane that the harbor could not be breached. Ashore, Brooke, with no support from the navy, decided against a costly attempt on the American lines and began retreating towards North Point where his troops re-embarked.
The attack on Fort McHenry cost Armistead's garrison 4 killed and 24 wounded. British losses were around killed, wounded, and captured, most of which occurred during the ill-fated attempt to move up the Middle Branch.
The successful defense of Baltimore coupled with victory at the Battle of Plattsburgh aided in restoring American pride after the burning of Washington DC and bolstered the nation's bargaining position at the Ghent peace talks. Detained aboard the ship Minden , Key had gone to meet with the British to secure the release of Dr. William Beanes who had been arrested during the attack on Washington.
Having overhead the British attack plans, Key was forced to remain with the fleet for the duration of the battle.
Moved to write during the fort's heroic defense, he composed the words to an old drinking song entitled To Anacreon in Heaven. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content.
Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. We think that their merit entitles them to preservation in some more permanent form than the columns of a daily paper. History Resources. A full transcript is available.
Questions for Discussion Why do you think in the national anthem we sing the first verse, but usually leave out the other three?
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