Fort McHenry National Monument (6/3/2025)

Tuesday, June 3, 2025 (continued)

We had lunch at Little Havana just down the
street from the Baltimore Museum of Industry

Cubano sandwich with rice and beans, and plantain chips

Birria empanadas and a Union Duckpin
Pale Ale in a Modelo glass

Statue (1914, by Edward Berge) of
Colonel George Armistead who was
commander at Fort McHenry during the
bombardment by the British that inspired
Francis Scott Key to pen the words to
The Star Spangled Banner

Fort McHenry (1798-1803 with improvements)
is much more interesting when viewed from the air

French cannon similar to those used in 1814 at the fort,
and a 36-pound shot/cannonball that was fired from
Fort McHenry and dredged up in 2004 from the Patapsco River

Rare surviving pieces of a uniform worn by
Lieutenant John Reese at the Battle of
North Point in September 1814

We watched a film about the Battle of
Baltimore on September 13-14, 1814,
and when it was finished, the screen rose
to reveal sight of the flag through windows

Restored cannons at the upper water battery

Replica furniture in the barracks

Although the bunks look quite spacious,
the enlisted men slept four to a bunk

The junior officers' quarters also served as their dining room,
but they had 'servants' to bring furniture in and out as needed

The magazine for storing gunpowder

The flag today stands at the original site, but is
smaller than the flag seen by Francis Scott Key

Kent confers with Colonel Armistead

The guardroom, where it is likely the Star Spangled Banner
spent the rainy night before being raised by the dawn's
early light to be sighted by Francis Scott Key,
who spent the battle on a British ship
negotiating the release of an American prisoner

Magazine and combined Officers' Quarters and Guardroom

Part of the outer water battery (1840s) with Rodman
cannons typical of the Civil War; the middle one is on a
center pintle barbette carriage and the outer guns on a
front pintle barbette carriage, both of which can swivel