Historic actor, Robert Nicholson, of Rusty Buggy Enterprises, presented as Francis Scott Key at Lipscomb Elementary’s third graders. Francis recounted the reason he was on board a ship in the Chesapeake Bay off the coast of Baltimore, MD while the British military attacked Fort McHenry in 1814. He was asked by President Madison to go with Col. Skinner, the transfer agent, to negotiate the release of Dr. Beans.
Key’s Story
” Now, Dr Beans was being held captive by the British because he had been one of the people who were involved in arresting and jailing British soldiers who were misbehaving in Upper Marlboro. The British had invaded Washington, DC and burned government buildings there and were marching up the coast toward Baltimore in an attempt to capture the city. Baltimore was the second most important city in the young United States during the early 1800’s. They were the industrial center, making all the components needed for fighting the British.”
“We secured his release, but had to wait all night because we knew of the British plans to bombard the fort. The British told us we were to be released the next day, under their flag. We witnessed the attack throughout the long night, with bombs bursting in air and with the only light available when rockets lit the sky with a red glare. We were relieved to see our flag was still there the next morning.”
The Rest of the Story
“I am an amateur poet. As the night went by, I recorded my thoughts and feelings as I watched the bombardment on paper I had in my pocket. When we were released and returned to shore, we went to a tavern. There we ate a hearty meal and got a room to rest. After the meal, I asked the tavern owner for paper, a quill and ink. Before I could rest, I wrote out my thoughts from the fort’s attack into a poem. I titled it “The Defense of Fort McHenry,” fell on the bed and slept without taking off my clothes.”
The next day my brother-in-law saw it and was so impressed, he took it to a printer. He had broadsides made, and shared it all around. The poem was a real hit. Soon someone changed the name of it to The Star Spangled Banner, and the rest is history.”
Lipscomb Elementary
Teacher, Bonnie Shiflett, invited Key to visit her students. She spends each year helping students understand the early history of America. During the session, they read the series of books published by Rush Limbaugh, “Rush Revere and the …”, ending the school year with “Rush Revere and the Star Spangled Banner.”
Historic Presentations
A member of the Pensacola Chapter of Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge, Robert Nicholson is available to make presentations at schools and other organizations interested in the details of his Francis Scott Key experiences. Each student receives a pocket copy of the “Constitution” and a “Bill of Responsibilities” compliments of the Freedoms Foundation chapter.
