Based on the real events.
September 3, 1814
“John, go and saddle my horse. We’ll be leaving in a few moments.”
“Yes, sir.”
I am John Turnbull, servant to Francis Scott Key. We are meeting John Skinner to set sail on board the truce ship HMS Minden for a mission from President Madison! I’m quite excited because we are heading to meet the British generals in Baltimore. Of course, the estate isn’t too far away, just in Washington. It’s a long ride though, so we are putting the horses on the ship to go up the Chesapeake instead. Mr. Skinner is a prisoner-exchange agent and we, well, Mr. Key and Mr. Skinner, are trying to get Dr. William Beanes released. He is a civilian doctor arrested by the British for getting some British soldiers arrested, but earlier Mr. Skinner told Mr. Key that he has letters from some British soldiers saying that Dr. Beanes was kind to them and helped them when they were injured. We are all hoping that the British general will allow Dr. Beanes to be released.
I’m actually quite lucky in that Mr. Key is known for being a kind employer. He is a lawyer. A very good one! He used to live in Frederick, up in Maryland, but now he moved south to Washington where he can be close to the center of power. “You know John, you have to be at the center of everything so you know what’s going on,” he always says to me. Well, we’re at the center of everything this time! We’re heading into a potential war zone and I can tell you, I’m excited but just a bit nervous too.
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September 6, 1814
The ship has arrived in Baltimore now and we are waiting for the okay to meet with Major Ross and Admiral Cochran. Mr. Key has just told me that we will be going aboard the British ship HMS Tonnant tomorrow evening so they can have dinner with the Admiral and Major Ross to try to secure Dr. Beanes’ release.
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September 7th 1814
I am sitting on the deck of the Tonnant, next to the cabin, waiting for Mr. Key and Mr. Skinner to come back from dinner and I just heard the most alarming news! Two of the British sailors just walked by me and didn’t see me. I’m wearing Mr. Key’s household colors of tan and dark brown and maybe I just blended into the background or something, because they were talking about attacking Fort McHenry on the 13th! What should I do?
“Ah, John, there you are. We’ve finished with dinner.”
“Mr. Key, I need to speak with you, sir.”
“Not now, John, we should be heading back to our ship soon enough.”
“No sir, I need…”
“I beg your pardon?”
“I’m sorry, sir. Truly I am, but this is so important!!”
“Very well, John, what is it?”
“Can we walk over here, sir? It’s somewhat, um… It needs to be said quietly.”
“Alright John, what has got you in such a tizzy that you are willing to be rude to me?”
“I beg your pardon, sir, but two of the sailors were discussing the bombing of Fort McHenry on the 13th. That’s in five days, sir. How will we let them know?,” I said excitedly.
I heard someone clear their throat…
Before Mr. Key could turn around, I looked up and saw the Admiral watching us; and close enough to have heard what I had said. He had come around the corner and I didn’t notice!
“So, Mr. Key,” stated Admiral Cochran, “you know about the attack on Fort McHenry. This is a truce ship, so there’s nothing I can do except cause you to stay aboard until after the attack is over. Then you and Mr. Skinner and your young man here will be allowed to leave. I can’t allow you to leave until then.”
September 13th to 14th 1814.
We are still on board the Tonnant. The attack on Fort McHenry has been going on for almost 24 hours now. We could hardly see the Fort anymore last night because of all of the smoke from the guns. The dawn is just beginning to break and I can just barely see the Fort. Mr. Key is exhausted – he’s been awake all night and just sat down on deck for a while. It’s hard to sleep through the booms of the guns going off though. Wait, what is that? They are taking the storm flag down! Oh no! Are they giving up?
“Mr. Key! Mr. Key! The Fort has taken down the storm flag! Sir, what are they doing?”
Mr. Key jumped up to peer through the smoke and mist hanging over the Chesapeake. No flag. No flag. Still no flag. It was dragging on forever. Would the white flag fly in surrender instead? No! “Oh Look, Sir! Can you see? That star-spangled banner waves! She still waves!” In the place of the storm flag, rose the enormous flag sewn in defiance of the British troops’ assault over the past 24 hours.
Mr. Key sat back down on the deck, tears streaming down his face, grabbed an envelope from his pocket and began to write.