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A Mission During the War of 1812

During the War of 1812, a young American lawyer named Francis Scott Key took a rowboat from Fort McHenry in Baltimore and rode out to a British battleship to negotiate a prisoner swap.

When he met the captain, he explained his mission. The captain laughed and said, “That’ll be all academic after tonight.”

Francis asked, “What do you mean?” The captain pointed to dozens of British naval vessels approaching and said, “On my command, all their guns are going to be aimed at Fort McHenry. When I say fire, we will bomb your fort until you surrender.”

A Flag as a Signal of Surrender

Francis was startled and protested, “There are women and children at the fort—you can’t do that.”

The captain responded, “Don’t worry, I’ve already sent a messenger. You see that big American flag over the ramparts? If they lower it, we’ll take it as a sign of surrender and stop the bombardment.”

Francis asked, “Can I speak to the prisoners?”

The captain agreed. Francis went below deck, spoke to the prisoners in shackles, and explained the situation. They pleaded, “Oh no, Francis, we can’t surrender. Please tell us we’re not going to surrender.”

Francis simply replied, “I don’t know, guys—just pray.”

The Bombing of Fort McHenry

Back above deck, Francis watched as the British began their relentless bombardment of Fort McHenry. The prisoners shouted up, “Francis, does the flag still stand?”

He answered, “Yes, the flag still stands.”

As night fell, darkness obscured the view. All he could see was “the rockets’ red glare and the bombs bursting in air.” The prisoners cried out again, “Francis, does the flag still stand?” He replied, “I can’t tell. It’s too dark.”

The Dawn’s Early Light

After 25 hours of constant bombardment, as dawn broke and the twilight began to gleam, the prisoners cried, “Francis, look now! Does the flag still stand?”

Francis looked—and to his joy, he shouted, “The flag still stands!” He heard the prisoners erupt in joy: “Hallelujah! Praise God!” They laughed and praised the Lord that the flag still stood.

The Cost of Freedom

Then Francis heard the captain turn to his first mate and ask, “How is that bloody flag still standing?”

The first mate raised his telescope, observed, and replied, “Captain, it’s being held up by dead bodies.”

The captain, shocked, asked, “Dead bodies? What are you talking about?”

The mate explained, “Apparently, every American who was holding that flag and died was replaced by another American who stood on top of his body and died. Their bodies are stacked at least 25 high—25 dead American bodies holding that flag up.”

The Words That Inspired a Nation

At that moment, Francis Scott Key remembered the words of George Washington:
“The Christian American would rather die on his back than live on his knees in servitude to a tyrannical king.”

It was then that Francis Scott Key penned the words to The Star-Spangled Banner, inspired by what he had witnessed that night.

Why We Remember

This is why we pledge allegiance to the flag. This is why, this Memorial Day, I’ll be going with good friends to the Veterans Cemetery in my town—to honor the dead Americans.

To remember that dead bodies hold up that flag—not just from the War of 1812, but also from:

• The Revolutionary War
• The Civil War
• World War II
• Korea
• Vietnam
• The War on Terror
• The many young men who gave their lives in Afghanistan and Iraq

A Call to Gratitude

When that American flag rises, you pledge allegiance to it. You thank God that we live in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Have a happy Memorial Day.

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