By Anna Von Reitz
The naval bombardment of Fort McHenry near Baltimore was one of the most fierce naval bombardments in modern world history, if not "the" most ferocious. The bulk of the entire British invasion fleet was centered on Fort McHenry for the simple reason that if they could make the Fort "strike colors" they could use it and the harbor of Baltimore as a center for invasion of the rest of the states.
This profound strategic importance and the terrible might and ferocity of the bombardment which inspired Francis Scott Key to pen the words of "The Star Spangled Banner" are not reflected in the verbiage of such sources as Wikipedia:
Fort McHenry
Bastion Fort
Fort McHenry is a historical American coastal pentagonal bastion fort located in the Locust Point neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. It is best known for its role in the War of 1812, when it successfully defended Baltimore Harbor from an attack by the British navy from the Chesapeake Bay on September 13–14, 1814.
It was first built in 1798 and was used continuously by the U.S. armed forces through World War I and by the Coast Guard in World War II. It was designated a national park in 1925, and in 1939 was redesignated a "National Monument and Historic Shrine".
Oh, ho-hum, right?
