The Cornelius Attwood "Star-Spangled Banner" Fragments-- Part 1

From Just Collecting  R.R. Auction   Lot 423  Star-Spangled Banner.

A nice picture of the fragments accompany the article.  "Spectacular and well-documented pair of fragments..  They come from the family of General Cornelius Gilbert Attwood, 25th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry."

The remnants consist of a white swatch 2 X 3.25 inches and a red swatch 1.5 X 1.25 inches.  Originally they were separate but sewn together as part of a flag relic display.  Additional swatches, one of red and white and the other of blue with white fringe are from the flags of the 25th Massachusetts.

--Old Secesh

"The Star-Spangled Banner": A Racist Song?

These days, with all the political correctness and hatred of all things even remotely considered Confederate, the National Anthem has been coming into increasing fire because it was written by Francis Scott Key, who owned slaves and whose family generally supported the Confederacy during the war.

That alone would cause these Confederate-haters to hate the song.

But then, there is the part in the seldom-sung fourth stanza which goes:  "No refuge could save the hireling and slave from the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave."  They take this as anti-slave and racist.

The fact is.that hirelings referred to escaped slaves who had joined British forces with the promise of freedom and land as members of the Colonial Marines.  And, the British consistently tried to get slaves to runaway from their masters as a way of hurting the American war effort.

Not a Racist Song.  --Old Secesh

How the National Anthem Became a Part of Sports-- Part 2: Both North and South Wanted It During Civil War

During the Civil War, both the North and the South wrestled over who would claim "The Star-Spangled Banner" as their own.  The North won.

Ironically, the Confederacy's anthem, "Dixie" was written by an anti-slavery Northerner while the National Anthem was written by a slave-owning Southerner whose family supported the Confederacy long after Keys' death in 1843.

--Old Secesh

How the National Anthem Became a Part of Sports-- Part 1: First Recorded Event Was a Civil War Baseball Game

From the September 26, 2017, USA Today  "How National Anthem became essential part of sports."

The National Anthem is from the War of 1812.  The first time it was played at a sporting event was at an 1862 baseball game during the Civil War.  During World Wars I and II, it got a huge boost and these two wars established the tradition of playing it before games.

Written in 1814 by Francis Scott Key, it became the de facto national anthem not long afterwards.  Congress made it the official National Anthem in 1931.

Some even believe that the National Anthem should actually be "Yankee Doodle Dandy, because it dates back to the American Revolution.

--Old Secesh

What Goes Around Comes Around in (b)altimore

And we're not talking about around the mountain.

Some more on the "hate crime" done to the statue of Francis Scott Key, who wrote the words to our National Anthem.

(b)altimore Mayor Catherine E. Pugh (D) recently removed four Confederate statues.  She has no plans to remove the Francis Scott Key statue however.

A statue of Christopher Columbus was also "vandalized" in her city.  I sure wish the media would stop using the term vandalism to describe these actions.  They are nothing less than hate crimes.

She opened the door, now has to live with it.

Lower case (b) for the city because of its shame.  I also do not plan to visit the city even though I really would like to visit Fort McHenry and other historic sites.

Now (b)altimore Has Opened the Door.  --Old Secesh

Statue of Francis Scott Key in Baltimore "Vandalized": Wrote That 'Racist Anthem'

September 13, 2017 "Statue of Francis Scott Key  in Baltimore vandalized with graffiti."

Wednesday morning, Baltimore residents found the Francis Scott Key memorial at 1200 Eutaw Street spray pained in red and black from the sidewalk to the top of its columns.

Francis Scott Key was the lawyer, author and poet from Frederick Maryland who wrote the poem "The Defense of Fort McHenry" which later became the National Anthem of the United States, "The Star-Spangled Banner."

The vandalizing (I call it a hate crime) took place exactly 203 years after he wrote it.  The statue is located at 1200 N. Eutaw Street.

The words "Racist Anthem" were written on the monument.  The seldom sung third voice contains the words "No refuge could save the hireling and slave from the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave."  This would refer to slaves who fought for Britain who gave them a promise of freedom.

Francis Scott Key owned slaves and opposed abolition.  He died in 1843, so was not a Confederate.

And some of you think these people will be satisfied when all Confederate symbols are gone.  That is JUST the BEGINNING!!

Silly People.  --Old Secesh