Excellent moving tribute by President Trump. Fort McHenry was commanded during the Battle of Baltimore (in which the huge Star Spangled Banner flag of the fort was seen to still be flying— not surrendered, was witnessed by Francis Scott Key, writer of our National Anthem) by Captain George Armistead.
Capt. Armistead ordered “a flag so large that the British would have no difficulty seeing it from a distance”, and so it was made 42 feet by 30 feet (huge). Now at the Smithsonian— the number of shell holes preserved with the flag.
Poignant history— Capt. Armistead’s brother,Brevet Brigadier General Walker Keith Armistead ((West Point, 1803) became chief engineer of the Army from 1818 to 1821.
Walker Armistead was the father of General Lewis Armistead (US Army/then C.S.A) who led his brigade in the desperate Pickett’s Charge at Gettysburg- the only troops that did make it all the way across the mile wide field to the Angle of the stone wall.
Lewis went over the wall, was shot 3 times, minor wounds which infected and he died 2 days later. Lewis Armistead is buried next to his uncle-the Hero of the Star Spangled Banner who refused to surrender Ft. McHenry-Capt/Lt. Col. George Armistead in Old St. Pauls’ Episcopal Church in downtown Baltimore.