Major George Armistead.
When George Armistead took command of Fort McHenry on June 27, 1814, he rather cockily informed General Sam Smith, who was in charge of Baltimore’s defense: “We, sir, are ready at Fort McHenry to defend Baltimore against invading by the enemy. That is to say, we are ready except that we have no suitable ensign to display over the Star Fort and it is my desire to have a flag so large that the British will have no difficulty seeing it from a distance.”
Not only did Armistead have the foresight to request what would become Fort McHenry’s famous flag, but he also made good on his boast.
Armistead did have an impressive military resume. He had served as second in command at the fort from 1807 to 1812, so he was familiar with the fortress and its surroundings. He had then served on the Canadian frontier, where he was promoted to major and took part in the capture of Fort George.
Armistead wasted no time getting the somewhat neglected fort into battle order.
Once the battle of Baltimore began, Armistead had a secret: he was the only defender at the fort to know that the powder magazine was not bombproof. One direct hit from the British would have been disastrous. During the battle, that’s exactly what happened, but by some miracle the shell did not explode. Armistead knew better than to tempt fate again and had the barrels of powder spread throughout the fort.
After the battle and the British defeat, Armistead was near collapse from exhaustion, a fever, and the stress of the battle. Commodore John Rodgers from Havre de Grace took over for a few days until Armistead was able to assume command once more.
Sadly, Armistead died young in 1818 and so his command of Fort McHenry was the main achievement of his military career.
