Tom McMillan
Millions of Americans have seen the original Star-Spangled Banner at the Smithsonian Institution, paying tribute to a tattered old flag that, more than 200 years ago, signaled victory over the British at Fort McHenry and inspired Francis Scott Key to write the national anthem.
But few know how it got there. Or why.
Author and historian Tom McMillan digs deep into story of the most famous flag in U.S. history, highlighting the unique role played by three generations of an enduring military family. His new book, OUR FLAG WAS STILL THERE: The Star-Spangled Banner that Survived the British and 200 Years – And the Armistead Family Who Saved It, uses never-before-published letters and documents, and rare photos from the private collections of Armistead descendants to reveal:
- George Armistead, commander of Ft. McHenry in Baltimore during the War of 1812, wanted a “flag so large the British would have no difficulty seeing it from a distance;”
- Armistead took the big flag home as a souvenir after the battle, in violation of army regulations, and it remained in the private possession of his family for 90 years;
- Why more than eight feet of material were cut away in small pieces over the years;
- How grandson Ebenezer Stuart Appleton came to be in charge of the flag, hiding it in a vault for 27 years, and why he decided to give it to the Smithsonian;
- The millions of stitches added and removed from the flag in preservation efforts.
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[Added July 20, 2023]