be detailed as officer of the guard
at Fort McHenry that day. Guardmount is always an inspiring exercise,
for then troops are carefully inspected and instructed before entry on
their tour of duty. Fort McHenry is an ideally beautiful spot, situated
on the point of a peninsula formed by the confluence of the north and
south forks of the Patapsco river. The spot is loved by every American.
A picture, a combination of events, produced the most strikingly
emotional effect upon me. We were formed on the exact ground overlooked
by Key when he wrote:

"Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say, does that star spangled banner yet wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?"

I was trying to examine arms. Our Post Band, the 2d Artillery Band, one
of the grandest in the service, was playing that soul lifting piece. The
north fork of the Patapsco was filled with transports, carrying bronzed
veterans (I think the 19th Corps), who were hurrying to Gettysburg, and
these boys were yelling for twice their number; cheers upon cheers. On
the balcony of one of our prison buildings was a prisoner of war, a
lineal descendant of Francis Scott Key, overlooking the scene. And I
thought of our flag over yonder to the northwest, forty miles away at
Gettysburg. Yesterday and day before we had listened, straining our ears
to hear the guns. Was our flag still there? Had our boys with Meade
stood fast against the lion of the Confederacy, or had the Stars and
Bars been flaunted victorious upon the battle ground? God knows how our
hearts were strained in those hours. And when I heard the cheers of our
soldiers upon the transports and thought of Francis Scott Key and how he
had watched to see if Old Glory still waved, my eyes were blinded with
tears. I had to suspend my inspection to dry them. I was not alone
affected; there were many. Such tears one need not be ashamed of; they
are not evidence of weakness. An army of men inspired by such emotions
would be best to avoid.

I shall never forget the relief which came to our anxiety the next
morning (July 5th), Gettysburg was ours. Lee was started back