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Fort McHenry and Lotus Point Crabs
by
Susan Magrini
Calificación: 4.0
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%20and%20while%20I%20still%20had%20feeling%20in%20my%20feet,%20a%20tour%20of%20Fort%20McHenry%20was%20in%20order.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EOff%20we%20went%20in%20search%20of%20the%20Star%20Spangled%20Banner%20(to%20those%20of%20you%20not%20in%20the%20know,%20like%20I%20was%20before%20this%20visit,%20banner%20was%20what%20they%20called%20the%20flag).%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EFort%20McHenry%20was%20built%20on%20the%20site%20of%20the%20former%20Fort%20Whetstone,%20which%20had%20defended%20Baltimore%20from%201776%20to%201797.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20Frenchman%20Jean%20Foncin%20designed%20the%20fort%20in%201798,%20and%20it%20was%20built%20between%201798%20and%201800.%20The%20new%20fort's%20purpose%20was%20to%20improve%20the%20defenses%20of%20the%20increasingly%20important%20Port%20of%20Baltimore%20from%20future%20enemy%20attacks.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20new%20fort%20was%20constructed%20in%20the%20form%20of%20a%20five-pointed%20star%20surrounded%20by%20a%20dry%20moat%20%E2%80%94%20a%20deep,%20broad%20trench.%20The%20moat%20would%20serve%20as%20a%20shelter%20from%20which%20infantry%20might%20defend%20the%20fort%20from%20a%20land%20attack.%20In%20case%20of%20such%20an%20attack%20on%20this%20first%20line%20of%20defense,%20each%20point,%20or%20bastion%20could%20provide%20a%20crossfire%20of%20cannon%20and%20small%20arms%20fire.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EBeginning%20at%206:00%20A.M.%20on%2013%20September%201814,%20British%20warships%20continuously%20bombarded%20the%20fort%20for%2025%20hours.%20The%20American%20defenders%20had%2018,%2024,%20and%2038%20pound%20(8,%2011%20and%2017%20kg)%20cannons%20with%20a%20maximum%20range%20of%201.5%20miles%20(2.4%20km).%20The%20British%20guns%20had%20a%20range%20of%202%20miles%20(3%20km),%20and%20their%20rockets%20had%20a%201.75-mile%20(2.8-km)%20range,%20but%20neither%20guns%20nor%20rockets%20were%20accurate.%20The%20British%20ships%20were%20unable%20to%20pass%20Fort%20McHenry%20and%20penetrate%20Baltimore%20Harbor%20because%20of%20its%20defenses,%20including%20a%20chain%20of%2022%20sunken%20ships,%20and%20the%20American%20cannons.%20They%20were,%20however,%20able%20to%20come%20close%20enough%20at%20maximum%20range%20to%20fire%20rockets%20and%20mortars%20on%20the%20fort.%20Due%20to%20the%20poor%20accuracy%20of%20the%20British%20weapons%20at%20maximum%20range,%20and%20the%20limited%20range%20of%20the%20American%20guns,%20very%20little%20damage%20was%20done%20on%20either%20side%20before%20the%20British%20ceased%20their%20attack%20on%20the%20morning%20of%2014%20September%20due%20to%20a%20lack%20of%20ammunition.%20Thus%20the%20naval%20part%20of%20the%20British%20invasion%20of%20Baltimore%20had%20been%20repulsed.%20Only%20one%20British%20warship,%20a%20bomb%20vessel,%20received%20a%20direct%20hit%20from%20the%20fort's%20return%20fire,%20which%20wounded%20one%20crewman.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EFrancis%20Scott%20Key,%20a%20Washington%20lawyer%20who%20had%20come%20to%20Baltimore%20to%20negotiate%20the%20release%20of%20Dr.%20William%20Beanes,%20a%20civilian%20prisoner%20of%20war,%20witnessed%20the%20bombardment%20from%20a%20nearby%20truce%20ship.%20An%20oversized%20American%20flag%20had%20been%20sewn%20by%20Mary%20Pickersgill%20for%20$405.90%20in%20anticipation%20of%20the%20British%20attack%20on%20the%20fort.%20When%20Key%20saw%20the%20flag%20emerge%20intact%20in%20the%20dawn%20of%20September%2014,%20he%20was%20so%20moved%20that%20he%20began%20that%20morning%20to%20compose%20the%20poem%20%22The%20Defence%20of%20Fort%20McHenry%22%20which%20would%20later%20be%20renamed%20%22The%20Star-Spangled%20Banner%22%20and%20become%20the%20United%20States'%20national%20anthem.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EBaltimore%20is%20a%20city%20that%20actually%20has%20a%20free%20commuter%20bus%20and%20boat%20service%20that%20runs%20routes%20between%20points%20in%20the%20city%20where%20the%20majority%20of%20people%20travel%20to%20work%20from%20%22Point%20A%20to%20Point%20B%22%20on%20a%20daily%20basis%20and%20if%20you%20discover%20this,%20you%20can%20get%20anywhere%20in%20the%20city,%20FREE!.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAs%20a%20tourist,%20this%20is%20a%20really%20good%20thing,%20especially%20when%20the%20city's%20best%20crab%20house%20is%20in%20a%20place%20where%20the%20regular%20water%20taxi%20does%20not%20go,%20Lotus%20Point.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EL.P.%20Steamers%20is%20the%20place%20where%20the%20locals%20go%20when%20they%20want%20crabs.%20You%20know%20those%20places.%20It's%20a%20hole-in-the-wall%20%22dive%22%20that%20Guy%20Fieri%20could%20visit,%20that%20has%20four%20picnic%20benches%20on%20the%20main%20level%20and%20a%20rooftop%20restaurant%20complete%20with%20open%20aired%20deck.%20Really%20cool!%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWe%20ordered%20a%20dozen%20large%20with%20a%20side%20of%20macaroni%20salad%20and%20a%20pitcher%20of%20ice%20cold%20beer.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EHaving%20just%20walked%20ten%20blocks%20on%2085%20degree,%20no%20shade,%20all%20sun%20streets,%20that%20beer%20was%20one%20of%20the%20best%20beer's%20this%20year.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20locals%20know%20best%20and%20they%20are%20right.%20Steamed%20in%20more%20Old%20Bay%20than%20I%20will%20ever%20use%20in%20a%20year,%20they%20were%20tender,%20juicy,%20spicy%20and%20oh,%20so,%20sweet.%20I%20could%20have%20eaten%20that%20whole%20dozen%20all%20by%20myself.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EMove%20over,%20Nudgeman.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAs%20you%20can%20see,%20three%20hours%20later,%20we%20left%20almost%20no%20trace%20we%20were%20even%20there......Yummo!!%3C/p%3E){kind=link}