How History Unfolds on Paper: Important Americana from the Eric C. Caren Collection, Part X

The National Advocate
New-York: N. Phillips, Tuesday Morning, September 27, 1814. Vol. II, No. 120. Printed newspaper. Folio. (4) pp. Separated along central vertical fold; scattered spotting; closed tears in bottom edge of each leaf; light edge wear; scattered small repairs; printing defect in top of central vertical fold. Filby N-13

A very early newspaper printing of the Star-Spangled Banner. Reprinted from the Baltimore Patriot, the editor prophetically introduces Francis Scott Key's poem--printed anonymously with its original title the "Defence of Fort M'Henry"--as "destined long to outlast the occasion, and outlive the impulse, which produced it." They go on to provide some detail to the poem's creation, stating, "A gentleman had left Baltimore, in a flag of truce for the purpose of getting released from the British fleet a friend of his, who had been captured at Marlborough. He went as far as the mouth of the Patuxent, and was not permitted to return lest the intended attack on Baltimore should be disclosed. He was therefore brought up the bay to the mouth of the Patapsco, where the flag vessel was kept under the guns of a frigate, and he was compelled to witness the bombardment of Fort M'Henry, which the Admiral had boasted that he would carry in a few hours, and that the city must fall. He watched the flag at the Fort through the whole day with an anxiety that can be better felt than described, until the night prevented him from seeing it. In the night he watched the Bomb Shells, and at early dawn his eye was again greeted by the proudly waving flag of his country." Key's identity was first published in the September 24 issue of the Frederick-Town Herald, but that news had evidently not yet reached the editors of this newspaper.

Key's poem was widely printed at the time, and was first published in a newspaper a week prior to this printing, on September 20, in the Baltimore Patriot & Evening Advertiser. Five other newspapers and some broadsides precede this newspaper, all quite rare, while this printing precedes the first magazine appearance (November 1-3, 1814), the first sheet music appearance (ca. October 19, 1814), and the first book appearance (later 1814).

According to online records, we cannot locate another copy of this issue at auction.