On Sunday morning, September 11, 1814, Henry played his drum thus alerting others in his militia unit that the British fleet was approaching the harbor in Baltimore, Maryland - and Fort McHenry. During the march to the fort he drummed orders from commanders to the troops. He stood along the shore playing the drum all night long while the bombardment of the fort went on. He would later be dubbed 'the Drummer Boy of Fort McHenry' as a result of his actions. He had joined the Maryland militia at the age of 16 and lived a long life afterwards. He was a roofer by trade. He was the father of 12 children and was said to have adopted a few others. When he died and was buried he never had any marker placed upon his grave. Until some of his descendants went looking for his grave and found it. Then they filled out some papers with the Veterans Administration and got a marker for him approved. The city of Baltimore has since issued a proclamation that designated Oct. 13, 2012 as Henry Lightner Day. The drum he played is on display at the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House in Baltimore. And it was used by his father while serving under General George Washington at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania during the American Revolution some years earlier.
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This information was excerpted from reports in the Baltimore Sun newspaper, November 4, 2012. Numerous other online sources were used as references also.
***
This information was excerpted from reports in the Baltimore Sun newspaper, November 4, 2012. Numerous other online sources were used as references also.
On Sunday morning, September 11, 1814, Henry played his drum thus alerting others in his militia unit that the British fleet was approaching the harbor in Baltimore, Maryland - and Fort McHenry. During the march to the fort he drummed orders from commanders to the troops. He stood along the shore playing the drum all night long while the bombardment of the fort went on. He would later be dubbed 'the Drummer Boy of Fort McHenry' as a result of his actions. He had joined the Maryland militia at the age of 16 and lived a long life afterwards. He was a roofer by trade. He was the father of 12 children and was said to have adopted a few others. When he died and was buried he never had any marker placed upon his grave. Until some of his descendants went looking for his grave and found it. Then they filled out some papers with the Veterans Administration and got a marker for him approved. The city of Baltimore has since issued a proclamation that designated Oct. 13, 2012 as Henry Lightner Day. The drum he played is on display at the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House in Baltimore. And it was used by his father while serving under General George Washington at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania during the American Revolution some years earlier.
***
This information was excerpted from reports in the Baltimore Sun newspaper, November 4, 2012. Numerous other online sources were used as references also.
***
This information was excerpted from reports in the Baltimore Sun newspaper, November 4, 2012. Numerous other online sources were used as references also.
