Curt is correct. It is a heart rendering version that would make Hollywood proud. It is historically incorrect. Here's a copy of my reply to a family member who had sent to me.
I did not attach the pdf to this. It is a 6.1 MB file. If you want it, it can be found at:
http://www.nps.gov/archive/fomc/home.htm
Click on: Historical Handbook Series: History of the Star-Spangled Banner
Sounds good but appears to be historically incorrect. As I understand it, Key was on a US flagged truce ship, not a British ship, to negotiate the release of a civilian prisoner of war, Dr. William Beanes, age 65, not prisoners in general. American casualties were 4 killed & 24 wounded. Not really enough to prop-up the flag pole.
Attached (pdf) is a 525 page (including references) of a 2004 National Park Service research document on the history of the Star Spangled Banner. The account starts on page 55 of the document (it was page 67 of the pdf on my computer). Key was well connected. HIs wife was a Tayloe & Randolph descendant. That connected him by marriage to Thomas Jefferson. HIs brother-in-law was Roger Brooke Taney, later to become Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court on an appointment by Andrew Jackson. Taney wrote the opinion in what many consider to be the infamous "Dred Scott Decision" in 1857.
The answer I got back was:
It was I, that sent that to you. When I told DH what you'd answered, he said "Yes, it was just a dramatization." Here I thought it was true. Sorry. Thanks for the correction.
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