evening, September 11, that the British were seen in
strong force at the mouth of the Patapsco, preparing to land at North
Point, fifteen miles from the city by land, twelve by water. Their fleet
anchored off that point, two miles from the shore. It was a beautiful
night, a full moon shining in a cloudless sky, and the air balmy.

"Ross intended to take Baltimore by surprise, and had boasted that he
would eat his Sunday dinner there. At two o'clock in the morning the
boats were lowered from his ships, and seamen and land troops went on
shore, protected by several gun brigs anchored very near. The men were
armed, of course, and each boat had a carronade ready for action.
Admiral Cockburn and General Ross were on shore by about seven o'clock
with 5000 land troops, 2000 seamen, and 2000 marines.

"Their intention was to march rapidly upon Baltimore and take it by
surprise, therefore they carried as little baggage as possible, and only
eighty rounds apiece of ammunition. At the same time a frigate was sent
to make soundings in the channel leading to Baltimore, as the navy was
intended to take part in the attack upon the city."

"Oh, wasn't everybody terribly frightened, papa?" asked Grace.

"There was a good deal of alarm," replied the captain, "and many of the
citizens fled, with their valuables, to places in the interior of the
country, filling the hotels for nearly a hundred miles north of the
city.

"I will not at present go into the details of the battle of North Point,
which immediately followed, but will tell of what was going on upon the
water.

"The British frigates, schooners, sloops, and bomb-ketches had passed
into the Patapsco early in the morning, while Ross was moving from North
Point, and anchored off Fort McHenry, but beyond the reach of its guns.
The bomb and rocket vessels were so posted as to act upon Fort McHenry
and the fortifications on the hill, commanded by Rodgers. The frigates
were stationed farther outward, the water being too shallow to allow
them to approach within four or five miles of the city, or two and a
half of the fort.

"Besides, the Americans had sunk twenty-four vessels in the narrow
channel between Fort McHenry and Lazaretto Point, to prevent the passage
of the vessels of the enemy.

"That night was spent by the British fleet in preparations for the
morrow's attack upon the fort and the entrenchments on the hill, and on
the morning of the 13th their bomb-vessels opened a he