Civil War Round Table: McMillan to present Star Spangled Banner history

McMillan to present Star Spangled Banner history

At the next regular meeting of the Civil War Round Table of the Mid-Ohio Valley at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18, at St. Luke's Episcopal Church Parish Hall, located at 320 2nd Street, Marietta, there will be a presentation by Tom McMillan, author, historian, and retired sports journalist, on Our Flag Was Still There: The Star Spangled Banner that Survived the British and 200 Years -- And the Armistead Family Who Saved It.

Francis Scott Key saw the original Star-Spangled Banner still flying defiantly over Baltimore Harbor in the early morning mist on September 13, 1814, following a twenty-five hour bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Navy, and the sight inspired the words expressed in our national anthem. Torn, tattered and reduced in size by souvenir hunters over the years, and hidden in a vault in New York City for the last decades of the nineteenth century, the original flag is displayed today at the Smithsonian Museum. Its presence there after more than 200-years is an improbable story of dedication, persistence, patriotism, family squabbles, and much more than a little good fortune.

Tom McMillan observes that we have the Armistead family to thank for the preservation of this national treasure.

"First and foremost is Lt. Col. George Armistead, commander of Fort McHenry, who took the flag home with him after the battle as a souvenir," McMillan said. "It's a complete violation of the U.S. Army regulations. He stole the flag but it remained in the possession of family members for 90-years and no one knew about it. That's why it exists today. His grandson, George Armistead, donated the flag to the Smithsonian Institute in 1907. It is largely because of Lt. Col. Armistead's indiscretion that the flag remains with us today."

McMillan will tell the story of the flag's perilous journey through three-centuries, from Fort McHenry in 1814 to the Smithsonian in 2023. It is a collection of "stories behind the story" with insights into family members and others, including John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, and an account of one of our most treasured national relics.

McMillan dedicated a lifetime to a career in sports journalism but he candidly admits "my life's passion is history."

He retired following a forty-three year career in sports media with The Pittsburgh Press and Vice-President of Communications with the five-time NHL Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins. He has served on the Board of Trustees of the Heinz History Center, Friends of Flight 93 National Memorial and the marketing committee of The Gettysburg Foundation. He has published several books including: Flight 93: The Story, The Aftermath and the Legacy of American Courage on 9/11 (2014); Gettysburg Rebels: Five Native Sons Who Came Home to Fight as Confederate Soldiers ( 2017); and, Armistead and Hancock: Behind The Gettysburg Legend of Two Friends at the Turning Point of the Civil War (2021).

Public is welcome and there is no cost to attend. Small donations will be accepted to defray a portion of the cost of the event. The presentation is made possible through a matching grant secured from the Ohio Arts Council.

The meeting venue offers handicapped parking, no steps, and access to seating for those with mobility limitations.

Accommodations for other disabilities will be considered. Contact cwrtmov@gmail.com or 740-706-2575 for more information.