Fort McHenry protected the water approaches to Baltimore for more than a hundred years but was attacked only once. On September 13-14, 1814, British ships fired rockets and mortars at the fort for twenty-five hours. Fort McHenry withstood the bombardment, and when the smoke cleared the American flag was still waving. Francis Scott Key watched these events from the deck of a truce ship down the river. His description of the battle was immortalized in “The Star-Spangled Banner,” the song that later became the National Anthem. Although the fort has undergone many changes since 1814, many original structures survive in whole or part. During those unforgettable hours, Fort McHenry’s defenders saved a city and inspired a song.