New York, NY: Farrar & Rinhart, Inc., 1945 Vg hardcover,5.5" by 8",555 pages, without dust jacket, pages have deckled edge, light wear to covers, front and spine titles are bright, unmarked within."This is the story of a forgotten hero of the war nobody knows - the war in which the British very nearly reversed the decision of 1783. The hero was Sam Smith, old soldier, good businessman. When the politicians bungled and the amateur strategists interfered, when the citizen army - called up at the last minute, and almost too late - was defeated, disheartened and completely demoralized, Sam Smith set to work calmly to organize the defenses, using the same shrewdness and courage that he did in his business deals. From the shambles of Bladensburg victory was born and made it possible for an elegant young man named Francis Scott Key to write the national anthem. ""The Rockets' Red Glare"" was no figure of speech then; rockets were the V-bombs of that war, the secret weapon that struck terror-and the British had them. Against them the Americans could pit only superb courage - and old Sam Smith"(National Park Service). "Samuel Smith (1752–1839) was among the most important leaders in early America. Born in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, but raised in Baltimore, Smith distinguished himself during the American Revolution. At age 25, he commanded a fort that successfully defended Philadelphia from the British, winning accolades from the Continental Congress for his bravery. After the revolution, Smith became a powerful trader in Baltimore’s shipping industry and served as a US congressman and senator almost continuously from 1793 to 1833.As major general, Smith was the ranking officer of Baltimore’s militia at the time of the War of 1812. He took charge of the defenses of the city and is largely credited with mobilizing the militia and preparing the fortifications to fend off a British attack. By the time the enemy arrived in September 1814, Smith had assembled such a formidable force of 10–15,000 men that the British withdrew without completing the planned assault .
After the war, Smith continued to be an important force in Congress and then, at age 81, Smith served as mayor of Baltimore from 1833 to 1835."(Wikipedia)