names to various places. Finally he dropped anchor in
the harbor of Port Royal and began founding a settlement.

All were in good spirits and wished to remain, but Ribault sailed for
France, leaving thirty men behind. After a time they quarreled and
rigged up a worthless boat with which they set sail for home. All would
have perished, had they not been picked up by an English vessel, which
humanely landed the feeblest on the coast of France, while the strong
men were taken to England as prisoners of war.

It was the intention of Ribault to return to America, but civil war was
raging in France, and for a time he was prevented. In April, 1564, three
more ships set sail to repeat the attempt at colonization. They were
under the command of Captain Laudonniere, who hadthe navy yard and its contents, a frigate on the stocks, and
several small vessels were destroyed. The patent office and jail were
the only public property spared. The burning of Washington was an
outrage which was generally condemned in England.

After a rest and the reception of reinforcements, Ross marched against
Baltimore, which he declared should be his winter quarters. While on the
road he was mortally wounded by an American sharpshooter in a tree. Such
a brave defense was made by Forts McHenry and Covington, guarding the
narrow passage from the Patapsco into the harbor of Baltimore, that the
British fleet and the land forces were repelled. The success of this
defense inspired Francis S. Key to write our famous national song, _The
Star-Spangled Banner_.


THE HARTFORD CONVENTION.

The war became intensely unpopular in New England. Its shipping suffered
severely,