The Democratic sentinel and Harrison County farmer. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1851-1852, 1851-06-04
Origin Of the American Flag.

Speculatlons have often been indulged in
about the orign---that is, from whence came
the idea OF the stars and stripes comprising
our national flag. Whoever has an oppor
tunlty Of examining the illustrated pedigree
OF the Washington family. will be struck with
the idea in moment, that the coat of arm.
Of Washington furnished the flag of coul
country. which his generalship made indie
pendent Of the flag of St. George, and enti
tied to wear one Of her own.
/ The pedigree Of General Washington, tra
ced and Illuminated by Mr.. Gwilt Mapleson
carries back his descent to William de aHert-
burn, Lord of the Manor of Washington. in
the county Of Durham, England. From him
descended John Washington. Of Whitnfeld
in the time Of Richard III; and ninth in de-
scent from the said John, was George. the
first President Of the United States, lr-,
The mother of John Washington, who
emigrated to Virginia in 1867, and who was
great grand to the General, .was
Elanor Hastings. granddaughter to Francis,
second Earl of Huntington. She was the
descendant, through the Lady Hunting
ton, of George, Duke of Clarence, brother Of
King Edward w., and King Richard H.,
by Isabel Nevil, daughter and heiress of
Richard, Earl of Warwick sp
Washington, therefore, as well as all the
descendants Of that marriage, are entitled to
quarter the arms Of Hastings-Pole, Earl of
Salisbury, Plantagenet, Scotland, Mortimer
Earl of March, Nevil, Montague, Beauchamp
and Devereux. The pedigree, which is fun
and accurate with regard to dates, gives, as
it were, an epitome of the history of the fam
lily. II is surrounded by border, orna-,
mented by the shield of arms, implanted byI
different ancestors in the right Of their wives,
as well as some of the quarterings borne byi
their descendants. The coat of arms of the
first john Washington was composed of three
stars and three stripes, which form a part of
the heraldic bearings of the family ever since.
George Washington was entitled to use his
ensign upon a flag in the army whichhe com
and in all probability the first one
ever madein America was composed Of threcE
stars and three stripes, which these who
were yersed in heraldry, would at once rcc-,t
ognize as the proper colors Of the Command
erin Chief OF the Revolutionary armv-7the
flag Of WASHINGTON In course Of time ten |
other stars were added, and the flag Of Gen.
Washington became the flag of the tliirteen
United Colonies.
While individuals still live who might have
seen the first w ashington standard 9nturled, i
or who unfurlcd, or who helped to swell the
shout that went up to Heaven when the
thirteen stars first spread to the breeze. .overl
the United States-bcholdt 7 the figures are
thirteen has changed to thirty1
tehfold multiplicity from the original
number of stars, has hidden the origin Of the
iag; and few are aware, as they uncover the
head to honor the name Of Washington. ana
'end,up shout after shout as the stars and Il
stripes are unfolded to the breeze, that the
lag they adore is the flag Of the name they
would .honor-the stars and stripes Of the
lrms and standard Of Washington. Let is
end up one more shout Of graduation, thatt
Our flag is (still) there,'' and the name Of
Is founder is still here, in our hearts4-in the
learts Of all the people Of the thirty -oneI
United States, over whom, until the name is
orgotten, may mo other flag ever wave, than
he stars and striDes Of WaSbin0f0n lf45h9E