The Nevada journal., 1859-02-04

|
can flag originated in a resolution Of
Congress, June 13, I777, THAT the
flag of the thirteen United States be
thirteen stripes, alternately red and
white; that the Union be thirteen stars.
white in a blue field, representing a
new constellation" The combination
is ,houghtto have been derived from the
arms of General Washington, which con-
tains three stars in the upper portion,
and three bars running across the es-
cutcheon If this is not correct the CO.
incidence is striking. There were how
ever. several flags used before the stri-
ped flag. Thus, IN March, 1875, ga
Union flag with a red field" vas hoisted
in New York upon the liberty pole,
bearing the inscription George Rex,
and the liberties of America" and upon
the reverse, mo Popery." On the 18th
Of July, 1878, General Putnam raised.
at Prospect Hill, flag bearing on one
side the Massachusetts, motto, "Qui
transtult snstinet." on tho other IAN
appeal to Heaven" In October Of the
same year the floating batteries at Bos-
ton had flag with the latter motto. the
field white with a pine tree upon it
This was the Massachusetts emblem.
Another flag, used during 1775 in some
of the colonies, had upon it rattlesnake
co;led as if about to strike, with the MOI
to Don't tread on me !" The grand
union flag of the thirteen stripes was
! raised on the heights near Boston, Jan.
2 l776. Letters from there say that
the regulars in Boston did not under
stand it and as the Kings speech had
just been sent to the Americans, they
thought the new flag was token Of
submission. The British Annual Regis
ter of 1776 says :--"They burlt the
Kings speech and changed their eolors
from the plain red ground. which they
had hitherto used, to flag with thirteen
stripes, as signal Of the number and
union of the colonies" A letter from
Boston about the same time, published
in the Pennsylvania Gazette, for 1776,
says: "The grand Union flag was
raised on the I'd in compliment to the
United Colonies. The idea of fmaking
stripe for State was adopted from the
first; and this fact goes far to negative
the supposition that the private arms Of
General Washington had anything to
do with the subject. The pine tree,
rattlesnake. and striped flag were used
indiscriminately until July, 1777, when
the blue Union with the stars was ad-
ded to the stripes, and the flag estab-
lished by law. Formerly a new stripe
added for each new State admitted to
the Union, until the flag became too
large, when by act of Congress. the
stripes We're reduced to the old thirteen :;
and now a star is added to the Union at
the introduction of each new State
The standard of the army is fixed at
six feet six inches by four feet four
inches; the number of stripes is thir-
teen, viz: seven red and six white. 1t
will be perceived that the flag is just
one half longer than it is broad, and
that its proportions are perfect when
properly carried out. The first stripe
at the top is red, the next white, and 50
| down alternately, which makes the last
red. The blue field for the stars is
the width and square of the first seven
stripes, viz four red and three white.
These stripes extend from the side of
the "feld" to the extremity of the flag.
The next stripe is white, extending the
entire length of it, and directly under
the field is strong and pleasing relief.
then follow the remaining stripes alter
nately. The number of stars on the
| field is now thirty-one.