Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1859-06-02
gfrap Of Aisfary.
The History Of the Flag Of the
Uuited States.


The Philadelphia Press Of The
] 9th instan. has an interesting article
giving carefully prepared history
Of the origin and progress Of the flae
Iof the United States. 1t was sug.
gested By the passage by Congress.
at its last session. Of a joint resoln-
fItion. proposing to give "the thanks
tof Congress to Samuel G. Reid, late
Commander Of the private armed
brig Generol Armstrong. for having
designed and formed the present flag
lof the United States We copy
the following portion Of the article !:
The first flag displayed in the
cause of American liberty appears by
historical data to be that hoisted by
| the hands Of Paul jones, as First
Lieutenant Of the Alfred, on board
that vessel, before PhilsdeIphia, in
December. 1875. During the Rev.
dictionary War. both before and for
some time after the Declaration Of
Independence, variety Of Gags were
used typiiying the especial colony
that espoused the cause, and the par
ticular arm of service. The flag
known as the sGreat Union" vas
frst displayed by Washington upon
the heights before Boston, upon as
suming command -inrchipf the com
binsd army of the Colonies, on the I'd
OF January. 1776. This flag geonsisted
of the crosses Of st. Georgeard ST. Az
drew, with thirteen stripes, ,aIternate red
and white, through the field. This
continued in use probably until the Sd
Of September, l777, When a resoiu-
ton Of Congress, adopted on the
l14th of Jane Of the same year,
vas promulgated As follows:
"IS CoNeREss, June IA, 1777.
@Resolrsd, That the flag Of the
thirteen United States be thirteen
stripes, alternate red and white; that
the Union be thirteen stsIs,xbite ia =
blue field, rspressniinH 2 new eoustsl-
lation.'
Fronting this new constellation,
Burg6yns surrendered at Saratoga,
18th az October, l7777, and With it
Jones arrived in France, preparatory
TO bis famous cruise. as above alluded
to- on December 2, Of the same
year.
The flag having been instituted on
the representative principle. to dtsig-
nate the States Of the United States
Of the United Republic, WAS altered,
on molten OF Senator Bradley. ci
Vermont, on the 18th Of january /,
f1794, on the occasion of the adnis-
sion Of Vermont and Kentucky into
the Union. 1t was enacted:
That from and after the first Of
May, Ammo Domini one thousand
seven hundred and ninety-four, The
flag Of the United States be fifteen
stripes, alternate red and white; that
the Uuion 5e fifteen stars, white and
/ in blue field
The first English frigate tbe
GuesTier) that ever struck its col
ors to an American ship (the Con.
szituhon sunk TO the bottom Of the
ocean before this Gag. It was the
/ flag that waved over Hull in the gal
liant fight; over Rogers, when he cap.
/ ltured the British packet Swalloap'
/ 100000 aboard; over Decatur
/ when he made a sloep Of the Mace
doa;aa; over Lawrence, when ht
1 would not give up the ship; ovel
/ Perry, in bis marvellous battle on Lake
Esie, over Reid. in bis terrible de
fence at Fnyai; and over the cottor
/ bales and glory Of New Orleans.
! The flag Of June, 4 { vas alter
led ostensibly to accommodate ths
J Republic BY the incoming Of nev
! States. Yet the act Of Janusry
4 1894. while It changed It 70 sui th'
present, made no provision for tn
f,f,,re. fhus m to 1SlS-- although