Middletown transcript., 1872-12-07
History Of our Flag.

The followius account Il The origin and
history ef the. United etsiss Aao 10 oisss IL
tho .Iosvsai " Commeyse = .yzyg
The stars and stripes became the nation
al Gag Of the United States of Amerlca BY
virtue Of . resolution Of Congress. ps.scd
June the 14th. 1777; "Rssolved, Thst
the flag Of tho thirteen United States be
thirteen stripes, alternate red and white;
that the Union bc thirteen stars, white 10
blue field, representing new constclla-
ton" This resolution appears in the
Journal Of Congress, volume 2, pagc 1866.
Although passed on the date given above.
il was not made public until September 3.
in the same year, when it appeared in tho
Boston Gazette and Country Journal. The
flag seems Ia have bosn the result Of the
work eommcnced by Washington, Dr,
Franklin, Mr.. Lynch, Mr.. Harrison and
Colonel Joseph Reed. On the Cd Of Jan.
1776. Washington was in the American
camp at Cambridge. organizing the new
army which was that day created The
committee Of confsrsnco, consisting sf
Franklin. Lyuch aud Harrison, sent BY
Congress to arrange with Washington the
details Of the army, were with them. Col.
Reed. one Of the aidss-dc-camp. wss also
secretary Of tho committee Of confercr,cc.
The Gag in use BY tho army was plsis
red field, with tho British union Of the
crosses Of St. Andrew. st. George and
St. Patrick on the upper left corner. Sev-
crnl gentlemen Of Boston sent 10 the A.
merican camp copies Of the kings speech.
1t was received on tho date mentioned a.
bove, and the effect is described in the
British annual Register, l776, page LAT,
thus:
"Thc arrival Of the copy Of the kings
speech with an account Of the fate Of the
petition from the Continental Congress, Is
said to have excited tho greatest degree of
rage aud Indignation among them, as u
proof of which the former was publicly
burnt in the camp; and they are said. on
this occasion, to have changed their colors
from plain red ground, which they had
hitherto used, to flag of thirteen stripes,
as symbol Of the number and union oi
the colonies"
The use of stripes to mark the number
Of States on the flag cannot be clearly
traced bu, may be accounted for by Gus
tom Of the camp at Cambridge. The army
Of citizen volunteers comprised all grades
If men. Very few were uniformed. Il
was almost impossible for tho sen,inels to
distinguish general officers from priva,es
Frequently officers were stopped at the
outposts and held for Identification unit
the arrival Of the officer of the day Or
dcrs were issued that the different grade.
Of officers should be distinguished b7 :
stripe of different coloroi ribbon worn a
cross the breast. Washington. as com.
manicr- in chief, wore q ribbon of ligh
blue. The stars OF tie blue field
new constellation were suggested b,
the constellation Lyra. ,me-honored o
an emblem Of union The thirteen star
Of the new constellation were placed us til
circumference Of circle. and on a blu
field, in accordance with the resolution al
ready given. That was the flag used a
Burgoync's surrender, October IL, lT77
By a resolution Of Congress. passed Jan
18th. 1894, to take effect May LIST. l795
the flag was changed to fifteen stars an
fifteen stripes. That was tho flag o
isla. by resolution, passed April I
1878, to take effect on the following Jul
ith the flag was again changed to one Q
,li, een stripes and twenty stars and
new star. % represent new State, order
ed to be placed On the blue field on tn
i,h of July following the admission {
ench Stats. The flag now ca.t'cs thry
seven.