Pioche daily record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1872-1876, 1872-11-17
THE PIOCHE DAILY RECORD
THE HISTORY OF THE FLAG.


The following history of the flag of
our Union We have prepared at the re-
quest of peter Hercules, and it will
doubtless interest many of our readers:
The stars and stripes became the ma
tional flag of the United States OF Ameri-
ca by virtue of resolution of Congress,
passed June IA, 1777:
Resolved, That the flag of the thirteen
Unit ed States be thirteen stripes, alter
nate red and white, in blue field, rep
resenting new constellation.
This resolution appears in the journal
of Congress, Volume 2, page 1855. AL
though passed on the date given above,
it was not made public until September
3D. IN the same year, when it appeared
in the Boston Gazette and Country
Journal. The flag seems to have been
the result of the work commenced by
Washington, DR.. Franklin, Mr. Lynch,
Mr.. Harrison and Colonel Joseph Reed.
On the I'd of January, l776, Washington
WAS in the American camp at Cambridge,
organizing the new army which was that
day created The Committee of Confer
ence, consisting of Franklin, Lynch and
Harrison, sent by Congress to arrange
with Washington the details of the army,
were with him. Colonel Reed, one OF
the aids-de-camp was also Secretary of
the Committee of Conference. The
several designs for flags had long occu-
pied the thoughts of Reed and his assoc
ciates. The flag in use by the army was
II plain red field, with the BritNkkunion
of the crosses of St. Andrew, StGeorge
and st. Patrick on the upper left corner.
Several gentlemen of Boston sent to the
American camp copies of the Kings
speech. 1t was received on the date
mentioned above, and the effect is des-
crlbed in the British Annual Register
l716, page l47. thus:
The arrival of the copy of the King s
speech with an account of the fate of the
petition from the Continental Congress,
is sad to have excited the greatest de-
gree of rage and indignation among
them; as 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 a symbol
onies."
The use of stripes to mark the number
OF the States on the flag cannot be clear
ly traced, but may be accounted for by a
custom of the camp at Cambridge. The
army of citizen volunteers comprised all
grades of men. Very few were uniform
ed. 1t was almost impossible for the
sentinels to distinguish general officers
from privates. Frequently officers were
stopped at the outposts and held for
Identification until the arrival of the
Officer of the Day. Orders were issued
that the different grades of officers
sould be distinguished by strip of col
ored ribbon worn across the breast.
Washington, as COMMANDMENT Chief,
wore ribbon of light blue. The stars
on the blue feld-'a new constella-
tion'-were suggested by the constelia-
ton Lyra, time-houored as an emblem
OF union. The thirteen stars of the new
constellation was placed as the circum-
ference CT circle, and on o blue field,
in accordance with the resolution al
ready given. That was the flag used at
Burgoyne's surrender, Octobes II, TIT.
By resolution Of Congress, passed
January IA, 1874, to take effect May l.,
1895, the flag was changed to fifteen
stars and fifteen stripes. This was the
flag of 1912. By a resolution passed
April 4, 1918, to take effect ON the fol-
lowing July 4th, the flag was again
changed to one Of thirteen stripes and
twenty stars; and new star, to repre-
sent new State, ordered to be placed
on the blue field on the fourth of July
following the admission of such State.
The flag planted on the National Palace
in Mexico had thirty stars. 1t now car
ries thirty-seven.-lN. Y. Journal of
Commerce.