Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1872-11-21
History of Oar Flag.

The fo!low!n, account OF the origin
and history ofths Unitel States Flag
Is given in the Jowssl Of Commsrcs ::
The stars ana stripes became the
national hay OF the United States OF
America by virtue OF resolution of
c ,ngress. passed June 18th, l717:
Resolved, That the flag OF the thir.
teen United States be thirteen
stripes, alternate red and white that
the Union be thirteen stars, white in
a blu. tiel.l, representing q new con.
stellation.' This resolution appears
in the Journal 1sf Congress, volume
=, page l65. Although passed on
tho date given above, it was not
made public until September 3, in
the esms year, when it appears in
the Boston Gasetts and Csxntry Joarn
al. The Gag seems to have been the
result of the work commenced by
Washington, Dr.. Franklin, Mr..
Lynch, Mr.. Harrison aud Colonel
Joseph Reed. On the 81 January,
l776, Washington was in the Amer.
lcsn 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. Col.
Reed, one OF the aides.de-camp, was
also secretary of the committee OF
conference. Tho flag in use by the
army was a plain red field, with the
Brstish union Of the crossos of st.
Andrew, St. George and ST. Patrick
on the upper left corner. Several
gentlemen OF Boston ssnt to the
American camp copies Of the Kings
speech. 1t was received on tie date
mentioned above, and the effect is
described in the Br,lish AnasaI Regis.
ter, 1916, pages l47, thus:
"rhe arrival OF ths copy OF tho
kings speech, with &C account OF the
fate Of the petition from the Cont
neutal Congress, is SAID to have ex.
cited tho greatest degree Of rage and
indignation among them as proof
OF which, the former was publ ely
bsrat in the camp; and they are
said, on this OCCASION, to have chang
cd their colors from a plain red
ground, which they hal hitherto
used, to flag Of thirteen stripes. as
. symbol OF the number and union OF
the colonies"
The use Of stripes to mark the
number Of States on the fag cannot
be clearly traced, but may be account
ed tor BY a custom OF the camp at
Cambridge. The army of citizen
volunteers comprised all grades OF
men. Very few were uniformed
1t was almest impossible for the ssn
tlnels to distinguish general officers
from privates. Frequently of6sers
were stopped at the outposts and
held for Identification until the arri.
vel Of the officer OF the day. Orders
wsre issued that the different grades
Of officers should be distinguished b.
! stripe OF colorsd ribbon worn across
the breast. Washington as com
,nander in chief, wore ribbon OF
light blue. The stars on tho blue
feld-"a new constellation"-wcre
eug yested by constellation Lyra,
time. .honorcd ~ an emblem OF union
The thirteen stars ct the new con
sts.lation were placed as the circnm
terence Ut circle, and on blue
field, in accordance with the resolu-
tion already given. That was the
flag used at Burgnyns's surrender
October II. l777. by . resolution
OF Congress. passed January Ii, l79i
TO take effect May /, 1898, the d,.
was changed to tiilen. stars and fifteen
stripes. That was the flag ct 1872
Bv resolution, passed April l, ISIS
to take effev. on the following july
4th, the Nag was again changed q
one OF thirtesa stripes ANA twent,
starT and y new star, - reeressnt
new State, ordered to be placed Q,
the blue fled on the 4,h OF July tol
lowing tho \ MISSION ofsuch Such.-
The fag now carries thirty seven,
/ TVL on mn Ia. ..oNH Ia u0M II