Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1872-11-30
History Of Our Flag.

1kISlOEy III oul AAAs
! The following account Of the origin
and history of the United States Flag,
is given in the Journal of Commerce.:
The stars and stripes became the
national flag of the United States Of
America by virtue of a resolution Of
! Congress, passed June 18th, TIT:
Resolved, That the flag of the thr-
teen United Stat be thirteen tripes,
alternate red and white that tLe
I Union be thirteen stars, white in a
blue field, representing a new con-
stellation." This resolution appears
in the Journal o, Congress- volume y,
page l65. Although passed on the
date given above, it was not made
public until September 3, in the same
year, when it appeared in the Boston
Ga:ctte and Country Jo'nnal. The
flag seems to have been the result of
the work commenced by Washington,
Doctor Franklin, Mr.. I.ynch, Mr..
Harrison and Colonel Joseph Reed
On the End January, l11G, Washing
ton was in the American camp at
Cambridge, organizing the new army
which was that day created. The
committee of conference, consisting OF
Franklin, Lynch and Harrison, sent
by Congress to arrange with Washing
ton the details Of the army, We're with
him. Col. Reed, one of the aides de-
camp, was also secretary of the COM
mittee Of conference The flag in use
by the army was a plain red field,
with the British union Of the crosses
of st. Andrew, St. George and St.
Patrick on the upper left corner.
Several gentlemen Of Boston sent to
the American camp copies of the
king speech. 1t was received on
the date mentioned above, and the
effect is described in the British IN
nnol Register l776, page l47, thus:
The arrival Of the copy Of the
kings speech, with an account of the
fate Of the petition from the Cont
mental Congress, is said to have excl
ted the greatest degree OF rage and in
dignation among them: as a proof Of
which, the former was publicly burnt
in the camp and they ar" said, on
this occasion, to have chang"l their
solor- from pl in red ground, which
they had hitherto used, TO flag Of
thirteen stri pes, as II symbol Of the
number and union Of the colonies.
The use Of stripes to mark the mum
Der Of States on the h,g cannot be
clearly traced, but may be accounted
tor bv a custom Of the camp at Cam
bridge. The army Of citizen volun-
teers comprised all grades Of men.
Very few were uniformed. 1t was
almost impossible for the 9entinels to
distinguish general officers from pri
Yates. Frequently officers We're
stopped at the outposts and held for
Identification until the arrival Of the
day. Orders We're issued that the
different grades Of officers should be
distinguished by a stripe of colored
ribbon worn across the breast
Washington, as commander-in-chief,
wore a ribbon Of light blue. The
stars on the blue teId--"a new con
stella,ion were suggested by the
constellation Lyra, tIme-honored as
an emblem of union. The thirteen
stars OF the new constellation We're
placed as the circumference Of a cir
Gle, and on a blue field, in accordance
with the resolution already given.
lha, was the flag used at burgovne :
surrender, October II, l1I1. by
i resolution Of Congress, passed Jan
uarv l3, 1874, to Ia Sc effect May ! /,
l7>5. the flag was changed to fifteen
STARS and fifteen stripes, That was
the flag OF 1872. By u resolution,
passed April I, ISIS, TO take effect on
the following July lth, the flag was
again changed TO one of thirteen
stripes and twenty stars amt new
star, to represent u new State, ordered
to be placed on the blu" field en- the
Ath OF July following the admission Of
such State The flag now carries
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