The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-07-14

the stars and stripes in the action between
the Ranger and the Drake, in May fol-
lowing. Miss Stafford is the patriotic ell
derby lady, whose petition to Congress for
pension on account of her fathers seryi-
ces ninety-three years before, created such
q sensation in 1879. The petition was
granted Her house in Trenton is mu-
scum of revolutionary relics, and her door
plate is ornamented with an enamel por-
trait of Washington. Her faith in this
flag is shown by the fact that being unwil-
ling to entrust 1t to any hands than hers
she has made the journey from Trenton to
Boston expressly to enable me to exhibit it
to you, and will return with it as soon as
this meeting is over.
THE FLAG OF THE ENTERPRISE.
The next flag is that Worn by the United
States brig Enterprise in her action with
the British brig Boxer, on September 4th,
1913. 1t is now owned by Mr.. III. G.
Quincy of Portland, Maine. He truthful
~ remarks in his letter which accompanied
it, that the flag which the dying Burrows
requested might never be struck is now al
most struck to decay, neglect and old age,
the devouring teeth of time. This flag
which was an old one at the day of the en-
gagement, patched up only the day before
the action, as one of the officers of the
Enterprise said with still older ilag-was
given by one of the officers to Captain
Coolidge, who sent it to the old Portland
Museum. When the museum was broken
up and its contents scattered and sold,
Mr.. Quincy obtained possession of this flag
and has held ii in precious trust ever since.
He writes me II loan you the old flag of
the Enterprise with pleasure, to exhibit
with the other flags named by you. II
stands as high in the estimation of all
Americans, especially at Portland Bay, as
either of the others" He says that after
the action it bore the marks of fifty-nine
shot holes, probably chiefly from musket-
ry. An account was then given of the
battle between the Enterprise and the Box
er The Enterprise sailed from Portland
on September 4th, 1913, and on the follow
ing day encountered the Boxer. The Box
or had her colors nailed TO the mast. Bur
rows fell, but before he died the sword of
the vanquished enemy was presented to
him. and he said, II am satisfied; die
content" Captain Blythe the British cap
tain, also fell, and his remains in company
with those of Lieutenant Burrows were in
tered side by side with military honors.
The body of Burrows was. at the funeral,
covered with the flag you see before you,
and the body Of Blythe was covered in like
manner with the flag he did not live to see
lowered, and which is now among the tro-
ply flags preserved at the naval academy
in Annapolis.
TIE FLAG OF FORT MclENRY.
Last, but by no means least in size, and
certainly not least in interest from the as
sociations that cluster around it is the flag
canopled over you, the flag of Fort Nc
Henry, worn during its bOmbartlment by
the British, September 10 and IA, 1914,
whose broad stripes and bright stars seen
by the dawn's early light inspired the words
of our national song 'Thc Star Spangled
Banner" After the lapse of sixty years
its colors as you see them are so bright and
unfaded that it would seem in the words
of another of our songs as if ''all its hues
were born in Heaven The size of the
garrison flags Of our forts at this time by
army regulations is thirty-six feet fly and
twenty feet hoist. The flag of Fort Nc
feet long by twenty nine feet wide.
Probably it was originality thirty-six feet
in length and its greater width is due to its
having fifteen stripes instead of thiit teen.
1t also has, or had, fifteen stars, one of
which has been cut out and given away.
There can be no doubtabout the authenticity
OF this flag. 1t was preserved by the gal
liant Colonel Armstead, the commander of
the fort, and hears his name and the date
of the bombardment in his own hand-writ-
ing on one of its stripes. 1t has always re-
manned in the family, and his widow at her
death bequeathed to his youngest daughter,
Mrs. William Stewart, who was born at
| Fort Mcllenry under its folds four years
after the bombardment. 1t now belongs to
her, and to her kindness | am indebted
60 hot, L. ,cl,o Z. In
observe that the union rests on the nineth,
a red stripe, instead of on the eighth, which
is a white stripe, as at present, and that
the stars, which are two feet from point to
point, are arranged in five parallel lines,
three stars on each horizontal line. An in
| tcresting account of the battle of Fort
McHenry and the writing of the "Star
Spangled Banner" by Francis S. Key was
then given. The printer boy who first put
the song in type in the Office of the Balti-
more american, still survives and is Samuel
Sands, Esq, the respected editor and pub
Usher of the American Farmer. The ship
Minden, on board of which the song is said
to have been written, and under the guns
of which it certainly Was composed, was
anchored in Hong Kong harbor from 1854
to 1859, ard was used as Il hospital ship.
was often on board of her, the lecturer said
| "A lew years later she was broken up ana
her timbcrs become anxiously sought af
ter by patriotic Americans to be made into
relics.
AT the close of the paper, after the APP
plaus had subsidized, Colonel IIoyt moved
the adoption Of two resolutions presenting
the thanks of the society to Mrs. William
Stewart Appleton, Mrs. Sarah Smith Staff
ord, and IL. G. Quincy, for the kindly loan
of the flags for the occasion, and to Captain
Preble for his efforts in bringing the relics
together and for the paper. The motion
was carried. Then came singing of the
national anthem by Mrs. Baker and Miss
Appleton. 1t was received with great en-
thusiasm. The Rev. DIR. Clark spoke for
the pleasure it gave him to hear the inspir-
ing music, and of his experience at the Co
liseum. The Hon. Marshall p. Wilder
said that he was panied to announce the
death of three ofthe more active and wealthy
of their number, and that suitable resolu-
tons and remarks would be offered at their
next meeting in September. Commodore
Thatcher was asked to speak but declined
After passing a vote of thanks to those who
had led the singing, the meeting adjourned