The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-15
OUR FIRST FLAG.
When, Where and by Whom First
Raised.
From the Philadelphia Balletin

[From the Philadelphia Bulletin.
In the months Of November and De-
cember, in the year I775, the Continen-
tai Congress, then sitting in Philadel-
phia, adopted Gag for thirteen United
Colonies of North America; ordering
also naval armament to be prepared
and equipped; also two battalions of
marines to be raised. These orders
were executed. Five vessels were pur-
chased and armed and lay in the Della
ware, one of which, called the Alfred
the flagship, lay at the foot of Walnut
street. Her name when purchased was
the Black Prince, but when commission.
ed she was newly cristened the Alfred
in compliment to King Alfred, who his
tory afflrms was the founder Of the navy
of England, the other vessels being Civ
en- appropriate names, such as the Co.
lumbus and Cabot
The new Union flag was composed of
thirteen red stripes, with a rattlesnake
coiled, prepared to strike, embIazoned on
a yellow ground, with the motto, Don't
tread on mel" and was ordered to be sus-
pended in the room IN which Congress
met, and the agent of France sent to
his Government a description of the
new flag, stating at the same time in his
dispatch that the Colonists had given
up the English flag.
Before this important action of Con.
gFess various flags were used by the diff
ferent Colonies, and liberty poles were
in common use for some years; the "rat-
tlesnake" was familiar to the minds Of
the Americans as an emblem of defence.
and was altogether appropriate in this
supreme crisis in the destiny of the Col
onies. Amongst the reasons for its
adoption, with the motto" were the
following:
The "rattler" (familiarly so called) Is
native TO our country, and not to be
found in any other part Of the globe.
Its eyes exceed all others of its species
in brightness, and. having no eyelids, is
the emblem Of vigilance. Itnever com
mences an attack, but when engaged
never surrenders-emblems Of magnan-
unity and true conrage-Dot being
quarrelsome. Its weapons are conceal
ed in the roof of it, mouth, and its
venom is provided by nature for digest
ing its food. Its deadly fangs are never
displayed unless attacked and in defence,
and not even then, until it first gives
warming with its rattles-an emblem Of
true magnanimity; and, curious to know,
they are thirteen in number, and never
more, cannot be singly broken apart,
and when severed no part emits the
least sound, being emhlems of strength
in unity and defense of right. &c. II is
as well to add that the ancients consid-
erd the serpent as the mblem of wisdom.
and its power of .'charming" suggests
the attraction Of liberty wher won, TO
the down-trodden and oppressed Of other
lands. Thus it was that the rattlesnake
and motto were so appropriate, and the
thirteen stripes representing the thir-
teen colonies completed the arrangement
of the first Union flag, and this flag was
nrst unfurled to the world and the
breeze at Philadelphia, on board the
ship Alfred whilst lying al that port in
the river Delaware, in the month of De-
cember, 1775.
1t now only remains to show by
whom" it was first raised.
1t happr ned, Mr.. Editor, that John
Paul Jones. cne of the most remarkable
men of that era, true and ardent friend
of freedom, and a most. intrepid seaman,
on the organization of our infant navy,
was in Philadelphia, and on the 7th of
December, 1775, had received a commits
sion of First Lieutenancv from Con-
gress-and the first issued of that rank
in the navy-and was assigned to the
flagship Alfred. He it was who raised
for the first time our Union flag, from
the deck Of that ship, in the port of
Philadelphia, on the approach of the
commanding officer of the newly fitted
out feet Of onr infant navy. The fleet
subsequently sailed from Philadelphia
amidst public rejoicings, and on the 18th
of February, 1776, cleared the Capes Of
the Delaware, and FOR the first time dis
played the Union flag on the western
ocean.
With the subsequent career of Com
modore Paul Jones we are all familiar;
of his fight with and capture Of the
Drake in our cruiser, the Ranger; Of the
brilliant and astonishing moonlight
combat and victory over the Serapis un-
der the most fearful disadvantage, COM
manding the Bon Homme Richard, a
rotten and condemned, unseaworthy
ship. for which he received the congrat-
ulations of the cities of Amsterdam and
Paris; gold sword from the French
King; the thanks of Congress and a
medal, and an approving letter from
Washington TO himself, which are tri-
umphant answers to all that can be said
by his detractors and Prosecutors; and
there are few men to whose memory the
good old maxim of De mulius nil nisi
bonum can with more justice be applied
than that of Commodore John Paul
Jones
PPoFIT IN PICKLEs.-Many farmers
in this State do not know that they can
realize more money from raising cueum-
bers than from any other crop. There