American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-01-15
VOL. XXVI.


and old pictures of the conflict do N
: show any.
In the fall of 1913 Congress appointed
committee to create a navy, but nothin
seems to have been done about furnishin
the new made navy with suitable ensign
The Captains accordingly followed the
own devices, sailing, probably, undo
their State flags. One favorite device wa
rattlesnake lifting its head and shakin
its rattles, with the motto, Don't trea
on mer Some flags added mailed han
clenching thirteen arrows. The rattle
snake came very near being our nationa
emblem instead of the eagle. 1t had ofte
before been used on flags, and its appear
ance at this time on the ensign of tn
Commander-in-C Chief of our navy causes
much discussion of its claims. On
writer, thought by some to be Benjamin
Franklin, gave wcIghty reasons for adopt
ing the rattlesnake. 1t is found only IL
America; was considered by the ancient
rs an emblem of WISDOM its eye is ex
ceeding bright and without eyelids, SO 1
signifies vigilance; it never begins an at
tack nor surrenders when assailed; it:
deadly weapons are concealed in it.
mouth, so that it appears defenseless, anG
its wounds, though small, are fatal, while
it never attacks without first giving warn
ing In addition to all this its rattles arc
distinct from each other, yet so firmly
united that they cannot be separated
while they also increase in number. But
| the fact that the rattlesnake is a serpent
| and under the curse of God, probably
caused its rejection.
Late in 1775 Benjamin Franklin and
two other gentlemen, appointed to create
a national flag, met at the camp in Cam
bridge and adopted the Kings colors 1.-THE
crosses of st. George and st. Andrew
and reunited with them thirteen stripes,
alternate red and white, showing that, al
though the Colonies united for defense
against England's tyranny, they still ac-
knowledged her sovereignty. 1t is impos-
sible to say why Congress so long delayed
this important matter Of choosing a flag
No record can be found of Congress hav-
ing taken any part in this affair at Cam
bridge, nor is it known when the new flag
was adopted by lao.
1t was natural in the colonists to want
to retain the Kings coiors as long as pos
sible, but the origin of the stripes is harder
to explain. When Washington left Phil
adelphia to take command of the army at
Cambridge, he was escorted to New York
by the Philadelphia Light Horse. This
company carried a magnificent banner,
one feature of which was a canton of
thirteen stripes, blue and silver. This
stripes for the new flag; or he may have
taken them from his own coat-of-arms,
which Is not likely; or, as some think, he
may have copied the East India Com
pany's flag, which is still less probable.
Still others suppose they were copied from
the flag of the Netherlands. However it
may be, this "Grand Union Flag" was
raised on the camp at Cambridge on the
ID of January, 1776. The Kings speech
on the trouble with the Colonies had Just
been sent to the camp, SO the British in
Bosom thought the new flag was raised as
q token of submission. Nothing, how
ever, was further from the truth. The
Kings speech was Indignantly burned,
and thousands of sturdy hearts beat vio
lently to a new patriotism, as the wind
lifted the folds of the new banner, which
q few hours had made so full of meaning
to them. The striped flag also foated
over the Virginia Convention which three
weeks before the Declaration, declared
the united Colonies " free and independ-
emit States"
Meanwhile the cruisers at sea were still
carrying their Colonial or State flags.
q the Flag Of America by his own hand
On board the Alfred, this being the first
lime il was ever displayed by a regular
PROBABLY this Flag of
was the new striped flag, though
Cooper thinks it was a pine-tree flag, with
4 rattlesnake and motto. Old John Adams |
lfterward disputed the story of Paul
ZONES, and claimed the honor for Massa-
chusetts man. 1t is probable, however,
hat the honor belongs to Jones. The |
Admiral's flag at this time was of thirteen |
stripes, with rattlesnake undulating over |
hem, and the usual motto: "Don't tread |
IN mer' Commodore Barney, of the |
Hornet, hoisted the first Continental flag |
ever seen in Maryland He was in need |
IF crew for his vessel, and just a. that |
ime the new striped flag arrived from
The Commodore, al sun.
Use the next morning, hoisted it to the
music of drums and flies in front of his
office, and before night his
rev were shipped.
The first naval victory under the stripes
vas won by Capt. Barney, in the Lexing-
on, who, on the 18th of April, 1776,
aptured a British vessel, after severe
light, off the Virginia shores. In the
autumn of rs the armed brig Reprisal,
arriving Franklin to the French court,
irst displayed the Continental colors to
he curious eyes of the European world;
While in July of the same year the brig
andrea Doria had been the first to draw
alute from a foreign power for the new
lag. The Dutch Governor in the harbor
f st. Eustatia returned the DOria's salute,
nd was removed from office for his in
iscretion. 1t is said that, after the
apture of New York by the British, an
privateer was taken whose flag
ad only twelve stripes, because we had
ost province.
When the Declaration of Independence
7as proclaimed from the State-House at
the Kings arms were taken
own and burned So the last semblance
f allegiance to England was destroy ed,
nd of course the Kings colOrs could not
ing remain in the American flag. En-
gins of various devices are described as
use during the land-battles of this I
eriOd, while the Grand Union Flag" was i
le official banner.
On the 14th of June, 1777, Congress s
Dted that the American flag should be
thirteen stripes alternate red and white, 1
lat the union be thirteen stars, white in a 8
lue field, representing a new constella- S
on" Here, ct last, we have our Stars
nd Stripes; but this, as we shall see, was q
My the official adoption of flag that
nd already been in use for nearly year '
he origin of the stars in our banner is as l
Dscure as that of the stripes. Some t
link they were taken, as was said of the a
ripes, from Washington's coat ofarms, b
hich, curiOusly enough, contain both
ars and stripes. But if this were so n
Tashington would probably have re- {
rred to it in some way, which he seems S
ever to have done. Others think that it Ii
as intended to represent the cOnstella- I
On "Lyra," which contains just thir 1
en- stars, and is the symbol of harmony t.
I'd unity This, however, cannot be, as s
1ngress expressly says, representing r
Nv constellation" Doubtless the stars I
ere chosen because they were of all de- Ii