The Democratic advocate., 1876-01-15
A Hundred Ysaru Ago.
now THE YEAR 1876 oPKxED-rnF "rSlos
FLAdr DISPLAYED

FLAGr DISPLAYED
Inan article ou january, 177G-l876, !
the Philadelphia Ledger, reproduces sew
eral incidents Of hundred years ago, from
which we extract the following
eThe new year 10 l776 opened With the
burning Of the town Of Norfolk, in yir-
ginia. Dunmore, the royal Governor, had
for several months held his court on ship
board, iu the hafbor Of Norfolk. At the
opening Of the year the Yirginians had
possession of the place aud garrisoned ii
with provincial troops A gallant effort
on the part of the royal forces to defend
the approaches having failed, the British
commander had fallen back to the town,
and thence the lOyalists and troops took
refuge on shipboard. A demand was made
by the British to be supplied with fresh
provisions. The demand was refused, and
on the first day of the new year the town
was cannonaded and frcd. Parties were
landed from tho war vessels to set FIRE TO
the town, and so thorough was their work
that conAagration was kindled which in
three days destroyed four-ffths of the
houses in Norfolk. Marshall, in his life
Of Washington, says the fire continued for
several weeks. Early in February, since
the naval vessels Of Great Britain held
possession ofthe waters Of the Chesapeake,
the Virginia Convention resolved to lay
waste the points from which they drew
supplies, and the colonial forces completed
the devastation Of Norfolk and abandoned
the position. Marshall, afterwards Chief
Justice Of the United States and biograph,
or Of Washington, served as lieutenant
in these affairs in and about Norfolk.
Washington, in letter dated january
4th, refers to the difficulties which are now
matters Of history, but were then army
secrets--the discharge of one army and
the recruiting and drilling Of another,
without a sufficient supply Of arms or
money. "For two months past" he writes
II have scarce emerged from one difficult
! ty before | have plunged into another
How it will end, God in His great goodnes:
will direct. am thankful for His pro.
lection to this time We are told that We
shall soon get the army completed, but ]
have been told so many things which have
never come to pass, that | distrust every,
thing In the same letter he writes =
~ am exceedingly glad to find that thing
wear better face in Virginia than they
did some time ago And this was writ
ten while Norfolk was in the first Of wha
Marshall calls its several weeks of fire
Among Washington's comments on th,
burning of Norfolk, after the tidings reach
ed him, we read, under date Of Jauuar,
3lst: Il hope my countrymon (of Viz
ginia) viii rise superior to any losses th
whole navy Of Great Britain can bring OF
them, and that the destruction Of Norfolk
and the threatened devastation Of othe
places, win have no other effect than t.
unite the whole country into one indissolu
bic band.
This Union flag preceded the presen
national colors The field had the thirteel
stripes, as now, fixed by act of Congress il
1917. The corner now filed with star
from decade to decade crowding each othe
more and more, was occupied with III
united red and white crosses Of St. Georg
and St. Andrew. And on the day that
was first displayed the continental arm
near Boston was Stits lowest numbers a
to men, less than ten thousand, and at il
lowest point in regard to supplies an
munitions Of war. So opened the year
century ago.