The Russellville Democrat., 1877-07-19
OUR FLAG.
History Of the Star. Spangle. Hammer . How it Game tO be Adopted n the
 National Emblem.

At the breaking out of the revolu- tionary war each colony clung to it's own color; Massachusetts to her green pine on white ground, with the motto, "An Appleal to Heaven" which motto was on Putnam's red flag, displayed on Prospect Hill in July, with the Connecticut state motto beside it; South Carolina to her blue banner with white crescent in the upper corner near the staff. which the heroic Jasper recovered and planted on the battlcments of the fort on Sullivan's island during the furious bombardment by the British fleet of Sir Peter Parker. There was probably no flag at all carried by the patriots at Lexington, and it is doubtful if they displayed any at Bunker Hill. Accounts then published are silent on the subject, and no flags are shown in contemporary prints, though a poet speaks of waving streamers," and it is said some of the volunteers carried red banner inscribed "Come if you dare" When late in 1775 congress prepared to create navy nothing seems to have been done about flag, and commanders of vessels followed their own devices. A favorite one was the rattlesnake, with the motto: "Don't touch me-" other flags carrying a mailed hand clasping thirteen arrows. Indeed, the rattlesnake came near of an election to the Ameri- can escutcheon in place of the immortal chicken thief, the eagle, one writer-per- haps Ben Franklin-su supporting the choice because the snake was purely American and an emblem of wisdom and vigilance, because it never attacked first nor surrendered, being attacked, and be- cause, while it's rattles were distinct, they were still firmly united and steadily increased in number. Let us consider what fourth of July would have been with orators condemned to apostrophize the rattlesnake amid the whizziDg of Catherine wheels.
 Late in 1775 Franklin and two other gentlemen appointed to create national flag met at the camp at Cambridge and adopted the kings colors (the red cross of St. George on white field and white cross of St. Andrew on blue field ), with thirteen stripes, alternate red and white, being the flag already adopted by the East India company. No record is found of congress having taken any part in this, nor is it known when the new flag was adopted by law. The origin of the stripes is not satisfactorily explained. It has been held that the new flag may have been suggested to Washington by the banner of the Philadelphia Light Horse, which escorted him hither on his way to Cambridge. That banner bore a canton of thirteen stripes, blue and silver; also that Washington took the idea from his own ceat-of-arms, as shown in Brighton church, or from the East India company's flag aforementioned, or from the tricolor of the Netherlands. The "grand union flag was hoisted at the camp at Cambridge Jan. ?, 1776; it also waved above the Vir- ginia convention which declared the colo nies free and independent states.
 Paul Jones claims to have been the first to hoist the flag of America over regular man of-war, the Alfred, though John Adams, of course, disputed this, claiming the honor for Massachusetts man. MT. Woodman thinks that proba- bly, this flag of Paul Jones was the new striped flag, though Cooper leans to the belief that it was the pine-tree flag with a rattlesnake and motto The first naval victory under the stripes was certainly won by Barney, in the Lexington, April l7, 1776, when after severe fight he captured British vessel off the Virginia shore. In July the brig Andreas Doria obtained the first salute for the flag at St. Eustatia. The Dutch governor was afterward removed for returning her compliment. In the autumn the Repri- sal, carrying Franklin to France, first showed the flag in Europe. A record of the time speaks of the capture of an American privateer soon after the loss of New York which only carried twelve stripes.
 After the declaration of independence, when the kings arms were taken down and burned, it was not possible for his emblems to remain long on the flag, and ensigns of various devices are described as in use during the land battles, while the official banner continued to be the "grand union flag" It was on the 14th of June, 1777, more than century ago, that congress voted that the American flag should be " thirteen stripes, altern- ate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in blue field, re- presenting new constellation" This flag, however, was not new flag then designed, but rather the formal adoption of one already in existence nearly twelve-month. There is as much per- plexity as to the origin of the stars as there is concerning that of the stripes. It has been suggested that they were taken. as we'll as the stripes, from the Washington coat-of-arms, on which they appear in chief, or from the constellation Iyra, which contains just thirteen stars and is the symbol of harmony and unity; but Washington himself makes no men, tion of the matter, and the act speaks expressly of y" new constellation. Mrs. Ross, an upholsterer of Philadelphia, is claimed to have been the first maker of the stars and stripes. and also its pardal designer. In June, 17S6, committee of congress, accompanied by Washington, called upon her and eugs ged her to make a flag from rough drawing they brought with them. She suggested some changes in the design, especially that the stars be made fve-pointed instead of six pointed, Following the French form, while adoption of the English practice gave us the six-pointed star on our coin. age), and Washington himself drew the new sketch in her back parlor. Mrs. Ross afterward was appointed Hag-maker to the government, and she was succeeded by relative, who continued in office till about thirty years ago. It is meu- tioned as bit of gossip concerning Washington and the flag, that not alone