The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-07-14

The following history of the Flag of oui
Union, the Stars and Stripes, is taken from an
article in the Philadelphia Telegrdph:
After the Declaration Of Independence
when the Kings arms were taken down and
burned, il was not possible for his embems
to remain long on the flag and ensigns OF
various devices are described as in use during
the land.battes, while the official banner con.
tlnued to be the "grand union flag 1t was
on the 18th of June, 17T1, a century ago to-
day, that Congress voted that the American
flag should be thirteen stripes, alternate red
and white; that the union be thirteen stars,
white, in blue field, representing new con,
stellation This flag, however, it will be
seen, was not new flag then designed, but
rather the formal adoption of one already in
existence nearly twelvemonth There is as
much perplexiiy AS to The origin of the stars
as there is concerning that of the stripes. 1t
has been suggested that they were taken as
well as the stripes from the Washington coat
of-arms, on which they appear in chief, or
from the constellation Lyra, which contains
just thirteen stars and is the symt0i of har.
mony and unity; but Washington himself
makes no mention of the matter, and the act
speaks expressly of "A new constellation
Mrs. Ross, AN uphosterer of Philadelphia,
is claimed to have been the first maker of The
Stars and Stripes. and also It's partial design
err In June, l71G, a committee Of Congress,
accompanied by Washington, called upon
her and engaged her 10 make a flag from a
rough drawing which they brought with them.
She suggested some changes in the design, es.
pecially that the stars be made five-pointed
instead OF six pointed following the French
form, while adoption of the English practice
gave US the six-ponted star on our coinage
aud Washington himself DIRE " the new sketch
in her back parlor Mrs. Ross afterwards
was appointed flag maker to the Government,
and she was succeeded by relative, who con.
tinued in Office TIL about thirty years ago. 1t
is mentioned as a bit OF gossip concerning
Washington and the flag, that not alone were
the stars and stripes on his cOatOf.arms, but
the colors were all IN his christening robe,
now in the possession of Mrs Lewis, of Wood
lawn, Va, which is of white silk. lined with
crimson silk, and decorated with blue RIB
bOns.
The banner did not come Immediately into
general use Tor in the middle of October 1876,
Captain Richards is found asking the Phila-
delphia Council what colors should he used
by the feet 1t was probably flown at Tren.
top, for Pealos picture shows it, and the ar
list commanded a COMPANY in that battle. 1t
was displayed at the first Fourth of July Gel
ebraiiOn in Philadelphla, ltII, ana IN inc
February ofthe following year it was first sa-
luted by a foreign Power, Paul Jones, In the
Ranger, conveying some vessles into Quiber-
on and obtaining salute from the French
Admiral. Four years Iater he hoisled II over
The first American ship Of the line, the Amer
ca. August =, 11i1, the first land victory was
won under the Stars and Stripes on the oc-
CASTOR Of the British attack on Fort Schuyler,
the flag being an extemporiZed one, made
from the garrlson's shirts and from a blue
cloak taken at Peekskill. This home ade
banner was hoisied over five English colors
captured III sally. In January, 1881, Rain.
burne, in the Providence, with fifty men,
swooped on Nassau, y. p. took the port,
spiked ITS guns. snd hoisied the American
flag for the first time over foreign fortress.
Five vessels dispute the honor of first giving
IL 10 the winds in London. In 1912 the
Columbia. Captain GRAY, Of Boston, carried
II Tor The first time round the world, and plant
ed Il on the Pacific coast, a the mouth ~ the
great river to which he gave the name OF bis
vessel The Franklin. u Salem vessel, first
DISPLAYED IL in Japanese waters IN 1879. In
ll79I Congress added two stars aud two stripes