The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-07-14


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 mailed hand clasping thirteen
arrows. Indeed, the rattlesnake came
near an election to the American escutch-
con, one writer supporting the choice be-
cause the snake was purely American
and an emblem of wisdom and vigilance;
because it never attacked first nor sur
rendered, being attacked, and because,
while its rattles were distinct, they were
still firmly united and steadily increased
in number.
Late in 1775 Franklin and two other
gentlemen appointed to create "a 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.
Ii 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 coat-of-arms, as shown
in Brighton Church, or from the East
India Company's flag aforementioned,
or from the tri-Color of the Netherlands.
The grand union" flag was hoisted at
the camp at Cambridge, Jan. 2, 1876; it
also waved above the Virginia Conven-
ton which declared the colonies free and
independent States
Paul Jones claimed to have been the
first to hoist the flag of America over
regular man-of-war, the Alfred, though
John Adams disputed this, claiming the
honor for Massachusetts man. Mr..
| Woodman thinks that probably this flag
of Paul Jones was the new striped flag,
though Cooper leans to the belief that it
was the pine-tree flag with rattlesnake
and motto The first naval victory I'M
der the stripes was certainly won by
Barney, in the Lexington, April II, 1776,
when, after severe fight, he captured
a British vessel off the Virginia shore
In July the brig Andrea Doria obtained
the first salute for the flag at St. Eusta-
tia. The Dutch Governor was after
ward removed for returning her COM
| pliment. In the autumn the Reprisal,
carrying Franklin to France, first showed
the flag in Europe. Arecord 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 Independ
enCe, 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 de-
scribed as in use during the land battles,
while the official banner continued to be
the grand union flag" 1t was on the
18th of June, 1777, century ago, that
! Congress voted that the American flag
should be "thirteen stripes, alternate
red and white; that the Union be thr-
teen stars, white, in blue field, repre-
senting new constellation" This flag,
| however, it will be seen, was not new
flag then designed, but rather the formal
adoption of one already in existence
nearly a twelvemonth. There is as much
perplexity 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 oatofarms, on which they
appear in chief, or from the constella-
ton Lyra, which contains Just thirteen
stars and is the symbol of harmony and
unity; but Washington himself makes no
mention of the matter, and the act speaks
expressly of " a new constellation. Mrs.
Ross, an upholsterer of Philadelphia, is
claimed to have been the first maker of
the Stars and Stripes, and also it's partial
designer. In June, 1875, committee of
Congress, accompanied by Washington,
called upon herand engaged her to make
flag from rough drawing they brought
with them. She suggested some changes
in the design, especially that the stars
be made tive-pointed instead of SIX
pointed following the French form,
while the adoption of the English prac-
tice gave US the six-pointed star on our
coinage), and Washington himself drew
the new sketch in her back parlor. Mrs.
Ross afterward was appointed flag
maker TO the Government, and she was
succeeded by relative, who continued
in office till about thirty years ago. 1t
is mentioned as a bit of gossip concern
ing Washington and the flag, that not
alone were the stars and stripes on his
coat-of arms, but the colors were all in
his christening robe, now in the posses
sion of Mrs. Lewis, of Woodlawn, Va,
which is of white silk, lined with Grim
son silk and decorated with blue rib
bons.
The banner did not come Immediately
into general use, for in the middle of DC.
tober, 1777, Capt. Richards is found ask
ing the Philadelphia Council what colors
should be used by the fleet. 1t was
probably flown at Trenton, for Peale's
picture shows it, and the artist com
handed company in that battle. TWAS
displayed at the first Fourth of-July cele.
hration in Philadelphia, 1777, and in the
February of the following year it was
first saluted by a foreign power, Paul
Jones, in the Ranger conveying some
vessels into Quiberon and obtaining a sa-
lutte from the French Admiral. Four
years later he hoisted it over the first
American ship of the line, the America,
Aug 2, 1777, the first land victory was