The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1877-07-19

Ross, an upholsterer Of Philadelphia, j
claimed to have been the first maker 0
the stars and stripes, and also its parda
designer. In June, 1856, committe,
OF congress, accompanied by Washington
called upon her and ged herto maxi
a flag from rough drawing they brough
with them, She suggested some change
in the design, especially that the star
be made iiye-pointcd instead of six
pointed, following the French form
while adoption Of the English practic,
gave rs the siX-pointed star on our coin
age, and Washington himself drew tn
new sketch in her back paror. Mrs, Ro'
altcrward was appointed ilag-makcr u
the government, and she was succeeded
by relative, who continued in oilic,
I'll about thirty years ago, 1t is men
TONED ~ a bit Of gossip concerning
Washington and the flag, that not alone
were the stars and stripes on his cOat-of
arms but the coOrs we're all in hi
christening robe, now in the possession
Of Mrs, Lewis, Of Woodawn Va, which
~ Of white silk, lined with crimson silk
and decorated with blue ribbons.
The banner did not come Immediately
into general use, for in the middle o
October, VIC, Capt. Richards is Iouuc
asking the Philadelphia council wha,
cOlOrS should be used by the fleet. II
was probably hownat Trenton, for Pealc''
picture shows it, and the artist com
manded Il company IN that battle. IT
was displayed at the first fourth Of july
celebration in Philadelphia, MT, and in
the February Of the following year il
was first saIuted by Il foreign power.
Paul Jones, in the Ranger conveying
some vessels into Quiberon and obtaining
Il salute from the French admiral. Foul
years later he hoistcd it over the first
American ship Of the line, the America
August 2, M, the first land victory
was won under the Stars and Stripes on
the occasion Of the British attack on
Fort Schuyler, the flag being an extern
porIzed one, made from the garrson's
shirts and from a blue cloak taken at
lccksklll, The homemade banner wa'
hoIslcd over five English coIor3 captured
in sally. In January, 1851, Rathburne,
IN Providence, with fifty men, swooped
ON Nassau, N F., took the fort, spiked
it, guns and hoistcd the American flag
for the first time over a foreign fortress
Five vessels disputed the homer Of first
giving it to the winds in London. III
l18oJ2 the Columbia, Capt. Gray, OF
Boston, carried it for the first time around
the world, and planted it on the Pacific
coast, at the mouth Of the great river to
which he gave the name Of his vessel. The
Franklin, Il Salem vessel, first displayed
1t IN japanese waters in 1893. In l79l
congress added two stars and two stripes
to the flag (thc change taking effect in
May, lS9j,) for Vermont and Kentucky,
the act being passed only after consider
able debate, its opponents believing that
the iIag should be preserved in its origi-
nal form in perpetuity. The war of
l8l2-li was fought under this banner
In 1873, Il bill reducing the stripes to
the original number OF thirteen, and
directing the adoption OF stars equal to
the number Of the States new star to be
added on the fourth of July next sue
cccding the admission Of each new state,
was passed and approved. This was the
design OF Captain Samuel G.. Reid, who
III l8ll defended so hcrocally the brig
General Armstrong against a superior
British force in Fayal roads, though his
suggestion that the STARS be arranged in
one large star was not formally adopted.
The stars in the unions Of flags used by
the war department are generally thus
arranged; in the navy flags they are in.
yariably set in parallel lines The blue
union uscd separately is the union jack.
The revenue hag, adopted in 1893 has
sixteen perpendicular stripes, alternately
red and white, with II white union bear.
ing the national arms in dark blue. The
union used separately is the revenue
jack. The yacht flag is the same as the
national Nag, but ON the blue union it
bears a white foul-anchor in II circle of
thirteen states