National Republican., 1883-04-13
sold GLoRY's" ANNIVERSARY
Sixty-Five Years Ago To-day the Present
Flag OF the Union Was First UnfurIed
on the Capitol.

Sixty-Five Years Ago To-day tho Present
Flag OF the Union Was First UnfurIed
on tho Capitol.
The sixty-ffth anniversary of the adopt on
of the American flag is to be commemorated
to-day. Linked as it is, with the most memo
rable sea battle ever fought by Americans, it
deserves to be legalized holiday. On the
thirteenth of April, 1918, the first American
flag of the present design was hoisted ON the
capitol at o'clock p. m. II was designed by
the late Capt. Samuel c. Reid, who COM
manded the private armed brig Gen. ARM
strong. The heroic fight of this single brig
at Fayal on the Azores in Sept, 1914, against
British fleet, was perhaps the most extraor-
dinary naval contest recorded, surpassed by
none, paralleled only by Richard Grenville's
heroic fight with one small boat against
an entire Spanish fleet about 800 years
before on the same seas. The result
of Red's fight saved Louisiana from the
British grasp. Capt Reid died in 1861, and
1t was only at the first session Of the last con-
gress that the American government recog-
nized the fact that he had fought battle by
making small appropriation indemnfying
the owners, officers and crew of the little
brig for the loss sustained in its destruction
A monument to Reid should be erected in
this city, and painting of his great battle,
which has been fifty called the Their
mopyl@ of the ocean, hung in the capitol.
The flag, as adopted by congress in 1894
was composed of fifteen stars and fifteen
stripes, which neither represented the old
states or the new while the flag was becom-
ing unwieldy by adding stripe for each new
state admitted into the union. In December
1916, Indiana having been admitted into the
union, the Hon. p. IL, Wendover, of the
house, from New York, moved for commit
tee to inquire into the expediency of altering
the flag
While the committee was in session Capt.
Reid was called upon to form n permanent
design of the flag, so as to represent the in
crease of the states without destroying its
distinctive character, as IL was proposed to
add star and stripe on the admission of
each new state. He reduced the stripes to
thirteen, to represent the original thirteen
colonies which had won their freedom as in
dependent states, and formed q union of stars
representing all the states, with provision for
u new star to be added for every new state
admitted to the union, the new star to be
added to the flag on the succeeding fourth of
July after such admission, fixing on the
happy medium of combining the glory of the
past with the progress of the present.
The act to establish the flag of the United
States was approved on the fourth of April
1918, and tho first flag of its design was made
by the wife Of Capt. Reid, assisted by num-
Der of ladies in the city Of New York, and
sent TO Washington.
1t arrived in this city by mail April 10, 1918,
and at 2 o'clock that afternoon, was hoisted
over the capitol to replace the old one.
January 20, 1855, in the thirty-thiTd Col-
gress the bill to indemnify the owners, ofI-
GERS and crew Of the Gen, Armstrong was
up in the United States senate, and Senator
a. G.. Brown, of Mississippi, advocated the bill,
bill, and acknowledged theservices he endered
not alone in the great battle, but in designing
the flag. In February, 1859, u joint resolution
was reported from the senate committee on
naval affairs presenting the thanks of con-
gress to Capt Reid for designing the flag
Owing TO the lateness Of the hour on the last
day of the session, when it was presented, it
failed of passage
In 1921 Capt. Reid established the first
marine telegraph between the Battery at
New York, and Staten Island, and made a
code Of ship signals. In the same year he or
ganized the New York Nautical institution
and Shipmasters society. 1t was through
his recommendation that the first lightship
was placed or Sandy Hook, and in 1887 be
memorialized congress for the establishment
of his line of telegraph from New York to
Washington aud New Orleans.