The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1883-03-13
get money enough to buy my chum a
new music box. Well, shall have to
go and get that yaseline or pas legs will
suffer. Good day,"-P Peck Sun.
THE STARS AND STRIPES.
Interesting Points ifi the History
of the American Flag.

Points LII the History
of the American Flag.
The history of "oar fag," the "ban.
ner of beauty and glory." is always
pleasant chapter to the American boy OF
girl, and to older students, too.
The flag OF I774 was red, with blue
field, on which was red cross and white
ssltier. 1t bore the patriotic motto,--
Liberty and Union"
In IT'S the forms Of the hag wer6
various. The flag of Bunker Hill was
blue, with white field containing Q red
cross and pile tree.
One of the Pine Tree flags was white
with green tree in the center. Anoth-
er was red with green tree in white
field.
! The Rattleshake flag consisted Of thir.
teen alternate stripes of red and white,
seven red and six white, bearing rat-
tlesnake and the motto. .Don't tread
on me"
The flag tloisted at Charleston, South
Carolina, in September, ITS. was bIde.
with white crescent for field This
flag was designed by Colonel W liam
Moultrie, and was afterward hois ed by
him over Fort Moultrie on Sullivan's
Island, on June %. 1776
On January 2, 1776, Washington dis
played at Cambridge, Massachusetts, the
"Grand Union" flag, consisting of thir-
teen alternate red and white stripes, with
a red cross and white saltier in blue
field The origin OF the ''Grand Union"
lis involved in obscurity. The colors Of
the stripes may have been suggested by
the red flag Of the army and the white
one of the navy. The red cross is that
lof st. George English), and the white
saltier is the oblique cross of st. An.
drew (Scotch) The thirteen stripes
were probably flrst used on flag pre-.
sented in Its to Philadelphia cavalry
company.
On June IA, l777. Congress ordered
l"that the flag of the thirteen United
States be thirteen stripes alternate red
and white; that the union be thirteen
stars, white in blue field" The thir,
teen stars we're arranged in circle, al
though no form was prescribed in the
law. On the dav the resolution in re-
gard to the Gag was passed, Paul Jones
was appointed to the command OF the
Ranger, and it is thought that the new
flag was first unfurled by him.
In 1874, Congress ordered that from
and after May 2, 1895, "the flag OF the
United States be fifteen stripes alternate
red and white, that the union be fifteen
stars. white in a blue field This was
the flag of the war Of 1912, and was the
"Star-Spanelel Banner" that waved
over Fort McHenry, near Baltimore, on
the night of September l3, 1914 Fran
els Scott Key was,a prisoner on one of
the British vessels, and his song, "The
Star Spangled Banner" is descriptive of
the incident
i On April 4, 1878, law was passed
reducing the stripes to the original thir-
teen, and authorizing stars equal to the
number of the States, and new star to
be added on the 4th of July next sue
ceeding the admission OF each new
State; but the mode of the arrangement
Of the stars is not prescribed by the
law. The legal existence of this flag
began on July A, 1918 1t is the flag of
to-day, the blue field now containing
thirty-eight stare.
In the navy, the blue field containing
the stars, when used separately, is called
the "Union Jack" The United States
revenue flag adopted in 1899, consists
of sixteen virtical stripes, alternately
red and white. the field white with the
National arms in dark blu. Tae field
used separately is callei the "Reveaue
Jack"