Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-07-30
THE AMERICAN FLAG,
Its Origin, History-Other Points of In.
terest Regarding II.
From the Virginia new Euterpriscl


IRON the Virginia (Ncv) Euterpriscl
IN the beginning of the revolution q
variety OF flags were displayed in the re
Noitihg colonies. After the battle of Lex
'hgton the Connecticut troops displayed
on thelr standards the arms of the COLONY
WIN the motto, Qu trdnStultt Sttstinct
ana later, by act of the provisional con.
Rress, the regiments were DISTINGUISHED
ny 'he various colors of their flags. 1t is
uncertain what flag, If any, was used by
the Americans at the battle of Bunker
mn Inc first armed vessels commission
ea ny Washington, sailed under the hag
adopted by the provisional congress of
massachusetts as the one to be borne on
the nag of the cruisers of that colony, "a
White nag with green pine tree" The
hlsu republican flag unfurled in the south
cru states, blue, with white crescent in
Ule upper corner next to the staff, was de-
slnged by Col. William Moutrie of
charleston, South Carolina, at the request
OF the committee of safety, and was hoist.
eu on the tortlficatlons of that city in Sep
TENDER, 1715
me Official original of the grand un-
ron nag Is involved in obscurty At the
tline OF It's adoption at Cambridge the
COLONIES still acknowledge the legal rights
oI lhe mother country and therefore re-
tanned the blended crosses of St George
and st. Andrew, changing only the field
Oh me OLD ensign for the thirteen stripes
emDlematlc of their union. The color of
the stripes may have been suggested by
| the red nag of the army and the white
nag Oh lhe navy, previously in use Con
Gress resolved on June IA, M, that the
nag OF the thirteen United States be thir-
Teen stars, white in a blue field, represent
ing a new constellation" This is the first
recorded legislative action for the adopt
ION OF Il national flag. The thirteen stars
We're arranged in circle, although no
form was prescribed officially. The flag
mus adopted remained unchanged till
~, when on motion of senator Bradley
of New York it was resolved that from
ana alter May |, 1195, 1.-The flag of the I'm
lted states be fifteen stripes alternate red
ana white, that the union be fifteen stars,
white III blue field" This was the flag
used in the war of lSl214. The act made
no provision for future alterations, and
none were made until 1878, although sew
era new states had meanwhile been adj
mtted into the union.
In ISlO, on the admission of Indiana, a
committee was appointed "to inquire into
ne expectancy of altering the flag" A
Dill was reported January ., 1878, but was
not acted on, which embodied the sug-
geStlOns of Capt. Samuel G.. Reid a dis
| \
ed the reduction of the stripes to the or
lglnal thirteen, and the adoption of stars
equal TO the number of the states formed
INTO one large star and a new star to be
added on the 4th of July next succeeding
the admission of each new state. On April
4, ISIS, bill embodying these suggestions,
with the exception of that designating
the manner of arranging the stars, was
approved by the president, and on the 18th
OF the same month the flag thus establish
ed was hoisted over the hall of represent
atlNes at W Washington, although its legal
existence did not begin until the follow
ing 4th of July,
In 1859, when congress passed vote
OF thanks to Capt. Reid, the designer of
the flag, it was suggested that the mode
OF arrangement of the stars should be pre-
scrlbed by law, but the matter was over
looked. The stars in the unions of flags
used III the war department of the gov
eminent are generally arranged in one
large star in the navy flags they are in
variably set in parallel lines. The blue
union of stars, when used separately, is
called the union jack. The United States
revenue flag, adopted in 1899, consists of
sixteen perpendicular stripes, alternately
red and white, the union white. with the
national arms in dark blue. The union
used separately constitutes the revenue
jack The American yacht flag is like the
national flag, with the exception of the
union, " hich Is white foul anchor in Il
circle of thirteen stars in a blue field.