Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-12-10
THE STARS AND STRIPES.
Some Points of Interest Regarding the
American Flag.

Some Points of Interest Regarding the
American Flag.
In respone to a communication of in |
qniry we give the following. compiled |
from the most authoritative and relia- !
BILE sources: In the beginning of the
Revolution a variety of flags were dis
played in the revolted colonies After |
the battle of Lexington the Connecticut |
troops displayed on their standards the
arms OF the colony With the motto
G}1il trd2asta1I sas$ji21et; and later, by
the act OF the Provincial Congress, the
regiments We're distinguished by the va
ilous colors of their flags. tt is uncer-
tain what flag, if any, was used by the
Americans at the battle of Bunker Hill. |
Th9 first armed vessels commissioned
- Washington sailed under the flag
adopted by the Provincial Congress OF
Massachusetts, as the one to be borne on
the flag of the cruisers of that colony
- '+4ilte flag with a green pine tree"
The first republican flag lnfurled in the
Southern States-bluc, with q white
crescent in the upper corner next to the
staff-was designed by Col. William
Moultrie, of Charleston, S. c., at the
request OF the Committee of Safety, and
was hoisted on the Notifications of that
city in September, ITS.
The official organ of the grand
Union" flag is involved in obscurity.
At the time OF its adoption at Cam
bridge the colonies still acknowledged
the legal rights Of the mother country,
and therefore retained the blended
crosses Of st. George and st. Andrews,
changing only the field of the old Ell
sign for the thirteen stripes emblem
attic of their union. The color of
the stripes may have been suggested
hT the red flag OF the army, and the
white flag Of the navy, previously in
use. Congress resolved on June IL,
1777, that the flag of the thirteen United
, States be thirteen stars, white in a blue
, field, representing new constellation.
This is the first recorded legislative ac-
ton for the adoption of a national flag.
1 The thirteen stars were arranged in
: circle, although no form was prescribed
, officially. The flag thus adopted re-
, NAMED unchanged until 1894, when, on
: motion of Senator Bradley, of New
York, it was resolved that from and
i after May /, 1885, "the flag of the
United States be fifteen stripes, alter
f nate red and white, that the union be
fifteen stars, white in a blue field"
This was the flag used in the wal Of
ls12-14, This act made no provisions
3 for future alterations and none We're
$ made until 1878, although several new
, States had meanwhile been admitted
! into the Union.
In 1916, on the admission of Indiana.
q committee was appointed "to inquire
s into the cxpeliency Of altering the
3 flag" A bill was reported on January
+ 2, 1918, but was not acted on, which
= embodied the suggestions of Capt Sam
:, uel G. Reid, distinguished naval Off
> Ger, who recommended the reduction
i of the stripes to the original thirteen
/ and the adoption of stars equal to the
S number of States, formed into one
d large star, and a new star to be
). added on the Fourth of July next
= succeeding the admission of each new
i State. On April 4, 1918, bill EN-
3 bodying these suggestions, with the ex
d ception OF that designating the manner
y of arranging the stars, was approved
= by the President, and on the 18th o
y the same month the flag thus estab
lished was hoisted over the Hall o
g Representatives at Washington, al
i though its legal existence did not be
If gin until the following Fourth OF July
J. In 1852 when Congress passed
. vote Of thanks to Capt. Reid, che de
y signer Of the flag, it was suggested tina
q the mode of arrangement of the star
D should be prescribed by law, but tn
m matter was overlooked. The stars il
a. the unions of flags used in the War De
,s partment Of the Government are gen
- orally arranged in one large star; il
the navy flags they are invariably Sc
81 in parallel lines. The blue union Q
u stars, when used separately, is calle
l. the union jack. The United State
ID revenue flag, adopted in 1889, consist
Of sixteen perpendicular stripes
alternately red and white, til
union white, with the national arms i
dark blue. The union used separated
We constitutes the revenue jack. Th
American yacht flag is like the nationf
IN flag, with the exception Of the unio1
which is white foul anchor in q circl
10 of thirteen stars. in a blue feld.-Tl1
~ gi71iG (Nev.) Enterprise.