The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1886-09-02
THE NATIONAL GRIDIRON.
Points of Interest Regarding the American
EInr.
Nlrom the Nirginin lNcvl Enternrisnl

ring.
Nrom the Virginia (Ncv) Enterprise)
IN response to communication of in
quiry We give the following, compiled
from the most authoritative and reliable
sources. In the beginning Of tho Rcvo-
luton variety of flags were displayed
Ill the rcvOtcd colonies. After the bat
tie of Lexington the Connecticut troops
displayed Oh their standards the arms of
the colony with the motto: Qui transtulit
SuStlnct; and later, by act of the Pro-
vlnclal Congress, the regiments were dis
tnguishcd by the various colors Of their
flags. 1t is uncertain what flag, if any,
was used by the Americans ut the battle
OF bunker llill. The first armed vessels
commissioned by Washington sailed un-
der the flag adopted by the Provincial
Congress OF Massachusetts as the one to
he borne on the flag of the cruisers OF
That co!ony--''a white flag with a green
pine tree. The first Republican flag
mtUlcd III the Southern Statcs-bluc,
with a white crescent i'll the upper cor
ncr nCAt 10 the StatI,-wnS designed by
! Col. William MouitriC, Of Charleston,
! ,. G., III the request Of the committee Of
| safety, and WAS hOiStcd on the iortiiica-
tlOns Of that city in September, l775.
The Official origin of the "grand
Union" flag is involved in obscurity. AT
the time of It's adoption at Cambridge
the colonies still acknowledged the legal
rights OF the mother country, and there
fore retained the blended crosses of st.
! George and ST. Andrew, changing only
the field of the old ensign for tho thir-
! teen stripes cmblcmatic Of their union.
Inc color of the stripes may have been
/ suggested by tn" red flag of the army,
lI'H the Whltr flag OF the navy, Previous
| y III use. Congress resolved, on june
! ~, l'II, ''that the flag of the thirteen
| tmtId States be thirteen stars white in
Il blue field, representing new constcl-
| iahon. This is the first recorded lcgis-
! latlNc action for the adoption Of nation.
! al flag. The thirteen stars were arrang-
/ Cd i'll circle, although no form was III e.
srrlhcd officially. The flag thus adopted
rrmNlncd unchanged till 1904, when, on
motion Of Senator bradley, Of New
York, it WAS resolved that from and after
May /, 1888, "thc flag Of the United
States be fifteen stripes, alternate rcd
and white, that the union be fifteen
stars, white in Il blue field" This was
the flag used i'll the war Of lS12-l4. The
act m'ti" no provisions for future nltcra-
tlonS, and none were made until 1918,
although several new States had mean
while been admitted into the Union.
In lSlG, Oh the admission of Inuiuna,
Il committee WAS appointed 'fO inquire
INTO the cNpcdirncy of altering the flag"
y Dill was reported on January 2, 1918,
but WAS not acted on, which embodied
the suggestions Of Captain Samuel G..
Reid, distinguished naval officer, who
recommended the reduction OF the
stripes to the original thirteen, md the
ndoptlOl Of stars equal to the number of
States, formed into one large star, and
new star to be added on the Fourth of
july next succeeding the admission of
each new State. On April 4, 1913, n bill
clnbodylnS these suggestions, with the
exception Of that designating the man
ncr OF arranging the stars, was approved
by the President, and on the 18th of the
same month the flag thus established
was hOlStcd over the hail Of Representa-
tiycS ut Washington, although it's loyal
existence did not begin until the follow
ing Fourth Of July.
In lS59, when Congress passed vote
Of tltllLa to Captain Reid, the designer
OF tive flag, it was suggested that the
mode Of arrangement Of the stars should
be prescribed by law, but the matter was
overlooked. The stars in the unions of
flags used i'll the war department Of the
government arc generally arranged in
one large star; i'll the navy flags they are
Invariably set in parallel lines. The blue
union OF stars, when used separately, is
called the union jack Tho United States
revenue flag, adopted i'll 1899, consists
OF lG perpendicular stripes, alternately
ret and white, the union white, with the
national arms in dark blue. The union
used separately constitutes tho revenue
union. The American yacht flag is like
thc national flag with the exception of
the union, which is Il white foul anchor
III circle Of Is stars, in a blue field.