Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-02-01
Origin of the Stars and Stripes.

Origin Of the Stars and Stripes.
"There is one romance connecting Ameri-
I ca with the Orient, and religion with pa
triotism, which should be recorded. 1t in
wolves the Star Spapgled Banner warn
my reader that with this sedste subject oi
religion I am about to associate patriotic
incident.
THE Washington family has been traced
back to the time Of the Norman conquest,
and to the north of the Humber. The
princely SEQ of Durham had prelate who
was feudatory OF the copqueror. He was
warrior priest, and had many feudatores
under him. Among the rest was the knight
ly William De Hertburn, Who, in exchang
ing his village of Hertburn for the Manor OF
WessyntoD, gave not only the first recorded
link in the family, but the immortal name
of Washington, further west
THE Ottoman dynasty had risen to O
formidable power and Richard the Lion
Hearted had pawned his patrimony for q
crusade, and had been imprisoned on the
shores of the Bosphorus the story of the
Plantagenets had been played before the
world stately and warlike scenes in the
West and East had come and gone !;
and the name of De WessyDton, after
illustrating many heroic qualities, had died
out from the chivalric rolls of Durham :;
but it WAS preserved IN the cloister by a
doughty abbot The stock was divided in
| to various branches 1t was scattered over
England. About the time the great-grand
aon of the conqueror of Constantiuople-
Suemen the Megnifcient-had raised his
f,f farD oF ha h..
inatons, Laurence, was practising law at
Gray's Inn. When the Sultan Ibrahim was
trying to foil the intrigues of the eunuchs,
Colone. Henry Washington was defending
the city of Worcnester for King Charles
against Cromwell. Happily for America,
England becameuneomfortabe for the cavsl-
ier6 who had fought for the Stuarts, and the
brothers John aud Andrew Washington
enig,ated to loyal ole Virginia. John set
tied near the Potomac. His grandson Au-
gustine was there born There he lived,
married and died.
"Of his sons, George was the eldest. But,
as the genealogy shows, although he was
out of the direct line, he had inherited the
stamina of the stock
"What-of all this, now and here? There
is another George Washington living at
Constautinople. He is the chaplain of the
British legation, and by no means mute, if
not so glorious a6 his American namesake.
He ia in the direct iue from the De Wessyn.
tons of the Conquest. In his keeping is the
crest of the family What is the romance
to which I have adverted? Nothing less
than the incompatible growth of great
western notion, directed, moderated, ener-
e,zed, aud inspired by descendant of the
martial aad prestly family whose stock
i ,l,o toI, foll bar
land and whose branches are as widely
apart as the Bgsphorus and the Potomac.
tine Rev. Geo. Washington is an accom-.
. ished gentleman aud scholar He is quite
friendly to Americans, as of course, he
should be- l cannot refrain from inserting
hevs little note which he sent to my wife.
It contained his own card. and, doubtless,
the arus Gu that card, as has been often eur.
missed, if not proven, gave the first idea of
the American 'Star-Spangled Banner
"'PERA, January 10, 1885,
"'Dear AIRS Coz: 1t might interest Mr..
Cox TO zee these quarterings of which l was
speaking to you the other evening. You
see the stars and stripes are there. | have
always heard that the story | mentioned 10
YOU was correct, viz: That, casting about
for flag when independence had beeu de
oared, the Americans thought that they
cou d not do Better than take their generals
fsmily qusrtetings as foupdatiou. Hence
The stars and stripes With kind regards,
believe me yours. very truly,
GEORGE WASHINGTON. ~
The querteriugs referred TO are shield,
with three stars at the top and stripes be-
low, running across the shield. Above the
shield are the head and wings of an eagle,
rising from crown, and below it the motto