Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-07-18
"a AarERIuAr RANNEns.
whence. When and How Our Flags
Came
7fmss,sgar

Came.
Cincinnati 7fmss-Stor.
Col f. T. Foster, the decorator, OF
this city. is about the best posted per-
son on flags in the West. he has COM
piled the fac smile flags Of our country
and takes great pleasure in placing
them on exhibition anywhere: He Is
able to give quite graphic description
of them, and said yesterday speaking OF
his collection: '"The flags represent the
frs carried by Columbus when he land
ed. They are three yellow flags; then
comes the Americas Vespucius nag;
the next is a buff flag with heraldic
arm clasping dagger with the motto
Wine Aoy Morrle.' This flag was sent
over in 1860 for the three county troops
Of Massachusetts and was carried by
Nathan Page and flashed at the battle
of Lexington, April 10, 1878, at the
head OF the minute men. This dag Is
still In the town hall, New Bedford,
Mass. The first months OF the revolu-
tien Connecticut had blue flag, God,
who has transposed US hither will sns-
tain us Each State had separate flag
of some kind. On all the floating bat
teries and navy the white flag and pine
tree, especially the six schooners In Bos-
ton harbOr, had the motto, AN appeal
to Heaven A red flag was used at the
throwing of the tea overheard In Boston
harbor. 1t has King Georges cross
in the corner and motto, Rex and
Property This alluded to the colonies
having no representation. A flag used
later had for its motto: Rex and Our
Liberties. Another flag had the for
midable motto, George Rex and the
Liberty Of America The flag OF 1775
was Liberty and Property with King
Georges cross. The flag carried at the
battle of Lexington had a blue field,
with the motto, 'Qui Trsnstulet Susti-
netr The Netherlands flag was white
a beaver on it. The emblem OF Estern
States, Putnam's flag at Prospect Hill,
had q blue field, one side inscribed
Lexington opposite Appeal TO Heav-
en- This motto was adopted by Con-
gress in 1776. Massachusetts adopted
for her regiments white flag, with the
pine tree same carried at the battle OF
Bunker Hill. 1t was also Washing
toms favorite standard and he carried
II when he crossed the Delaware river.
The flag used by Col. Moultree
in IT'S was blue field with white
crescent. The same flag was at Eft.
Sullivan, only the word Liberty was
added to ID. The flag of Washington,
at Cambridge, June 2, 1776, had the st:
George cross, but also 13 stripes, red
and white, representing the 10 States.
The flag is now at the State House, In
Albany, n. Y. A blue flag, with the
rattlesnake and motto, Don't tread on
me- also Join or de- was also used
during the revolution. The stripes
were 10 red and blue but no union. The
flag of 1879 had 16 perpendicular stripes
and l6 stars. The flag used by the
Philadelphia city troops, and still In
their possession In 1776 had - stripes
and Is stars. 1t was presented to the |
troops by Capt. Abram Markham in IA |
or rs, and on June Il, II. Congress |
adopted similar flag as the flag
Of the union, and officially promulgated
the same on September -. The States,
nRtead of having separate banners were |
III under the star-spangled banner.
flag with twelve stars and twelve |
stripes originated in Massachusetts, in |
IVA. 1t is now in the possession OF |
Mrs. Stafford, of Cottage City, Mass.
The Netherlands, as certain portions OF |
the Eastern States were called, adopted
As their standard the beaver and seal, |
white and blue field. The flag carried
Dy Mad Anthony Wayne had stripes in !
The uuion of white, with the words, !
Anthony Wayne, commaDder-in Chief
Thts flag was on exhibition at the Gin
cinnati centennial and is still preserved |
in the family. The Commodore Perry |
lag, used after the battle on Lake Erie !
in 1912, had for its motto, Don't Give |
Up the Ship" A flag run up !
ut Yorktown after the surrender |
of CORVALLIS had thirteen stripes
in the corner, bunch OF arrows and
the motto, Omitted We Stand, Divided |
We Fall" The flag of 1894, which had
fourteen stripes and fifteen stars, was
used in the war of 1912. The President |
of the United States flag adopted some
years ago had a blue field, spread
eagle, with forty-fve stars surrounding.
Texas adopted a flag with five pointed
stars on a blue field with oak leaves
around 1t.
Every time a State is added to the
grand constellation of States star is
added to the number on the flag, and
the flag becomes the official one on the
Fourth of July following, The number
of stars, forty-four, shows the growth
of our country since 1776, when there
were but thirteen. What is known as
the original star spangled banner
is now owned by Colonel Eben
Appleton, of New York, grandson OF
Col. Geo. Armistead. This banner was
presented by the ladies OF Baltimore to
the garrison at Fort Henry September
10, 1914. 1t was used at the Lafayette
reception in 1924, at the Philadelphia
Centennial, and will be exhibited at the
Worlds Fair at Chicago. Capt. S. G.
Reid designed in 1916 the present flag,
and 1t was approved by Congress April
4. 1918. The number of stripes has
been reduced 10 thirteen, while a star
was added for each new State. 1t was
the American flag that caused two OF
our best poems TO be penned, The Star
Banner by Francis 5. Key,
and The American Flag, by Joseph
Rodmau Drake"