The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-07-05
WHAT FLAGS SIGNIFY.
The Colors of Regiment or Ship are Some
thing More Than Mere silk.
n,Iro

| 81 The Outlook
Flags are not merely so many yards Of
silk. They represent to soldier what is
noblest in his country's history aud institu-
tions. Their loss, under circumstances short
of heroic, is al eternal disgrace to the regi-
ment losing them. Only death can excuse
the Color-Guard from defending them, and
when the guard has been shot or cut down
others should be ready TO stand by the flag
In the Navy vessel never strikes her colors
except to acknowledge defeat.
For this reason when in that great sea duel
between Paul Jones,s Bonhommie Richard
and the English Scraps, which lasted far
into the night, the ensign was shot away from
the halyards, Lieut.. Stafford plunged into
the sea after it, and Drawing q double death
he was in fact wounded while swimming
saved it and set it again, and it was the
Scraps which finally struck. The Cumber-
land went down in Hampton Roads with
colors flying, and when recently the old
Kearsarge, which sent the Alabama to the
bottom, struck on Roncador Reef in the
Caribbean sea, and her crew was obliged to
take to the boats, the ensign was left flutter-
ing to the breeze.
Next to our own flag that Of Great Britain
interests us most. 1t is called the "union"
flag, because it is three flags in one The
flag of England is a red cross on white
field; that of Scotland, white ST. Andrews
cross on a blue field. These flags were COM
bined when England and Scotland united in
1888; and on the union with Ireland the
Irish flag, red st. Andrews cross on a
white field, was added. The union of the
three countries is thus indicated on the
union" The st. Georges cross of Eng
land remains as before and is the central
feature of the flag, dividing it into four
quarters, occupied by the st. Andrews
crosses, the white of Scotland and the red
of Ireland, which are placed side by side.
Aboard British warship the union is
hoisted only when the Queen or an Admiral
is aboard. English ships sail under the
British ensign, of which there are three
kinds-white, blue and red-each with the
union in square in the upper part of the
hoist, that portion of the flag along the
staff. The navy, and, by special permission,
the Royal Yacht Club, sail under the white
ensign, which has, besides the union, the red
cross of st. George over the whole The
blue ensign is privilege allowed TO those
merchant ships which are offieered by men,
bers of the naval reserve and one-third of
whose crews belong to the reserve 1t is
also flown by q few yacht clubs. The red
is the merchantman's ensign. Until 1864
the British naval feet was divided into three
squadrons, each in command of an Admiral,
who was known by the color of his flag, as
the admiral of the blne," the Admiral of
the red." and the Admiral of the white"
This dist notion was abolished because it
was found puzzling In action and was often
eliminated. Trafalgar, for instance, was
fought under the white ensign. The French
and Spanish ships went into action without
setting their colors, but were later obliged
to hoist them SO as to be able to strike them