The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-06-27
NATIONAL C0L0RS.
FLAGS OF THE UNITED STATES
ARMY AND NAVY.
Emblems Carried by Infantry and
Cavalry - War Ship Carries
About 100 FIags-Great
Britain's Ensigns.


States-a star being added whenever a
Territory is admitted to statehood
form the union, the thirteen stripes
representing the original States. Both
national and regimental colors are
used in the United States Army by
each regiment Except cavalry, which
has only o regimental standard), and
by the Engineer battalion-the
national colors in various sizes. The
garrison flag, the largest, is used only
at important posts. It is twenty feet
on the hoist, with fly of thirty-six
feet, the union being one-third the
length of the fly, and in depth to the
lower edge of the storm flag smaller
still. The regimental colors of the
United States Infantry are OF blue
silk, and bear in the centre the arms
of the United States. Below the. eagle
is red scroll, with the number and
name of the regiment in white. The
United States Artillery has scarlet
regimental colors, with two cannons
crossed in the centre, with ~. 8. in
yellow above, and the regimental
number below. The cavalry regi-
mental standard is beautiful seam
less yellow silk, with four-foot fly
and three feet on the lance. The arms
of the United States are in blue in the
centre, and beneath the eagle red
scroll bears the name and number Of
the regiment in yellow. The United
States Engineers carry scarlet colors,
bearing in the centre castle with
~. s." above and Engineers" be-
low, castle and lettering being in sill
yer. Battles in which the regiments
distinguished themselves were for
merly listed on the colors and
standards, but are now shown on the
stats. The national and regimental
colors and standards are kept at the
commanding officers quarters, and
are escorted to the color company OF
troop amid much ceremony, the
escort being headed by the band. The
color-guard are selected for their
soldierly appearance and qualities
men who would rather die than sur
render.
The flags of the United States Navy
are made of American bunting thor
oughly tested for strength, and
soaked in salt water and dried in the
sun for colors. There may be some|
hundred and sixty flags on a United
States war ship-say twenty-five for-|
eign flags (according to the station onl
which she will cruise), twenty Ameri-|
can ensigns, eleven pennants, four
union-iacks, twelve rear-adniralsl
flags iii flag ship, twenty internal
tional signals, and the remainder sig
nal and miscellaneous flags. Epsigns|
(stars and strips, of course) run inI
eight sizes, from that used on vessels
with very long spars, such as the new
Brooklyn and Minneapolis will have,
and which is nineteen feet on the
hoist and thirty-six feet on the fly, to
the little 2.3714. so foot boat-Aag, too
small to sport more than the original
thirteen States in it's union. The No.
l union.jack is the 10.20x14. 40 foot
union of the No. l ensign, and the |
other jacks conform similar to the
unions of the corresponding ensigns.
When a captain puts his ship into
commission, he hoists, in addition to |
the ensign, a pennant. This has fyI
of seventy feet, the union occupyingl
1850, with thirteen stars. The ad-
miral's and vice-admiraps flags of the
United States Navy, when these ranks
are filed, are blue, with four and
three white stars respectively. 1t Will
be remembered from the Columbian
naval review, when our fleet was
divided into three squadrons, each in
command of rear-admiral, that we
preserve the old English distinction
of the blue, the red, and the white
flag. The Secretary of the Navy flies
q blue flag with four white stars, an
anchor and cable, the Assistant Secre-
tary reversing the colors. The Presi-
dents flag is blue, with the arms OF
the United States, the eagle and stars
white, the shield preserving the "tinc-
lures" The red and white-crossed
flag of Denmark is the oldest existing
national color, having been in use
since 1919.
Next to our own flag, that of Great
Britain interests US most. 1t is called
the ssunion" flag because it is three
faes in one. The flag of England is a
red cross on a 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. An
drew's cross on blue field, was added.
The union of the three countries is
thus indicated Oh the "union." The
st. Georges cross of England remains
the same as before, and is the GENITAL
feature of the flag, dividing it into
four quarters occupied by the st,
Andrews crosses, the white OF Scot
land and the red of Ireland, which are
placed side by side. Aboard British
war ship the "union" is hoisted only
when the Queen or an admiral ia
aboard. English ships sail under thd
British ensign, of which there are
three kinds-white, blue and red,
each with the "union" in a square in
the upper part of the hoist-that por1
ton of the flag along the staff. The
navy, and, by special permission, thd
Royal Yacht Club, sail under the white
ensign, which has, besides the union,
the red cross Of st. George over thd
whole. The blue ensign is a privi
L IL.