Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1898-09-21
THE AMERICAN FLAG.
ITS ADOPTION BY THE CONTINENTAL
CONGRESS.

Betsy Ross of Philadelphia Made tho
First One-Had Fifteen Stripes at Ono
Time--Afterwards Reduced to the Orig
inai Thirteen.
Sitting at Philadelphia 121 years
ago, the Continental Congress adopted
the recommendation of it's committee
and the flag was born, and to-day it
is the oldest among the flags of the
nations and is acknowledged every
where to be the most beautiful flag
that floats. In June, 1777, COM
mittee of congress, with General Wash
ington as chairman, was instructed to
design a suitable flag for the united
colonies. The design submitted by the
committee, as designed by General
Washington, was adopted by the Con-
tinental Congress June 14th, 1777,
when it was resolved that the flag of
the thirteen United States, be thirteen
stripes, alterenate red and whit; that
the union be thirteen stars, white in a
blue field, representing new constel-
lation. Betsy Ross of Philadelphia is
said to have made the first American
flag, according to the design adopted
by congress. The stars in the Union
of the flag were placed in a circle. This
flag continued in use for eighteen
years. Early in the year 1894, in con-
sequence of the admission of Vermont,
March 4th 1871, and Kentucky, June
LIST, 1892, an act was passed by con-
gress declaring that from and after
the first day of May, 1895, the flag of
the United States be fifteen stripes,
alternate red and white, and the Union
be fifteen stars, white in a blue field"
The stars were arranged in three rows
of five each. The first flag of fifteen
stripes was placed upon the Constitu-
tion, the initial ship of the new navy.
1t was the flag of history of poetry,
and of victory, and for twentythree
years it was triumphant in many hard
fought battles on land and sea. 1t was
of this flag that the poet Key sang
when he wrote ''The Star Spangled
Banner"
The admission of the States of Ten
nessee, June LIST, 1896; Ohio, Novem-
Der 29th, 1902; Louisiana, April 30th,
1872; Indiana, December 11th, 1916,
and Mississippi, December 10th, 1877
compelled a change in the flag, and
congress appointed committee to in
quire into the expediency of again al
tering it. A bill was reported Janu-
airy I'd, 1917, but was not acted on
| Some time afterwards Capt Samuel
| Reid of Stonington Conn.,, famous tol
| the defense of the privateer, Genera
Armstrong, at Fayal, suggested tha
| the number of stripes be reduced tt
| thirteen, and the stars increased to thu
number of States in the Union, th'
whole number of Stars to be formed
| in one large star in a union. The Sug
| passed, April 4th, 1913, "An act to es
| tablish the flag of the United States
The first section provided that from
| and after the fourth day of July next;
| the flag of the United States be thir-
teen horizontal stripes, alternate rec
and white; that the union have twenty
stars, white in a blue field, while the
second section provided that on the ad
mission of every new state in the
Union one star be added to the union
OF the flag, and that such addition shall
take effect on the fourth day of July
next succeeding such admission. There
are now forty-five stars in the union
This is the last legislation on the
subject. 1t was intended in 1850 tc
have fixed by law the arrangement OF
the stars in one large star, but it was
overlooked. At that time the stars
of the flag of the army were arranged
in that manner, while those of the
navy were arranged in lines. Under
the act of 1878 the stars have been
added under the direction of the Sec
retary of War and the Secretary of
| the Navy. At present they are arrang-
ed in six rows. The first, thid and fifth
ows have eight stars each, and the
second, fourth and sixth rows have
seven. The Standard flag for the
army is the garrison flag, and is thirty
six feet fly by twenty hoist The union
| is one-third the length of the flag and
seven stripes wide. The corresponding
flag Of the navy is ensign No. 1. 1t is
thirty-six feet fly by nineteen feet
| hoist. The union is four-tenths the en-.
| tire length and seven stripes wide. The
| first time the flag was unfurled above
foreign port was on January 2Sth
1878, when the sloop of war Providence
| took possession of one of the Bahama
| Islands. The first United States flag
| to appear in England was carried by
the good ship Bedford, Captain Moore
| from Massachusetts. She arrived in
| the Downs February Sd, 1888. The
flag was called Old Glory for the first
time in February, 1862, at Nashville
Tenn, by Capt. Stephen Driver, an
old sea captain, who had received q
beautiful American flag while abroad
| On his return he took up his residence
at Nashville. Opposed to secession, he
was compelled to secrete the flag. He
sewed 1t up in a quilt and slept every
might beneath it to prevent it's being
| found by the Confederates. When the
| Federal troops arrived in Nashville in
February, 1852, he told them the story
of Old Glory, brought 1t out and flung
| it to the breeze from the top Of the
State House. The same flag is suppos-
ed to float to-day from the top of our