The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-24
7HB PRESIDENTS FLAG
lis Origin Dates Back to The Time
of Washington.
Tint Particular Ensign Was Carried
of the observation-disclosures with
Other Trophies. in the Afcxnn-
drin Museum Fire, In Mny. 1871.


With the recent passing of Flag Day
has come the enquiry into the sources from
which come some of the flags. and particu-
larly the flag Of the President OF the
, United States. This recalls to many old
citizens Of Fairfax County. Virginia,
memories CT the first flag OF the kind ever
displayed. 1t was the flag OF Washington s
bodyguard, and existed scores Of years
after the war of the Revolution. having
been burned by the fire which DESTROYED
the Alexandria Museum in May. 1877 The
museum was in tie third story Of the
market building on Royal Street in Alex
andria. and among It's trophies. besides the
flag OF Washingtons Life Guard. was a
flag which had belonged to Paul Jones, a
flag taken from the Hessians at Trenton,
the flag OF the Richmond Rife Rangers,
and the faded flag. red with a yellow
centre. inscribed TX Virginia Regiment.
Alexandria Company"
Alexandria wsshington Lodge. +. and
| A. NJ, preserves in its new temple some
of the relics saved from the museum fire.
but the flags are not among them The
old flags were al consumed. The flag Of
| Washilgton's Life Guard was somewhat
| pennant shaped, ard exhibited a red
| union with two longitudinal stripes, one
| white and the other blue.
The original Life Guard was composed
entirely of Fairfax men, for Alexandria
was then Fairfax Court House, and owed
its origin to Col. John Fitzgerald an
Alexandria merchant, who was specially
distinguished on the field at Princeton
and was most active afterward in hunting
down the Conway cabal against General
Washington. He was mayor of Alexandria
in 1871. and was appointed by President
John Adams as Collector Of the Port Of
Alexandria in 1893. No portrait Of him
exists.
The house in which be resided stood
fer two thirds Of a century On the south
east corner OF King and Fairfax Streets.
but was torn down about 1870 to give
place to the banking house of Burke C
Herbert. the Bell Telephone office, ETC.,
which now occupy its site.
The original bodybuard Of Washington
grew cut Of fear in Fairfax lest Mount
Vernon should be deSpoiled by the negroes
and Tories under Governor Dunmore, who
harried tie Potomac side in 1776: but
the corps which bore the flag was designed
especially for the security of Washington
himself. In March. 1776, Lund WASH
ington. the manager of Mount Vernon,
wrote TO General Washington;
Alexandria is very much alarmed. and,
indeed. the whole neighborhood The
women and children are leaving town and
sheltering themselves in any huts they
can find. out of the reach OF the eneny's
cannon. Every wagon. cart, or pack
horse that can be got Is employed The
militia are all up, but not in arms for in
deed, they have none. or at least very few.
l am about packing up your china
ard glass in barrels, and also things in
chests. I fear the destruction will be
great. Everybody / see tells me that IL
the people could have notice they would
Instantly come out and defend your prop
erty. as long as they have life-from
Loudoun, Fauquier, Prince william, and
this county"
Colonel Fitzgerald was in Fairfax
about this time and Jansen's Stranger in
America tells thus of the trouble OF the
time:
Three small British armed ships sailed
up the Potomac as far as Alexandria. and
consequently passed Mount Vernon. They
but the commanders gave strict orders
not to moiest Mount Vernon, and, to their
honor. it was not moiested. Their arrival
at Alexandria threw the people in a dread-
full state CT alarm, the seat OF war being
far removed from that place. They mus
tered in haste to the market place. under
command of Col. John Fitzgerald ere of
Wassington's aides-de-camp, who hap
pened TO be there on leave of absence,
with his family residing there. These
ships displayed an intention of landing,
and Fitzgerald, leaving the command to
a militia colonel, proceeded at the head
of several Of the citizens to Jones' FONT
(now the extreme south point Of the Fed
er-n DISTRICT to repel the invaders. Soon
after the departure OF this party the ships
fred few shots at the town. upon which
the commander OF the militia ordered the
colcrs to be struck. but for his pusillanie
nifty was ehastised upon the spot" An
other account says: Colonel Fitzgerald
gave him a severe drubbing."
This was the kind Of man who devised
the flag Of Washington's bodyguarc-the
frst Presidents flag.
The Fairfax Life Guard led however.
to jealousies and at later period Wash
ngtou's guard was recruited by four Amer
leans; chosen from each regiment. no one
of the recruits being less than feet 9
inches, nor more than feet 10 inches in
stature.
The flag was preserved by Mai. Tim
othy Mountford. who had himself been
clerk to Col Tobias Lear. Washingtoa's
private secretary, when Col. Lear was
American Consul to Tunis. Major Mount
ford died in Alexandra the ID OF March,
1916. at his room adjoining the Museum.