The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-11-17
ONE, TATIERED, IS LEFT
Altered to It's Present Form by the
Legislature in 1885.
LITTLE LADIES OF PEACE PATRIOTIC
Il Has Been Suggested That the States Coat Of
Arms b. Substituted on the Blue In
ion For The Single White Star
Now There.

adoption of our State flag, and asking for
some description of 1t. beg to submit
the following for publication as the best
method of complying with the requests
Of many with whom I cannot communi-
cate in person. What follows is the sub
stance Of some remarks on the subject
made to the pupils of Peace Institute,
in your city, at the time of the celebra-
tion there recently of North Carolina
Day"
statement has appeared in the public
prints of late that a State flag was
adopted by the State convention of 1889,
at Fayetteville-the same that accepted
the Constitution of the United States but
no account is given of the action of that
convention, nor any description of the
flag then said TO have been adopted.
This writer has been unable to find any
record of such action and is of the opin-
ion that the statement is erroneous. The
first official record of the adoption of
State flag. so far as the writer knows, is
an ordinance of the Convention of the
People that assembled a Raleigh on May
goth, 1851, the Convention that on that
day withdrew North Carolina from the
Union of the States.
The matter of a State flag being under
discussion, an ordinance authorizing the
same, and a design for the flag were sub
mitted by Col. John D. Whitford, of
Craven county These were referred to
committee consisting of Col. Whitford
as chairman, Hon. VIM. A. Graham, Ken
meth Rayner and others. with VIM. Foy,
of Jones county as Secretary. The COM
mittee received valuable assistance and
suggestions from Mr.. VIM. earle Brown,
a distinguished artist and portrait paint
er of Raleigh. The design offered by
Col. Whitford was modified, and the COM
mittee submitted the following ordin-
anee. which was ratified on the 22nd of
June. 1861:
AN ORDINANCE IN RELATION TO a
STATE FLAG NO. 20.
BE is ordained by this Convention, and
it is hereby ordained by the authority of
the same, that the Flag Of North Caro-
lima shall consist of a red field with
white star in the centre, with the in
scription, above the star, in semi
circular form. May Goth. 1775," and be-
low the star, in semi-circular form.
May goth, 1861 That there shall be
two bars of equal width. and the length
of the field shall be equal to thef bar,
the width of the field being equal to both
baM. The first bar shall be blue and the
second be white. and the length of the
flag shall be one-third more than its
width
The above is from page 80 of volume
entitled Ordinance and resolutions
passed by the State convention Of North
Carolina, first session in May and June,
1871 :.
This was the first official flag of North
Carolina and was carried by some of our
regiments-very few of them could get it
in the War Between the States The
Third regiment, among others ,infantry)
carried this flag throughout the war.
and its Veteran Association at Whining
ton has it now. tattered and torn and
riddled with bullet holes.
The legend May 20, 1775," commemo-
rates the Mecklenburg Declaration of
independence, and MAY goth, 1861 is
the date of the Secession of the State
from the Union.
The flag described above was altered
by our State Legislature in 1885, and
that now in use was adopted a cut of
which is sent you herewith. The Act of
Assembly establishing the present State
flag is as follows: ct will he observed
that the act changes the positions of the
red and blue bars, substituting the one
for the other. placing the blue bar next
the staff perpendicularly. and substitutes
also the legend April 18TH 1776 for May
goth, 1861
LAWS OF 1885.
Chapter POI, Page $50. An Act to estab-
lish State Flag.
The General Assembly of North Carolina
do enact:
Section 1. That the flag of North Caro-
lima shall consist of a blue union. con-
tanning in the centre thereof a white
star with the letter N. in gilt on the left
and the letter c.. in gilt on the right of
said star the circle containing the same
to be one-third the width of said union
Sec. 2. That the fly of the flag shall
consist of two equally proportional bars;
the upper bar to be red, the lower bar
to be white; that the length of the bars
horizontally shall be equal to the per-
pendicular length Of the union, and the
total length of the flag shall be one
third more than it's width.
Sec. g. That above the star in the CEN
ter of the union there shall be gilt
scroll in semi-circular form, containing
in black letters this inscription: .May
goth, 1775,'' and that below the star there
shall be a similar scroll containing in
black letters the inscription: April
18th, 1776''
See 4. That this act shall take effect
from and after it's ratification
In the General Assembly read three
times and ratified this the 9th day of
March, A. d.. 1885.
1t has been suggested, and the writer
thinks very appropriately, that the
States Coat of Arms be substituted on
the blue union of the flag for the single
white star now there. The Coat of Arms