The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1902-07-11

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when the stars and stripes were adopt
ed, who were to consider the subject
and report on general standard for all
the troops Of the colonies. The commit
tee consisted Of General Washington,
Robert Morris and Colonel Ross. It
was at the suggestion of Colonel Ross
that the committee decided to call upon
the niece Of the Colonel, Mrs. Betsy
Ross, and ask her assistance in the
making of the first national emblem.
Betsy Ross enthusiastically undertook
the work, and in few days beautiful
star-spangled banner was ready to be
unfurled. She had made one alteration
in the design submitted by Washing
ton. The general had made his stars
six-po1nted, as they were on his coat-of-
arms; Betsy Ross made hers with five
points-and five points have been used
ever since.
For several years Mrs. Ross made the
flags for the government. The prices
she received varied-it was all contract
work. For those for the fleet in the
Delaware the treasury paid her 914
los. I'd.
The stars and stripes were used first
for military service at Fort Stanwix, 70
named Fort Schuyler, now Rome, N. Y,
in 1777. On August 2 Of that year me
fort was besieged by the English and
Indians; the brave garrison were with
out flag; but one was made in the
fort. The red stripes were Of petit
coat furnished by woman, the white
stripes and stars were supplied by an
officer, who gave his shirt for that pur-
pose, and the blue was piece Of Colo
mel Peter Gansevoort's military cloak.
Three women worked on the flag, and it
was raised to victory when, on the 22d
Of August, the red men and the Eng
lish were defeated at the fort. The
banner was used at the battle of Bran
dywine, September II, 1777, at German
town October Of the same year. and It
also floated over the surrender of Bur-
goyne.
Cheers the Patriots.
This flag cheered the patriots Of VAL
ley Forge the next winter; it waved at
Yorktown and shared in the rejoicings
at the close Of the war. AS long as the
States remained 10 in number the
original design Of the circle Of stars
was all right, but when in 1871 Yer
mont and in 1902 Kentucky were taken
into the Union it was decided to ar
range the stars In the form Of one huge
constellation. In 1895 it was decided to
add stripe as we'll as star for each
State which came into the Union, con-
sequently in that year Vermont and
Kentucky were marked ON the flag, one
by white and the other by red stripe.
Some wise prophet, looking ahead some
twenty years or more, saw that this
plan Of adding a stripe as well as a star
for each State added to the Union
would mean a constant changing Of the
nag, and as great growth Of the coun-
try was foreseen. it was soon appreci-
ated that by this plan the flag would in
few years become so large and un-
calmly that its beauty would be lost. =
A COMMITTEES was elected In 1912 by
Congress to decide upon permanent
design for the flag, and the result was
that the original IL stripes were again
used, the stars arranged on the blue
field in the form Of a square, with one
constellation for each new State. In
1918 this plan was formally adopted by
Congress, and the flag with its -
stripes and stars corresponding In num-
Der to the States In the Union became
the estab lished emblem DC the union.
81 Mrs. Reid, wife Of the famous sea
lcaptain, made the first nag Of the new
design. July 4, 1913: the number Of stars
was 20. Illinois being admitted that
lyear This design adopted in 1915. =