Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1903-06-10
THE FLAG IN BATTLE
WHEN OR WHERE IT WAS FIRST
BORNE HISTORY RECORDS NOT.

BORNE HISTORY RECORDS NOT.
Its Developments From the First In
animate object Carried Aioft ON a
stan-Desr Co the Hearts OF Fight
ers I'm All Ages and Nations.
Where I'm the whole world Is another
thing meaningless I'm itself that has sig
nihed so much or served so greatly I'm
the dramas OF national life as the fag7
asks the London Globe.
One tradition says the saracens first
carried an orthodox standard into bat
tie and thus gave the idea, as they gave
so many others, to the crusaders. But
obviously the flag is far older than this.
and II Is interesting TO note its develop
ment from the first inanlmate object
borne aloft on staff SO as TO be gener-
ally visible down TO the complicated
blazonry OF royal banner I'm our own
ages The Egyptians thus carried be-
fore their hosts the figure OF n sacred
animal ON spear. and the Assyrians.
as their carvings tell us. inspired the
hopes and conferred the attentions of
their soldiers in the same way. The
royal standard OF the Persians for
many centuries was n blacksmith's
apron, and Il IS said local prince i'm
passing a hermit's cell on the way to
battle one morning asked the inmate
Tor his blessing or something express
I've TO put ON that artless cognizance
The hermit. possibly little touchy. rs
even saints will be when disturbed nj
breakfast time. threw the chieftain the
nat. round cake he was eating. which
was duly added 10 the apron: hence the
Persian "sun." The lion was an obvi-
Gus afterthOught. The Turks used n
horses tail, the rank OF a pasha being
known 10y the number OF tails he car
RED, and probably this suggested the
much bifurcated pcnnon OF early west
ern chivalry familiar TO every one WHO
has studied the Baveux tapestry or ear
~ Illuminated missals.
In the middle ages. devoted 70 dis
play and military arrogance. the flag
stood I'm relationship to the great cap
tain's array as his personal armor
stood to himself; IL insured recognition
In the melee and supplied a rallying
point for the fighters such as nothing
else could have done. This led TO an
etiquette OF flags which apportioned
shape and size To every rank of the
peerage, from the royal standard Itself
down through n varied array OF ban
ners. gonfalons. pennons. ensigns and
other bits OF red rag" and kept the
heraldS' college busy. besides supply
ing the poets with admirable local col
oring for their battle pieces. Does not
Scott tell us i'm some famous lines:
Then fell that spotlcss banner white.
Lord Towards lion fell:
But sim Lord Narmion's falcon few
With wavcring flight. while norcer grew
Around the battle yell
Here. II will be noted. the whole rist
and point OF the fight centers in the
pennOns OF the leaders. and Of the same
vital Importance OF the flag there ere
innumerable instances I'm medieval lit
erature. When the Douglas unfurled
his standard at Otterburn-a flag. by
the way. which is still in existence-he
declared, and thought not without rea-
son. that the mere sight OF that famous
cloth would put the English host to
rout. And even in comparatively mod
ern and prosaic times the belief that n
dreaded captain was beneath n certain
emblem has sufiiccd to turn the scales
OF battle
Thus in the French war OF 1877 the
French Rear Admiral Sarcy when cruis-
ing with six frigates in the bay Of Bali
came in sight OF five or our Indiamen,
one of them the Woodford. Captain
LcnnoN. They were homeward bound
and all richly laden. and 10 all appear
ances they had no chance OF escape,
when Captain LennoN rescued them by
an act of great Judgment and presence
OF mind. lie first OF all hoisted in his
own ship nag which the French admi-
raj knew WELL that OF the British AdmI-
raj Rainier. blue. at the mizzen, and he
made all the other ships In his company
hoist pennants and ensigns 10 CORE
spond. But he did more. He detached
two OF the Indiamen TO chase and rec
Onnoiter the enemy. and as these adj
vanced toward the French reconnoiter-
ing frigate. the Cybele, the latter, COM
pletely deceived. made all sail 10 join
her consorts. on which the French adj
miral, believing he was in the presence
OF powerful British squadron, made
of with his frigates under all sail, and
Captain LennoX and his cOnSorts COM
pleted their voyage In safety.
The flag indeed preserved its glamour
long after the time when il was the
eynosure of conflict, the emblazoned
meteor of victory, as Milton calls It,
NapoleOn's officers. retreating from
Moscow, burned their standards and in
the excess OF their bitter affection
mixed the ashes with wine and drank
them SO. The same was done at Metz
and Sedan, and even today there is
probably no soldier in the world who
would not do Il little more for his colors
than for anything else within his mar
tial horizon. The idea has penetrated
into all ranks of society. To nail ones
colors TO the mast is the last expression
OF desperate resolve. just as TO haul
them down indicates the abyss OF hui
utilization.