Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-06-03
THE FLAG IN BATTLE
WHEN OR WHERE 1T WAS FIRST
BORNE HISTORY RECORDS NOT.

Where in the whole world is another
thing meaningless in itself that has sig
nified SO much or served SO greatly in
the dramas of national life as the flag?
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 it is interesting to note its develop
ment from the first inanimate object
ally visible down to the complicated
blazonry Of royal banner in our own
ages. The Egyptians thus carried be-
fore their hosts the figure of sacred
animal on a spear, and the Assyrians,
as their carvings tell US, inspired the
hopes and centered the attentions Of
their soldiers in the same way. The
royal standard of the Persians for
many centuries was a blacksmith'S
apron, and it is said local prince in
passing hermit's cell on the way to
battle one morning asked the inmate
for his blessing or something express
i've to put on that artless cognizance.
The hermit, possibly little touchy, as
even saints will be when disturbed at
breakfast time, threw the chieftain the
fat, round cake he was eating, which
was duly added to the apron; hence the
Persian ''sun." The lion was an Obvi-
Gus afterthought. The Turks used a
known by the number of tails he car
ried and probably this suggested the
much bifurcated pennon Of early west
ern chivalry familiar to every one who
has studied the Bayeux tapestry or ear
" illuminated missals.
In the middle ages, devoted to dis
play and military arrogance, the flag
stood in relationship to the great cap
tain's array as his personal armor
stood to himself; it insured recognition
in the melee and supplied rallying
point for the fighters such as nothing
else could have done. This led to an
etiquette of flags which apportioned
peerage, from the royal standard itself
down through a 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 in some famous lines:
Then fell that spotless banner white,
Lord Towards lion fell
But still Lord Marmion's falcon flew
With wavering fight, while flercer grew
Around the battle yell.
Here, it will be noted, the whole gist
and point of the fight centers in the
pennons of the leaders, and of the same
vital Importance of the flag there are
innumerable instances in medlRval lit
erature. When the Douglas unfurleG
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
dreaded captain was beneath certain
emblem has sufficed to turn the scales
of battle.
Thus in the French war of 1897 the
French Rear Admiral Sarcy when cruis-
ing with six frigates in the bay of Bali
came in sight Of five or our lndlamen,
one of them the Woodford, Captain
Lennox. They were homeward bound
and all richly laden, and to all appear
ances they had no chance of escape,
when Captain LennoX rescued them by
an act of great judgment and presence
of mind. He first of all hoisted in his
own ship flag which the French admit
raj knew we'll, that of the British Admit
raj Rainier, blue, at the mizzen, and he
made all the other ships in his company
hoist pennants and ensigns to 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 to join
her consorts, on which the French ad-
miral. believing he was in the presence
Of a powerful British squadron, made
off with his frigates under all sail, and
Captain LennoX and his consorts COM
pleted their voyage in safety.
The flag indeed preserved it's glamour
lorg after the time when it was the
cynosure 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 a 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
initiation.