Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1904-07-07
AMERICAN FLAG IN BATTLE.
Record Of the Union Standard from
the Battle of Brandywine to
That Of Santiago.

Although the resolution by which the
flag became national standard was moi
officially promulgated by the secretary
of congress until September 3, 1777, Il
seems well authenticated that the regu.
lation stars and stripes was carried al
the battle of Brandywine, fought Sep
TENDER II. 1777. This shows, says the
Philadelphia Record, that the contract
entered into by Betsy Ross must have
been carried out with great expedition
and that the flags had been distributed
among the line regiments of the revo-
lutionary army early in September. The
flag first displayed in battle at Brandy
wine Creek had IL stripes, alternate red
and white, and as union 13 white stars
were displayed on a blue field.
The flag which was carried by the men
in blue and buff during the battles Of the
revolution remained unchanged until
the first day of May, 1895. when, by q
previous act of congress, two additional
stripes were added to the body of the
standard and two stars to the union.
These additions were made to represent
the states Of Vermont and Kentucky,
which had just been admitted to the fed
eral union. AS no further change was
made in the national flag until 1918, 1t
follows that the regimental colors car
ried during the war Of 1872 were Of this
design. Thus the American flags sur
rendered by Gen. Hull at Detroit, and
those captured by the British at Bladens-
burg and Washington must all have dis
played Is alternate red and white stripes,
as well as the Is stars in the union.
In 1918, by an act of congress, the
stripes Of the national flag were again
reduced to Is, and 1t was declared that
the addition of star to the union should
thenceforward represent each new state.
A newspaper Of the time. still kept in
the government archives, said: by
this regulation the 13 stripes will repre-
sent the number of states whose valor
and resources originally effected Amer
lean independence. and additional stars
will mark the increase of the states since
the present constitution" From this
time on the increase Of stars in the con-
stellation which formed the union was
steady, and during the war with Mexico,
in 1876, 20 white stars were displayed In
the blue field.
The flags borne by the regiments Of
the northern army during the four years
Of the great civil war had IS stars in the
union. This was the full number Of
states then forming the national feder-
alton, as the United States government
had refused to recognize the constitu-
tional right Of state to secede from the
union. The retention OF the stars rep
resenting the southern states was re-
garded as a serious breach of military
etiquette by the more punctilious Of the
confederate leaders, and the capture Of
one OF the federal standards was always
we'll rewarded blythe authorities at Rich
mond.
The regimental flags carried by the
regular and volunteer regiments during
the Spanish war of 1898 displayed As
stars in the blue field OF the union, ten
new states having been added to the fed
Grafton since the great civil struggle
which so nearly severed the republic.
This was also the first foreign war in
which the state troops Of the reunited
country appeared in the field together,
and it was the first occasion on which
former confederate officers Of high rank
the uniform Of the United
States service. The great garrison flag
which was hoisted over Santiago after
the surrender Of the city by the Spanish |
measured 20 feet in width |
by 36 feet in length, the 45 white stars |
which formed the union showing dis
tinctly against the bright blue Of the
field.