The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1905-06-28

hhoNh " AlstOlS'
Y n y Saturday, June II, HI
! 4NoW the Continental Congress
resolved "That the flag of the thirteen
United States be thirteen stripes, alter
nate red and white, that the Union be
thirteen stars, white in blue field,
representing a new constellation" y
great variety of flags, in number equal,
perhaps, to the kinds of uniforms
worn, had been carried by the patriotic
troops of the Revolution. Conspicuous
among them was the yellow flag bear
ing rattlesnake and the motto, Don't
tread on me-" which Paul Jones hoisted
over the first flagship of the patriot
navy. A more appropriate ensign for
use while the patriots as colonists were
fighting for their rights as British citi-
zens was that displayed on the Royal
Savage schooner, under Arnold at the
battle of Lake Champlain, for it had
thirteen stripes, alternate red ana
white, with the British Union in the
corner.
But once the colonies had declared
their independence a new flag was
needed, and it was developed from the
old one of the Royal Savage. Wash
ington himself George Ross, of Phila-
lelphia, and Robert Morris designed
the flag, and good Mrs Betsy Ross,
at her home No. 239 Arch street,
% Philadelphia, sewed the bunting. The
thirteen stripes to represent the thir-
teen States were retained, and then a
union of thirteen white stars on a blue
field, a constellation that was to
astound the astronomers of politics in
more ways than one, took the place Of
the British Union.
The exact time when the flag was
unfurled over the halls of Congress is
not matter of record, but when it was
first blackened with the smoke of bat
tie we know right well. While Betsy
Ross was stitching the. flag together
Burgoyne was marching down through
the wilderness by the way of Lake
Champlain to meet theN British army
that was to come up the Hudson from
New York. To aid in crushing the
patriots that, under Schuyler, were op-
posing Burgoyne, st. Leger was sent
with 100 men, chiefly Tories and
Indians, to Oswego, whence he
marched down to the head of the Mo-
hawk Valley where Rome now stands
The Mohawk Valley was the home Of
the Tories. No part cf the country
could show a greater proportion of
them but the patriots mad taken to
the field in surprising numbers and
with unshaken faith. Fort Stann{N,
at the site of Rome, was mannd(by
600 men under Col. Peter Gansevobrt
and Col. Marinus Willett vas With
him.
On August 8, III, st. Leger arrived
before this fort and demanded its sur
render under pain of the slaughter
of the garrison by the Indians. But
Gansevoort in emphatic language de-
clined, though short of provisions an,-
ammunition. How siege followed;
how the patriotic general, Nicholas
Herkimer, started up the Mohawk Val
ley to relieve Gansevoort; how he was
ambused by st. Leger's force at Oris-
kany, and how during the hot hours
that followed his men stood in a circle
and fought hand TO hand one of the
most bloody battles of the Revolution,
need not be told. But while the battle
ragged, Colonel N7illett sailed from the
fort, drove the British from their camp,
captured flags, papers and baggage,
and returned. in triumph. 1t was a
splendid sortie and it was made under
the flag. A most curious combination