The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-10-12
"oid Glory" Has Been Many
Times Changed From Orig
inal Design.
Is AND is STRIPES
While This Was the First Flag to Be
Made for This United States,
1t Has Not Proved a
Hoodco.
From the WASHINGTON Star.

ject, II members of and the
heads of the great executive depart
ments at Washington are constantly
receiving communications requesting
information respecting the national
emblem.
Perhaps unusual interest has been
aroused among the people because of
the more general observance of flag
day in the public schools. or they have
been brought to think OF the flag and
for What it stands by the enlarged i'm
portance of the United States as a
world power resulting from the war
with Spain, but the long-deferred ac-
quiescence of the public in the adop-
ton of Francis Scott Keys beautiful
Star Spangled Banner as the national
anthem appears to nave been the fin
1Shlng touch necessary to stir the heart
and pulse OF the masses of the people
to a proper appreciation of their beau
tiful and symbolic flag.
Recently the war department re-
celved an autograph letter from a we'll
known enator requesting. in behalf of
a most estimable lady. q teacher in one
of the public schools, a full description
of the American flag as authorized by
law n custom, the lawful numbe of
stripes n the proper color. and what
the union jack" means; also request
ing information as to what is the law
ful American coat-Of-armS.
Replying thereto, the secretary of
wal transmitted Il copy of a memoran-
DUN prepared under the direction of
the quartermaster general of the arply.
descriptive of the several flags carried
by the army of the United States, to-
gether with a description of the union
Jack and the seal of the United States.
procured. respectively, from the avy
department and the department of
state.
The First Flag.
II the memorandum referred to it is
stated that the American congress-, in
session at Philadelphia, Pa, established
by it's resolution adopted June IA, 1l77,
a national flag as follows:
THAT the flag of the thirteen United
States be thirteen stripes, alternate red
and white: that the union be thirteen
stars, wh;sS in a blue field, represent
ing a new consultations"
The use of the thirteen stripes was
not a new feature, as they had been
used in alternate white and blue. on
the upper left hand corner of q stand
ard presented to the Philadelphia
Light Horse by it's captain in the early
part of It's, n moreover. the union
flag Of the thirteen united colonies
at Cambridge, January 2, 1I76, had the
thirteen stripes just as they appear in
the flag this day; but it also had the
crosses of st. George and st. Andrew
on a blue ground in the corner. instead
of the thirteen stars. No satisfactory
prove that a flag bearing the union
of the stars and stripes had been in
public use prior to the resolution of
June, 1777.
It is now conceded that Mrs. John
Ross, of Philadelphia. was the maker
of the first flag combining the stars
n stripes. Her descendants assert
that a committee of congress-, together
With General Washington, engaged her
in June, 1916, to make the flag from a
rough drawing, which at her sugges-
ton, was redrawn by General Wash
ington with pencil in her back parlor.
and the flag thus designed was adopted
by congress-.
Although the resolution establishing
the flag was not officially promulgated
until September 3, 1777. it is we'll au-
thenticated that the stars n stripes
were carried at the battle of the
B~randywine, September II. 1777, and
thenceforward during all the battles of
the revolution.
The ship Ranger, bearing the stars
and stripes n commanded by Captain
Paul Jones, arrived at a French port
about December 1, 1z77. n her flag re-
ceived on February IL. ITS, the first
salute eve paid to the United States
flag by foreign naval vessels.
The flag remained unchanged until
May 1, 1895, when in consequence of the
admission of Vermont and kentucky
into the union, congress provided that
it be changed to include fifteen stripes,
alternate red and white, With a union
of fifteen white stars in a blue field.
Five More Stars in 1918.
That was the national banner from
1705 to 1918, during which period oc-
CURED the war of 1912 With Great
Britain.
BY 1918 five additional states-Ten-
nessee, Ohio, Louisiana, Indiana and
M1ssissippi-had been admitted into
the union. and therefore a further
change in this flag seemed to be neces-
sary. Congress, after much discus
sion. decided on April 4, 1918. that aft
er the Fourth Of July neXt following
the flag Of the United States should
consist II thirteen stripes, alternate
red ana white, with a union of twenty
white stars on a field of blue, and that
upon the admission of each new state
into the union an additional star be
added to the flag, to take effect on
the 4th day of July next following.
Thus by a wise provision Of legisla-
ton the original form of the flag, en-
bleinatic of the thirteen states Of the
revolution, was p~erpetuated, n the
addition of one star as each state was
admitted to the union gave proper
recognition to all the states and makes
the flag a significant emblem of the
growth and mower of the country with
out alteration Of it's original design.
In the war with Mexico the national
flag bore t~wenty-nine stars in it's I'M
ion; during the civil war thirty-five,
and since July 4, 1896. by the admis-
sion of Utah, the number has been
increased to forty-five stars. The
prospective admission of Oklahoma
will add another star to the flag July
4, 1907.
No law has been passed relating to
the arrangement Of the stars in he
union, but in accordance with an agree
ment arrived at between the war and
navy departments it has been decided
to place them in horizontal rows across
the blue field, but not always in verti-
cal rows, the latter arrangement being
governed by the number of stars to
be inserted.
The national flags hoisted at camps
and forts are NOW made of bunting of
American manufacture, bat 1t was not
ul.til after the civil war that the prop
or kind Of bunting could be procured