Omaha daily bee., 1906-09-23
AMERICAN FLAG IN KANSAS
Centennial Anniversary Of the First
UnfurlinE of stars and stripes
TO he Celebrated.

The people of Republic City, In Repub-
lie county, Kansas, have organized for the
purpose Of celebrating the Tooth anniversary
of the visit OF Zebulon Montgomery Pike to
the village OF the Pawnee republic Sep
tember g, 1906. when the Spanish flag was
hauled down and the symbol of American
sovereignty substituted. Republic City is
but six miles south of the Nebraska line,
and various organizations from both Kan
sas and Nebraska will participate in the
commemorative exercises on the 18th inst.
While making his famous exploration
Of western plains and mountains, which
resulted in the first knowledge of Pixies
peak. General Pike found "a village Of
Pawnee Indians with the Spanish flag
above them Notwithstanding the transfer
of the country by the Louisiana purchase,
and that he caused them to take 1t down
and raise the flag of the United states
i'm its place
This flag incident is the first and about
the most interesting in the history of Kan
sas. In 1901 the state legislature erected
a twenty-seven-foot granite shaft on this
village site OF the Pawnee republic and
placed an iron fence around eleven acres,
the land being the gift of Elizabeth A.
johnson.
The flag incident is thus described by
General Pake:
September 90 Held our grand council
with the Pawnees, at which were present
not less than 400 warriors, the circum-
stances of which were extremely interest
ing. The notes l took on my grand coun-
Gil held with the Pawnee nation were
seized by the Spanish government together
with all my speeches to the different ma
tons But It may be interesting to on
serve here. in case they should never
be returned. that the Spaniards had left
several of their flags in this village, one
| of which was unfurled at the chiefs door
the day of the grand council and that
| among various demands and charges gave
them was, that the said flag should be
delivered to me. and one of the United
States flags be received and hoisted I'm its
places This probably was carrying the
| pride of nations little too far, as there
| had SO lately been large force of Span
| ish cavalry at the village, which had made
| a great impression on the minds of the
| young men as TO their power, consequence
| etc. which my appearance, with twenty
infantry, was by no means calculated to
remove.
after the chiefs had replied to the
various parts of my discourse, but were
| silent as TO the flag, ] again reiterated
the demand for the flag, adding, that II
was impossible for the nation to have
| two fathers; that they must either be tho
| children of the Spaniards or acknowledge
their American father After silence
of some time an old man arose. went &c
the door. took down the Spanish flag
brought IL and laid II at my feet; he ther
received the American flag and elevated
1t on the stan which had lately born,
the standard Of his Catholic majesty. Thi
gave great satisfaction to the Usage anC
kans. both of whom decidedly avow them
selves to be under American protection
PerceiVing that every face in the council
was clouded with sorrow. as If some grea
national calamity were about to befal
them, l took up the contested colors an,
told them that as they had shown them
selves dutiful children In Acknowledge
their great American father. did not wis
to embarrass them with the Spaniards
for it was the wish of the Americans tina
their red brethren should remain peaceab l
around their own fires and not embro
themselves in any disputes between tn
white people and that for fear the Spar
iards might return there in force again
returned their flag, but with an injunctio
that IL should never be hoisted again dur
ing our stay. At this there was a genert
shout of applause, and the charge wa
particularly attended to-"