Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-06-18

on graat buildings on a great day as
Decoration day, Fourth OF July, great
presidents and Labor day etc. PEG.
pie make flags from little flags to great
large flags and sell them from penny
up to dollars.
War flags are flags Of great honor.
War flags have holes snot through
them. There are some In the capitol
of Iowa. They are cut, ripped and
torn.
The first American flag was ordered
by George Washington. The flag OF
America has been seen in the war OF
the Revolution, the war of 1872, civil
war. war with Spain and many other
wars. Mrs. Ross made the first Amer.
lean flag.
AS far back as 1854 when Benjamin
Franklin published ais philadelphia
Gazette" an article urging the colon.
les to unite for mutual defense and
Illustrated with wood cut of a snake
divided into thirteen parts with the
legend Unite or DE- The cry was
taken up generally by papers of the day
and several of them used the figure Of
the snake as regular head piece. Its
first recorded transfer to flag was
in February, 1776, when Colonel Gads-
den presented to the continental con-
gress an elegant standard on a bright
yellow ground with lively picture Of q
rattlesnake going to strike. Another
rattlesnake flag was hoisted by Esek
Hopkins the first revolutionary COM
modore sometime in the year Of 1776.
1t had thirteen red and white stripes
with no union but with the rattlesnake
slanting across the stripes and the
motto, Don't tread on me-"
Another famous flag of 1776 was the
blue ensign of South Carolina marked
only by white crescent In the upper
corner sometimes bearing liberty In
waite letters. Under this fought the
men who drove the British from
Charleston harbor aud this was the
flag, which during the defense of Sullt-
vans island brave Sergeant Jasper
sprang upon the earth works to replace
In the spot from which cannon ball
had carried 1t a moment before. It's
esrliest appearance is dated back to
Sept. IS, 1775 when Col. Moultrie led
a body of patriots to attack and cap.
ture Fort Jackson.
The first movement for a national
banner to represent the unity of the
thirteen colonies was started by Ben
jamin Franklin in the last day of 1775
With two other leaders of the Amerj-
can forces then besieging Boston, he
devised the grand union nag. This
was variation of the old British en-.
sign under which the colonies mad
fought in the French and Indian wars
and which they were not yet ready to
abandon entirely for 1t must be re.
membered that they still. considered
themselves Englishmen. The red field
was retained but was distinguished
with six white bands making the tnir
teen "rebellious" stripes as an English
paper called them. In the upper cor
ner were the crosses Of st. George and
st. Andrew combined as in the British
Union jack. "My hand first hoisteG
the American flag" said Lieut.. Johr
Paul Jones Of the Revolution -
frigate alfred" afterwards famous -
captain Of the Ronhomme Richard.
But his priority is by no means gener.
ally conceded.
There were so many banners that
might be called American flags In
those days that the historical question
Is difficult one. James Fennimore
Cooper says Jones carried white flag
bearing combination Of the pinetree
and rattlesnake figures. The same
honor was claimed by John Adams for
New England officer. He said in
letter to Eldridge Gerry that the first
American flag was hoisted by Capt.
John Manley and the first British flag
was struck by him. Manley COM
handed the schooner Lee" whose
capture of the British brig Nancy was
enc of the first naval incidents of the
Revolution. Of his ensign we have
no description it was probably the
pine tree flag.
The adoption of the stars and
stripes speedily ended the earlier con-
fusion Of varying banners. Mrs Ross
ensign was hoisted at once In Phila-
delphia and the design was copied
everywhere by the patriots as soon
as they heard Of it. The circular ar
ransement Of the thirteen stars,
white in blue field and thirteen
stripes red and white were maintain
ed until two more states were admit
ted. Kentucky and Vermont They
claimed representation in the national
banner. Not without opposition in
1894 congress altered the flag to con-
sist of fifteen red and white stripes,
with the same number Of stars ar
ranged in three rows of five. Under
this ensign was fought the war OF
1872 and the naval war with France.
The continued creation Of new
states soon again destroyed the num-
erical correspondence between the ele-
ments Of the flag and the members
of the union. During the next twen-
ty-three years following 1894, Tenne-
ssee, Ohio, Louisiana, Indiana, and
Mississippi were admitted and they
too wished to be represented. A con-
gressional committee recommended
the addition of five more stars and five
more stripes but this was process
which could not be carried much
| further. -
It was Captain Reid, the hero Of the
famous battle with British squad
ron at Fayal. who suggested way
cut Of difficulty which might have
become troublesome. He urged that
instead of being increased, the stripes