Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-07-07
The First "Star- SpanaIed Banner"

The descendants of Betsy Ross have
recently come forward with proofs
which appear to fully establish her
claim to have made the first American
flag.
Among the mass of other evidence
supplied by Dr. Lloyd Balderston, Pro-
fessor of Physics at the West Chester
State Normal School and a great
grandson of Betsy Ross, hitherto I'M
published affidavit made before her
death by Mrs. Rachel Fletcher, the eld-
est daughter of Betsy Ross, seems like
ly not only to silence criticism, but to
story of the first flag
Mrs Fletcher, in a document to
which she affirmed before a notary
public in New York City in 1870, at the
age of 81 years, and which is given be-
low in full, tells in simple language of
how her mother told her while child
of the making of the first flag.
This incident, Mrs Fletcher claimed,
took place in the month of June, 1875,
or shortly before the Declaration of In
dependence was signed, and if found to
be correct the story may take rank
with the story of the ringing of the
Liberty Bell as one of the Revolution
airy traditions of the American people.
The affidavit of Mrs. Rachel Fletcher
is as follows:
Il remember having heard my moth
er, Elizabeth Claypoole, say frequently
that she, with her own hands, while
she was the widow of John Ross made
the first StarSpangled Banner that
ever was made. l remember to have
also heard her say that it was made
on the order of a committee Of whom
Colonel John Ross was one, ana that
Robert Morris was also one of the
committee, and that General Washing
ton, acting in conference with the COM
mittee, called with them at her house.
UHere follows a long description of the
Well-knoWn flag house on Arch street,
| That it was in the month of June,
| 1776. or shortly before the Declaration
of Independence, that the committee
| called or her.
THAT she was previously well ac-
uuainted with Washington, and that
he had often been in her house on
friendly visits as well as on business.
| That she had embroidered ruffies for
| his shirt bosoms and cuffs, and that II
was partly owing to his friendship Tor
| her that she was chosen to make the
| flag.
| '"That when the committee, with
| General Washington, came into hcr
| store, she showed them into the parlor
| back Of the store; and that one OF
| them asked her if she could make
| flag, and that she replied that she ana
| not know, but she could try mat
| they then showed her drawing,
| roughly executed, as the committee
| proposed to have it made, and thai
she saw in it some defects in it's pro-
portions and in the arrangement anu
| shape of the SCARS.
| "That she said the design was
square, and that a flag should be one
| third longer than it was wide. and that
she said that the stars We're scattered
promiscuously and that they should
either be placed in lines or in some
| adopted form, such as star or circle
| And that the stars were siX-pointed IN
! the drawing and she said that they
| should be five-pointed.
"That the gentlemen of the commit
tee and General Washington very re-
spcctfully considered her recommen-
| dations and acted favorably upon
them. That General Washington.
seating himself at table with pencil
| no
then making a new one. according to
| the suggestions of my mother.
| "That General Washington seemed
| to her to be the active one in making
the design. the others having little or
nothing to do with it. That the COM
mittee requested her to call on one of
their number, shipping merchant on
| the wharf, and then adjourned
"That she was punctual to her ap-
pointment. and then the gentleman
| drew out of q chest an old ships col
ors. which he lent her to show her how
the sewing was done, and also gave
her the drawing made according to
| her suggestion.
| "That this drawing was done IN
water color by William Barrett, an ar
| fist who lived on the north side OF
Cherry street above Inlrd street, Il
| large three-story brick house on the
west side of an alley which ran back
to the Pennsylvania Academy tor
| Young Ladies, kept by James A. Neal
| the best school of the kind in the city
| \. that time That Barrett only did
the painting. and had nothing to do
with the design. and that he was Of
ten employed by my mother afterwards
| to paint the coat Of arms OF the
| United states and of the state on SILK
| flags.
"That other designs had also been
| made by the committee, and given to
other seamstresses to make, but that
they were not approved.
| THAT mother went diligently t"
work upon the flag and soon returned
it. tho first star-spangled banner that
| ever was made, to her employers. 1t
was run UP to the peak of one of the
vessels belonging to one of the COM
| mittee. then lying at the wharf, and
was received with shouts of applause
by the few bystanders who happened
| tn no LOOKING on.