Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-06-27
War Department Records Prove
She Made the First OF Coun-
try's Flags
WAS PAID FOR HER WORK

Grandmother-Betsy Was Paid fol
Making Number of Flags-Deseen'
dants to the Rescue.
iconoclastss in Philadelphia who are
| trying to show that Betsy Ross didn'1
make the original American flag ane
| who are trying to stamp Betsy's house
in Arch street in the sleepy city as 9
fake must have had burning ears yes
terday, considering what great
great great -nephew Of Betsy, resident
| in Chicago, and DR.. B. ]. Cigrand, ma
tional authority on heraldic Americana
had to say about them.
The Chicago defenders of the famous
Betsy went deep into their archives as
soon as they read the astounding
story from Philadelphia in The Trib-
uune and dug up family trees by the
roots to prove that the school chill
i5dren's heroine really did just as the
school books and histories say.
80 Betsy didn't make the flag, eh?'
his office at ATS West North avenue
picking up rare books, designs TO,
seals, bendexters, dexters, argents
gules, unions, fields, and a dozen Other
things calculated to make the non
heraldic person grab his hat and rush
for the door. "Just you wait a minute
and I'll show EN-"
Has tho Official Refutation.
Then from between the pages Of his
History OF American Emblems," the
fruit Of fourteen years Of painstaking
research, the authority on American
heraldry and colonial history drew
forth q folded sheet of manuscript.
Read that" he said, quietly but tri-
umphantly.
cts a copy made of bills paid. to
eminent for flagmaking. The originals
from which I made the copy are yell
lowed paper now in the archives OF the
war department at Washington. and
in them is full REPUTATION Of the charge
that Betsy Ross was fake"
The manuscript copy Of the bills
read as follows:
COPY OF BILL PAID TO BETSY
BY THE UNITED STATES.
The following entry relates to flags
for Capt. William Richards:
state Navy Board, May 20, 1777.
Present,
Joseph Marsh,
Paul Cox.
"William Bradford,
Joseph Blower.
can order on William Webb to Eliz-
abeth Ross for fourteen pounds, twelve
shillings, and two pence, for making
ships colours, ETC., put into William
Richards store, s14.12.2.
aug. 20, 1777. State Of Massachu-
sets Bay to Jos. Webb. DR..
ITO making suit of colours, AS;
thread, 12s.; painting pine trees. ETC.,
|24s"'
The above bill pertaining to work
done by Mrs. Ross, from records In
war department, Washington. D. G.
Money Paid in Same Year.
+ In the archives of the Philadelphia
committee OF safety is a bill dated the
latter part of July, 1877, showing that
money was paid to Betsy Ross for flag
making.
In discussing the matter DR.. Cigrand
said: ut is doubtful il the committee
Of iconoclasts in Philadelphia know the
-. a 40 0F tbo
know there have been many disputes
about it, but here is the meaning as
isubstantiated by government records
respecting the great seal Of the Unit
ed States:
1.-THE colors or tinctures of the
pales are those used In the flag OF the
United States. White signifies purity,
innocence; red, hardness and valor.
The chief denotes congress. Blue is the
ground Of the American uniform, and
this color, signifies vigilance. perse-
verance and JUSTICE"
No whit behind DR.. Cigrand, who
holds letters of appreciation from three
presidents and five secretaries of war,
Isl Will Sidney Turner, 1856 Belmont
avenue. His grandmoth Mrs. SUI
san McCord Turner, SO years Of age,
and living In Frankfort, part of Phil
adelphia, has written some recollec-
tons of her grandaunt, Betsy Ross.
Statement Of Great-Niece.
In the aged Philadelphian's written
statement, in the possession OF Mr.
Turner, she says in part:
Sarah Griscom, my grandmother,
was the sister Of Elizabeth Griscom.
the Betsy Ross of history. am,
therefore, the grand-niece of Betsy
Ross. I have vivid personal recollec-
lions Of her as 'Aunty' Claypoole (then
pronounced Claypole). She was small
of stature, and was beautiful, even In
her old age She died in 1886.
She was married three times. It was
as the Widow Ross that she made the
first flag. TO her belongs the credit
Of suggesting the five pointed star to
place in the blue field instead of the
six pointed star, customarily dis
played at that time. 1t it literally true
that she cut five pointed star out OF
paper and showed it to the committee.
'tBetsy's work on the first flag great
ly pleased the committee, composed Of
General Washington, Colonel Ross, and
Robert Morris, and she was directed to
purchase all the bunting available in
the town. She accepted the contract
and for many years our kinsWoman
was enabled to furnish flags to the