The Forrest City times., 1908-07-03

ilNeu unOer the BrlllSn nag. Tn 1ooU the flag of New England was white, | charged with St. Georges cross in red surmounted with the crown. In the center was inscribed Jacobus Rex. While Manhattan was in possession of the Dutch the ships waved a flag or which was beaver, the then insignia of the New Netherlands 1707 the colonies adopted the Union Jack of Great Britain. This was formed by a combination of St Andrews and St. Georges crosses, and of course was typical of the fact that the two coun. tries had become one when Queen Elizabeth died and the Scottish king succeeded te the English throne
 At the time of our revolt from Brit. lsh authority the Union Jack was in general use, usually bearing some patriotic motto of which Liberty and Union" was the favorite. Directly aft
 CT the battle of Lexington new flag
 was improvised with the mctto of the | state of Connecticut, viz, "Qui trans
 tulit sustinet." This soon gave way
 to regimental colors, each being dis
 tinctive in shade. At Bunker Hill a blue flag was chosen to designate New | England troops-the first sign we see 1 of union in the colonial army This | flag had St. Georges cross in one corner. It was growing beautifully | less within our limits and soon after
 wards disappeared when Gen. Put
 nam displayed a red banner on Pros h1 to Heaven" The colony of Massa. chusetts sent out cruisers In the spring, supplying each with a white
 flag or which was painted a green pine tree. When armed vessels were commissioned in Washington they
 were furnished with flags of similar
 kind.
 To Col William Moultrie of South Carolina is due the honor of raising
 he first republican flag. It had a
 Unite crescent on blue ground This
 was unfurled on the east bastion of he fortress in Charleston harbor. June 2S. 1776, while on the opposite side
 waved the flag called the Great
 Union"
 June IA, TIT, the Continental con gress. realizing the appropriateness of longer using British colors, resolved that the flag of the 13 United States be 13 stripes, alternate red and white;
 that the union be 13 stars, white in a
 blue field. representing a new con stellation."
 The first national flag after this pat tern was made by Mrs. Ross, a lady of Philadelphia She had some dis. tinguished men to assist her, among
 whom were Benjamin Franklin and Gen. Joseph Reed. We are not in. formed whether these men. appointed by congress for the purpose. used the
 himble, needle and thread that the | iady herself employed. From her gen eral character it is probable that Mrs.
 Ross declined to let them boss the
 job." and proceeded in her own way. The 13 stars of the flag of 1777
 were arranged in a circle, although there was no officially prescribed | form. In 1794, after the admission
 of Vermont and Kentucky into the union, it was resolved by congress i that from and after May l, 1795, the
 flag of the United States be 15 stripes
 alternate red and white. that the union | be 15 stars, white. in a blue field" "
 No provision was made by this act
 for future alterations. nor were any
 changes made till 1918, although a number of new states were admitted meanwhile into the union. On April
 Uf that year bill embodying the
 suggestions of Capt Samuel C. Reid.
 who recommended the reduction of
 the stripes to the original 13 and the
 adortion of stars equal to the number
 Of the states, formed into one large
 star, and a new star to be added on
 the Fourth of July next succeeding the
 admission of each new state. was ap-
 proved by President Monroe. and the
 flag thus established was aiterward
 hoisted on the ball of representatives