Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1908-07-04
OUR FLAG.
lts ORIGIN and History Related by Rev.
Thomas 3. Gregory.

It's oriain and History Related by Rev.
Thomas 3. Gregory.
The stars and stripes became the flag
OF the United States on June IA, l'''
On that day 1t was resolved by congress
that the flag Of the thirteen Unit
ed States be thirteen stripes, alternate
red and white, and that the Union De
thirteen stars. white, in a blue held'
representing a new constellation.
The congressional enactment creating
Old Glory said nothing concerning the
particular form in which the shrs
should be grouped, and as the circle Is
the simplest of all figures the circular
form naturally became the one IL
which the stars were arranged.
The national flag continued with tnir,
teen stripes and thirteen stars until
Jan. IS, 1895, when congress voted that
setter May 1, 1875, the. flag OF the
Tf6had States be fifteen stripes, alter
nate red and white, and that the Union
be fifteen stars, white, in blue field.
Twenty-three years later, April 4,
1918. congress adopted the following
resolution:
Be It enacted that from and after the
Fourth of July next the flag Of the Unit
cd States be thirteen horizontal stripes
alternate red and white. and that the
Union be twenty stars, white, III Diue
field. ,,
And that on the admission OF a new
state into the Union one star be addeu 10
| the flag, and that such addition shall
| take place on the Fourth OF July next
succeeding each admission
| Certain members Of congress In their
patriotic ardor wanted a new stripe
for each new state, but Mr.. Windover
one of the members from New YORK
arose in his place and said;
"Nfr. Speaker am heart and soul II
favor of any proposition that Will give
us a big flag We are going TO De
bie people. and we need correspond
ingly big flag. But it must not be SC
big as to be a burden to us. AT the
rate the United States is now growing
II a stripe were added for every new
state admitted it would soon be impos
| SlDlc 10 Iluu al uihol vi PCAN Ne-~
on which to hoist the flag"
Mr. Windover's speech settled tn
matter, and the limit was drawn a
the thirteenth stripe.
The first time the stars and stripes
was displayed in battle was at For
Stanwix, now the city Of Rome, Oneldi
county. Colonel Peter Ganseyoort wa
In command Of the fort and, beinI
surrounded by st. Leger and calle'
upon to surrender, the gallant OLD colo
| mel replied rs follows:
' at is my determined resolution, VIII
the forces under my command, 10 de
| fend this fort to the last extremity l
behalf Of the United States, VINO place
me here to fight for it against all thel
enemies"
The first salute given by a foreig
power to TIE stars and stripes was l
Ouiberon bay. on the coast of Britain!
Paul Jones in the Ranger was crul'
ing in those parts and, coming up wit
a French admiral, saluted his flag.
The Frenchman returned the salut
gun for gun. -,
Before that event it had been III
usage of Europe to salute the flag OF
republic with four guns less than wei
2 fred in saluting the flag of crowne
potentate, but Jones claimed that VI
Glory was the peer Of any flag afio'
and that in saluting 1t must get
many guns as it gives.
Glorious old flag! And Of ever
American north, south, east and we
the prayer is:
Long may she wave"-Rev. Thor
- az B. Gregory In New York America