Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-06-27

interested, was one made of crimson
silk embroidered by the Moravian
Sisters of Bethlehem, who gave it 20
Count Pulaski, at that time visitor
WIN Lafayette, whose headquarters
were in Bethlehem.
The history of our present flag from
it's inception has been a source of
much argument and diversity of opin-
ion. The stars and stripes are said
to have originated from the shield or
coat of arms of Washington. The
Washingtons were a Northampton
shire family and in the early part Of
the seventeenth century various mem
bers Of the family lived in the village
Of Little Brighton, six miles from
Northampton. There are tombstones
in the parish church bearing the
names of Lawrence and Robert Wash
ington, who died in 1916. On the
tombs is the shield Of the family and
the blazon shows the stars and
stripes. The great grandfather of our
first president came to this country in
1857 and it Is said on good authority
that the American flag obtained its de-
sign from the red and white stripes
and stars on the shield of Washing
ton and the eagle "issuant" from his
crest.
Another theory is that the blue
quarter was taken from the blue ban
ner of the Scotch Covenanters, and
was therefore significant of the sol
emn league and covenant of the united
colonies against oppression, while the
stripes were blending Of the red
colors used in the army with the
white used in the navy. Still another
theory is that after Washington was
/ appointed commander in chief of the
army a committee was chosen to Gre
ate a colonial flag that would be ma
tional in its character They decided
on one with thirteen bars, alternate
red and white, the kings colors with
the white cross of st. Andrew and the
red cross of St. George. This was
unfurled by Washington under the
Charter Oak. In spite of this, how
ever, the variety of flags used on land
and sea was embarrassing; so in May,
l1776 Washington, Col George Ross,
and Hon. Robert Morris called on
Mrs. Betsy Ross, widow who lived
/ in Arch street, Philadelphia, in a
house which Is today unchanged save
for a window in the front, where
Washington unfolded before her a
! rough sketch which he had brought
with him. She suggested a few modi-
fications and Washington redrew it,
SO as to show flag with thirteen
stripes, and blue field dotted with
thirteen stars. 1t was Mrs. Ross sug-
gestion that the stars be five-pointed.
When the flag was finished congress
approved Of it and Mrs. Ross was or
dered to use all the bunting in Phila.
delphia to make flags for the use OF
congress. Soon thereafter Betsy Ross
was busy with an order from tbs
treasury for flags for the fleets.
On land or sea our flag thrills the
heart of an American with pride. It
recalls Trenton, Princeton, Gettys
burg. Washington carried 1t on his
perilous trip across the Delaware. We
see it carried across the sea by John
Paul Jones, who claimed to have ellie
tied the first salute to it from a for
eign ship abroad. We see it waving
over the American-the first naval
vessel of the United States. We see
Commodore Perry fighting under I
on Lake Erie We see it borne lI
the Thames by the ship Bedford OF
Nantucket in 1888, and into Chinese
and Japanese waters In 1899. Then
rises before one the pathetic incident
Of the first flag under fire at Fort
Schuyler. 1t was with Farragut al
New Orleans, with Dewey in Manila
Bay, and with Sampson and Schley al
Santiago
Every official flag is made in strict
accordance to rule as to size and ma
terial. The army flag Is Of silk and
is five feet six inches long by -four
feet four inches wide. The field is
two feet six inches long by two feet
four inches wide The staff. is nine
feet long and the distance between
the first row Of stars and the edge oil
the flag is two and 1892 inches. Al
the top of the staff is a spearhead and
pendant from the spear are tassels
swinging from two golden cords A
heavy fringe adorns the edges. The
army flags hoisted at camps or forts
are made of bunting. They are in
three sizes, the storm and recruit
ing flags being eight feet in length by
four feet two inches in width, the
post flag twenty feet in length by ter
feet in width, and the garrison flag
thirty-six feet in length by twenty feet
in width. The union is one-third the
length of the flag and extends to the
lower edge of the fourth stripe from
the top.
The president of the United States
has his own flag. On the blue FIELD
is an eagle bearing on it's breast Z
shield with the stars and stripes, ant
underneath the national motto, IL
pluribus unum." The pennant of thu
United States is long and narrow
with only thirteen stars and two
stripes. Accompanying our flag is the
Red Cross flag, which is carried b,
that society the world over. Our q
compliment to the Swiss republic
where the society first originated it ::
the Swiss flag reversed. The white
!. flag of truce is always symbol O
amity when carried by soldiers OF
horse or afoot between armies. Curl
ously enough though used by all Ma
tons Of the earth, no regular flag o
truce is to be found in the flag lock
ere Of Nations and avap in o,,r rocon